Good Grief: Honoring Loss

Have you ever attended a funeral for a goldfish? To some this may sound like an odd question but consider this: as young children, many of us didn’t think twice about whether or not our loss was significant enough to warrant grieving. We didn’t judge our sadness. We were simply sad and most likely cried if we lost something we cared deeply for and loved.

Recently in my own life, our dog, Rugby died unexpectedly. I took him to the vet to get some teeth pulled and not long after he was gone.

I’ve spent several sessions of my own therapy now talking about the death of our dog. I feel guilty when I start to think about how

Building Stable Attachments

A favorite memory from my childhood is racing to a closet under the stairs, at my grandparents’ house, where treasure awaited. The treasure was a bin of white plastic building blocks that belonged to my father and his siblings. Think Legos before Legos came to the Unites States. While the shapes and sizes weren’t as varied, and the only color was white, the concept was the same, and the building blocks were every bit as entertaining because they were unique. Recently, while reading an article on attachment, these blocks came into my mind.

Jeff GrossmanOctober 12, 2018attachment, therapyComment

Blake Blankenbecler, MS, LPC-MHSP (temp)

This month we’re shining the spotlight on Blake Blankenbecler, MS, LPC-MHSP (temp). Blake attended Lipscomb University where she earned a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Play Therapy Specialization in August 2017.

therapist spotlightJeff GrossmanOctober 3, 2018therapy, group therapyComment

Finding the Release in Anxiety

Recently, I returned to my favorite amusement park growing up, Cedar Point. The ‘Magnum,’ ‘Raptor,’ ‘Iron Dragon,’ and ‘Corkscrew’ are all still operating and are still able to both make me scream with excitement and leave me a little nauseous by the end of the ride. Since my last visit near the end of high school, Cedar Point added a new ride, the ‘Millennium Force,’ the eighth tallest rollercoaster in the world. After waiting for over an hour, it was nostalgic as the rollercoaster began climbing the towering ascent, slowly clicking along. I could feel my adrenaline and anxiety increase as I awaited the inevitable moment I would reach the summit.

anxietyJeff GrossmanOctober 2, 2018therapy, anxiety Comments

Taking the "Versus" Out of Emotions

So much of life is sorted into categories. Healthy vs. unhealthy. Good vs. bad. Villain vs. hero or heroine. However, when it comes to emotions, there needs to be an ideological shift. Labeling emotions as either good or bad simply doesn’t work. Feelings just are. The very essence of what makes us human is our ability to feel hurt, happiness, lonely, relief, shame, sadness, joy, anger, calm, and so on.

Jeff GrossmanOctober 1, 2018emotions, therapyComment

Depression: Finding a Way Up the Rabbit Hole

When I think of how to describe Depression to someone without first-hand knowledge, the book, “Alice in Wonderland” springs to mind. Partly, because I find that there are many loosely held parallels between Alice’s story and that of Depression. Many believe that depression is a choice, just as Alice had a choice to go down the rabbit hole. Depression is not a choice however.

Jeff GrossmanSeptember 28, 2018Depression, therapyComment

Individual Counseling / Therapy is a Workout for the Mind

Just as working with a personal trainer leads to better results at the gym, working with a therapist leads to better results in life.

Jeff GrossmanSeptember 25, 2018therapy, therapist, mental healthComment

Taking that First Step; a Pre-Therapy Primer

“I made it to my first workout class!” This was a text my friend sent to me early one Tuesday morning. To understand how exciting this really is, you need to understand my friend Brian had been solo attempting different home workout videos for more than a year. He knew he wanted to attend a class to benefit from professional instruction and needed camaraderie to stay motivated, but nearly every morning he could find a new and better excuse to stay home. The text meant Brian finally decided to leave his living room, and excuses, behind and give class a try. Guess what, he loved it! Purchased a quarterly package and sent the follow up text, “Don’t know what kept me from giving class a try.”

Jeff GrossmanAugust 9, 2018Brentwood marital therapy, therapy, individual counseling, counseling, recovery, depressionComment

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