Category: Uncategorized

“Because I Said So”: Instilling Confidence and Healthy Decision-Making in Our Children

June 12

By Seth Hock, LMFT

We have all been there, on both sides of the conversation – the ongoing negotiation between parents and children, when parents are asking children to do something they may not want to do. As parents, we can be exasperated from the arguments, power struggles, and the constant reminders to do something. The voice, oh so familiar, broadcasts the same tired message. It reverberates through our headspace like an ancient echo: “How many times do I have to ask or tell them to listen?”

Children, at times in innocent ignorance and at other times in stubborn defiance, … Read more

Seeking Clinician To Join Private Practice

May 15

Real Life Counseling is seeking a clinically licensed mental health clinician passionate about creating change in the lives of individuals, couples and families while impacting the community. We provide a flexible and rewarding environment for clinicians in which they can maximize creativity and focus on client care. Clinicians determine their own schedule, crafting a position that works for them while meeting their professional goals.

Interested applicants may contact us using the contact information below:

8911 E. Orme, Suite D, Wichita, KS 67207

(316) 425-7774

or use our contact form… Read more

Nutrition Class December 4: Is What You Eat Contributing To The Blues?

November 9

Registered Dietitian Amber Girrens will be hosting a class on nutrition and how it can affect our mood. The class will be held at Real Life Counseling Tuesday, December 4th at 6 pm. Learn about the gut-brain connection, vitamins and minerals linked to depression and helpful nutrition tips.

The class is $25 per person. Contact us here to confirm your seat.

Download a flyer about the class here.… Read more

Summertime Shame: Living with Skin Picking Disorder

May 25

By Krista Reed, LSCSW

Lemonade, swimming pools, baseball, and evenings on the porch.  Summertime is truly a loved season by many! Yet, for the 4% of the population suffering from Excoriation Disorder (skin picking disorder), summertime can be a nightmare. The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Disorders (BFRB’s) describes Excoriation Disorder this way: “the repetitive picking of one’s own skin. Individuals who struggle with this disorder touch, rub, scratch, pick at, or dig into their skin in an attempt to improve perceived imperfections, often resulting in tissue damage, discoloration, or scarring” [1]. Although Excoriation Disorder is common, most sufferers … Read more

Summer Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Adult and Teen Groups Enrolling Now

April 23

LOOKING FOR A DBT GROUP JUST FIT FOR THE SUMMER?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training Group is now open for new members to join both our Family/Adolescent group and Adult group.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a broad-based cognitive behavioral treatment aimed to enhance your ability to regulate emotions, improve interpersonal relationships and crisis management skills.  Emotion dysregulation has been linked to a variety of mental health concerns stemming from patterns of instability in emotional management, lack of impulse control, ineffective interpersonal relationships, and a distorted self-image.  Helping clients find true balance in emotion, thoughts, and behaviors are the … Read more

Mass Shootings: How to Talk to Our Children

February 7

By Krista Reed, LSCSW

On October 13, 2017, I was in Las Vegas for a training that was across the street from the Mandalay Bay.  Approximately one week prior, a man opened fire on country festival, Route 91 Harvest, from a broken window at Mandalay Bay.  58 people were killed, 422 people suffered injuries from gunfire, and another 851 individuals had injuries as a result of the attack (Andone & Sidner, 2018) During my lunch break, I decided to walk over to the hotel and pay my respects.  I briefly spoke with a police officer who appeared exhausted and was … Read more

Practicing Empathy and Differentiation When Helping

December 11

By Joel Ybarra, LCMFT

Some would say the largest part of being able to help others is empathizing with them, but it’s important we’re able to do this in a helpful and constructive way. Empathy is often defined as being able to see through another’s eyes. It’s amazing – we’re able to “read” and recreate the internal experience of another within ourselves by observing their facial expressions and imagining what we might feel in their place. You can see how it may be easy to get too emotionally involved.

There are some different ways we get “too involved.” Sometimes we … Read more

6 Tips for Handling the Holiday Hullabaloo

November 15

We all encounter it – the craziness of the holidays. They’re upon us, and we wanted to share a few tips for looking after yourself and your loved ones these holidays. The world around you will speed up and there’ll be pressures and stresses that come around each year about this time. Maybe do a few of these things this year to stay healthy, and make your holidays better!

  1. Acknowledge how you are feeling – if you recently experienced a loss, trauma, or other difficulty, let those who care about you know how you are feeling. We all need support.
… Read more

Should I Try to Change My Partner? The Paradox in Couple Relationships

November 5

By Joel Ybarra, LCMFT

It is common for couples to wonder whether they should try to “change” one another. At times, partners are merely making simple requests of one another, such as asking for a hand with the groceries, but other times, it may seem like they’re asking their partner to change part of their personality. Couple relationships are a delicate balance between accepting our partners for who they are and seeking to get our own “needs” met. The best relationships are the ones in which there is unconditional acceptance, so where do our needs and desires (or even simple … Read more

Therapy vs. Coaching for Eating Disorders or Disordered Eating

October 16
Which one is the right fit for you?

Whether you are struggling with an Eating Disorder or disordered eating, it’s easy to wonder what the next step is…is it therapy or is it coaching? This article explains the differences between therapy and coaching for these issues to help determine which one is the best fit for you.

