“The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.” —Mother Teresa Today’s world appears more connected than ever, and yet many people feel lonely and isolated. Everyone keeps their friends up-to-date with Snapchat and Instagram. Smart phones mean communicating with people across the world can happen in an instant. Through technology, people are rarely alone, and yet, loneliness in the age of social media is a well-documented phenomenon. Being around people is a very different experience than being connected to people. People often share their pictures or their status, but are they sharing their fears, their happiness, their concerns, or their delight? And are they listening as their loved ones open up about their own experiences and feeling? Even though many people are rarely alone, they are not experiencing these healthy connections. Instead, they often feel isolated. Loneliness involves a deep sense of isolation and disconnection from others, … [Read more...]
5 Counseling Tips for Attracting the Perfect Partner
It’s quite amazing to me the number of people I’ve come across both personally and professionally that are in search of “the perfect mate.” If not in search of, definitely ponderous about the whole notion, and how a current partnership compares to the ideal. The following are some ideas to help in the journey of finding the man/woman of your dreams: 1) Know yourself. It seems quite elementary but ask yourself how well you really know YOU. This encompasses the simple as well as the complex workings of you. Do you love hanging out with yourself? Do you know what your favorite things are? Food? Movies? Hobbies, kind of ice-cream, colors, pace of life, how you recharge? What are your goals? How do you envision your life in a year, 5, 10? Are you a dog person or cat? City person or country? Would you like to be married, if not what WOULD you like? Do you see kids in the picture? A difficult challenge is presented when we go in search of “the perfect mate” before we really … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Improve your Social Life This Spring (especially in Boston): Thrive Boston Counseling Tips
Spring is here, and you are out of excuses to hide in your cave. It’s time to step outside, take a deep breath, and find something to do. Not so easy, you say? Here are 7 suggestions on how to get connected in Boston (or anywhere) this spring. Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be well on your way to a full social calendar. 1) Join a Group, or Two, or Three Finding a group to join has never been easier. Try searching “[your city] [activity you like] group” in Google and see what comes up (e.g., “Boston Camping Group”), or try the hugely popular meetup.com which has groups for anything and everything imaginable. If in Boston, you could also try a “Boston Young Professionals Association” (BYPA) mixer (http://bostonypa.com), or join a Kickball Team through the World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA). 2) Talk to Strangers For our social life bolstering purposes, the proverb “Everyone is a stranger until you get to know them,” is better advice than “Stranger danger” or the … [Read more...]
The Five Love Languages: Couples Communication
A new video created by Thrive Boston Counseling - The Five Love Languages, Couples Communication. Five Love Languages Video: Couples Communication … [Read more...]
Learning to Forgive: The 5-Steps of Forgiveness
WHAT FORGIVENESS IS (AND IS NOT) Forgiveness is giving up your right to hurt someone who has hurt you. Forgiveness does not diminish the wrong done against you. Forgiveness is not a denial of what happened. Forgiveness does not take away the consequences the other person will face because of his or her actions. Forgiveness is an act and a process. Even when a person decides to forgive another person, feelings of relief or healing are usually not immediate. Forgiving someone can be difficult and uncomfortable. Forgiveness is not weakness. It is the most powerful thing you can do. It breaks the hold that has been put on your life. Refusing to forgive allows the person or thing that was hurtful to you continue to hurt you. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Forgiveness does not require you to become a “doormat.” Forgiveness does not require you to open yourself up to the offender to be hurt again. Forgiveness does not wait for the … [Read more...]