Four Corners Blog
Serving Maryland suburbs including Bethesda, Chevy Chase,
Kensington, Rockville, Silver Spring, and Takoma Park.
“What is IFS, again? I’m confused.”
Parts are like a family that interacts with one another to create the internal system that makes each of us a unique individual. Like a well-adjusted and calm adult, Self can develop healthy relationships with each of these parts, and heal the traumas and burdens that keep us from being whole and integrated.
Supporting Transgender and Gender Diverse Kids and Their Parents: What I have learned from my child’s gender journey.
It is important to have the opportunity to process all of your feelings, learn about your child’s identity, share your fears and hopes and be supported through your process.
What are we reading ~ Summer 2023
This summer seems to have been the perfect time for many of our team members to pause and read a book. We are sharing below what books they have been reading ~ do you have any book recommendations for us? Let us know.
Living in the In-Between
I believe that even in the in-between we are not alone, and we are fundamentally safe. We can take steps to trust the process and lean into this in-between experience of life. You never know where it will lead you, which is the unbearable and unavoidable truth of being human
Grief is love.
Many people don’t go into the office at all anymore, and others 1-3 times per week. This blurs the lines between family life and work life, and can stir up intense feelings of loneliness and isolation. There’s a deep sense of grief around “the way things used to be” before Covid. The gathering in offices at work, the lunch dates, and drinks after hours.
What a session with an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist can look like
Your therapist asks you to slow down and focus your attention on the tension. Then they ask you if any images come to mind when you put your attention on this part of you. Nothing comes at first. Your therapist reminds you to slow down and see where your mind takes you. An image of yourself as a third grader starts to appear in your imagination. You remember one time when your teacher criticized you in front of the class for not doing your homework. You remember feeling worried in that moment, like you did something wrong and you need to do something to fix it.
The Paradox of Holidays, or How to Feel Better when You're Hiding in the Bathroom.
For all the emphasis on celebration and family bonding and traditions - which can be very nice, don’t get me wrong - there is often an undercurrent of mixed emotions.
Group Therapy Helps You Grow Into Who You’re Truly Meant to Be
Group therapy provides the opportunity to hear other people talk about their experience with issues you might also be going through. This can normalize what you’re struggling with, helping you feel less alone. Research shows that group therapy can be just as effective as individual therapy, particularly because they provide social support and reduce stigma, isolation, and feelings of alienation.