At the Crossroads
Four Corners Counseling & Well-Being Blog
Serving Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland suburbs including Bethesda, Chevy Chase,
Kensington, Rockville, Silver Spring, and Takoma Park.
4 Strategies for Quieting Anxious Thoughts
Having anxious thoughts sometimes is completely normal. Short-term anxiety is designed to safeguard us from threats and risks. When properly functioning, it even keeps us safe from potential dangers. However, when it isn’t functioning properly, anxiety can become unhelpful.
A New Gratitude for a New Year
As you go about your day, you may notice that you have a fair number of thoughts, worries, hopes, and impulses. You probably find some of these useful as you do all of the things that you are called to do each day, and you may also find several others problematic or scary. That is why IFS therapists, including myself are trained to help with just that, so that you can move towards feeling that appreciation that every part of you deserves. You don’t have to do this on your own.
Is it Ok to Not Feel Grateful?
I have a fear part that worries about losing my rights; some members of my queer community already have. A part of me is angry; it’s so tired of fighting. I have a numb part; it’s shut down. If I pay close enough attention, I discover a hope part; it’s trying to see the good, but feels overshadowed.
Finding Your Confidence with Your Therapist
Therapy can be a great space to start getting into a relationship with the parts of us that bravely step up to help do things even when they do not know how to do them or cannot do them.
Shame is Spooky!
Shame is spooky like that too. Something happens and we feel bad - sometimes really bad. Others can’t always see what it is that has made us upset. But we react anyway.
Parenting Teens While Healing our Inner Parts
Parents of teens! You are not alone. This phase of life is not for the faint-hearted. Raising teens can be a time of incredible joy, watching our once-young ones develop into their own person, take on new challenges, and grow into adults. There’s a beautiful shift that happens when our children morph into intelligent, fun, and capable humans.
Clinician Spotlight - Elise Gower, MSW Student Intern
Elise specializes in anxiety, depression, life transitions, grief and loss, spirituality or existential conflict, relationship with self and others, LGBTQ+ life experiences, identity exploration, stress.
Sacred Calling - A Moment of Gratitude
If I can show up as human then I hope my clients have the courage to show up that same way. The road in therapy can be bumpy and uncomfortable but I’m grateful to be seated in the passenger seat, helping navigate the way.