Counseling for individuals, couples, adults and teens in Crystal Lake, Algonquin and McHenry County,
Q-“What did you do today? A-“Adulting stuff.” Q-“What does that mean?” A-“I did my laundry, paid my credit card bill, stuff like that.” I didn’t know there was a word that described doing grown up stuff. I thought you just did it. It is a new term, a verb, that actually has a dictionary definition. […]
Having just celebrated Mother’s Day, my heart is full with having shared a lovely day with my husband and two kids (ages 15 and 20). Burgers on the grill, playing a game of Hearts on the deck and blowing bubbles was on the agenda, and I managed to enjoy all of them. (I like to […]
I have a pretty funny husband. Being the counselor, I am always talking about feelings, conflict, and my thoughts about marriage counseling. When we were at a big box store, before we split up to shop on our own, he said jokingly, “I sorry….meet me back in the make up aisle…” (Fortunately we had NOT […]
When marriage problems can’t be resolved and the potential for divorce is spoken, a healing separation is a direction that can provide resolution with the intent to heal amicably. Particularly when children are involved, a healing separation can provide time and boundaries for a smoother negotiation of the unresolved conflict. Separation can be a positive […]
Anxiety Cycle “I can’t stop thinking about it. Like a hamster in a wheel. My body feels electric.” Anxiety (defined as worry, undefined fear, agitation) manifests itself in many ways-but an underlying factor is that it is hard to shut it off, like it has an untamed life of its own. As a counselor and […]
“Getting to the next level always requires ending something, leaving it behind and moving on.”-Dr. Henry Cloud in the book “Necessary Endings.” Ending toxic or dead-weight relationships. Closing out unprofitable programs, departments or employees. Refusing to be engaged in unhealthy relationships with people. There is much literature on how to start new ventures in business […]
Harassment comes in many varieties-teasing, ridiculing, and put downs all the way to people being passed up for assignments, raises, promotions and jobs. On a continuum of behavior, imagine a timeline from a starting place of a “healthy, functioning well” workplace environment in which employees do their job well, are trained for their job functions, […]
I have noticed in my daily routine how great customer service makes me feel like I want to keep doing business with a company. The reverse is also true: rude, impatient or uninformed employees can turn my business away. Customer service is defined as “a function of how well an organization meets the needs of […]
In “Working with You is Killing Me” by Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster (Warner Business Books), the authors identify how to understand toxic people, how our boundaries get violated, how the roles we play feed into negative workplace relationships and how to get unhooked from it. This is one of the most popular trainings I […]
I think I have already found the Employee of the year, though it is only April. Positive attitude, engaged in his work, exemplary customer service, eager to meet the needs of his customers, he LOVES his job. “I can’t believe I get paid to work here.” I met Steven at Universal Studios in Orlando, when […]