Disordered eating falls on a spectrum. All of us struggle to eat in a way that is nourishing to our bodies and minds from time-to-time. Research suggests that up to 50% of the population demonstrate problematic or disordered relationships with food, body, and … Read more

Common Questions Couples Ask And How We Can Help

September 15

By Whitney Mosier, LMFT

“Is this normal?”

“What’s wrong with us?”

“Where are we going?”

These questions often plague individuals in emotionally committed relationships when they run into issues that, on the surface, seem impossible to overcome. What is it that finally propels couples to take the step into couples therapy? Many couples decide to enter couples therapy as a final step before separation or divorce. Others just hit points in their relationship when they experience frequent and unsolvable conflict.

Whatever the reason for seeking out couples therapy, it is an important decision – one often rife with anxiety. Whether … Read more

Lives Left Behind: Stories of Suicide Survivors

September 10

By Krista Reed, LSCSW

The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) defines a survivor of suicide as, “a family member or friend of a person who died by suicide” [1]. AAS estimates that over 41,000 suicides occur annually in the U.S. and for each 1 suicide, there are approximately 6 survivors, which is a modest estimate.  Based on this data, there are approximately 6 million Americans who are survivors of suicide from the last 25 years [1]. To honor Suicide Prevention Week 2017 (Sept. 10-16), I was fortunate enough to interview three different survivors of suicide: a friend, a … Read more

Childhood Cancer Awareness Celebration at Wesley Children’s Hospital September 8th

September 1

Members of our team will be at Wesley Children’s Hospital next Friday, September 8th for a Childhood Cancer Awareness Celebration. We want to support all those childhood cancer has touched, and celebrate with survivors and their families. There will be giveaways, art and entertainment, including movie characters, as well as a chance to meet the pediatric oncology staff. We are grateful for all the Wesley staff do to help kids with cancer and their families! The event starts at 6:00 pm September 8th in the Children’s Hospital Lobby, and is open to the public. Stop by and see us!… Read more

Dealing with Trichotillomania And Other Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB’s)

July 30

By Krista Reed, LSCSW

Trichotillomania.  Say that word 5 times as fast as you can.  Not only is it a tricky word to say, it is a challenging behavior to overcome. Pronounced “trick-o-till-o-may-nee-uh,”  “TTM” or “Trich” is also identified as the ”Hair Pulling Disorder.”  It is part of a group of behaviors referred to as Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB’s), in which a person pulls, picks or bites his or her hair, nails, or skin causing injury to him- or herself.  TTM is currently categorized in the Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders section in the DSM 5; however, it is not … Read more

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Adult and Teen Groups Enrolling Now

July 17

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training Group is now open for new members to join both our Adult and Adolescent groups!

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a broad-based cognitive behavioral treatment aimed to enhance your ability to regulate emotions, improve interpersonal relationships and crisis management skills.  Emotion dysregulation has been linked to a variety of mental health concerns stemming from patterns of instability in emotional management, lack of impulse control, ineffective interpersonal relationships, and a distorted self-image.  Helping clients find true balance in emotion, thoughts, and behavior and/or choices is the fundamental practice of DBT.

DBT Skills Training Group is … Read more

13 Reasons Why, from A Clinical Perspective

July 9

By Krista Reed, LSCSW

Gone are the days when Zack Morris’ problems were solved in a single episode and Danny Tanner was always one step ahead of his children, able to fix literally anything.  Being born in the 80’s and a fan of 90’s sitcoms, I grew up watching and living for these moments on television.  Teenagers were portrayed as characters who dealt in black and white absolutes, with little to no mystery.  Families had dilemmas, of course, but they were always palatable ones, wrapped up nicely with a neat bow.  Jessie Spano was able to kick a pill addiction … Read more

Harnessing the Power of Your ADHD

April 28

Joel Ybarra, LCMFT, originally published April 28, 2017 on joelybarra.com.

We tend to think of problems with focus and attention as impairments in brain functioning. Forgetting things, losing things and not being able to focus on the task at hand are all problematic, but it is important to understand what is actually going on in our ADHD brains and how we can use them optimally.  It is not that we are incapable of focus; we may just need to put in a little extra effort to be able to harness all our brains are capable of doing. The … Read more

Adult Dialectical Behavior Therapy Group Skills Training Starts March 5, 2017

January 26

Emotion dysregulation has been linked to a variety of mental health concerns stemming from patterns of instability in emotion regulation, impulse control, interpersonal relationships, and self-image.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a broad-based cognitive behavioral treatment aimed to assist with regulation of emotions.  Often over-controlled and under-controlled emotions create frustrations within ourselves and within relationships, causing us to behave and interact with one another in undesirable ways.  

  • WHO: Adults 18 and older
  • WHAT: 25 week DBT Skills Training Group
  • WHEN: Sundays 2 pm – 3:30 pm
  • START DATE: March 5th, 2017
  • LOCATION: Real Life Counseling offices – 8911 E. Orme,
… Read more

Pediatric Oncology Support Groups Start January 18, 2017 at Wesley Children’s Hospital

January 5

 

Real Life Counseling has teamed up with Wesley Children’s Hospital to provide support groups for pediatric oncology patients and their families. These support groups have been generously funded by Wesley Children’s Foundation. The goal of these support groups is to provide a place where patients and their families can meet and support one another through the difficulties of diagnosis, treatment and life change associated with childhood cancer. Separate groups will be provided for oncology patients, for parents and for siblings of patients. Go here for dates.

Who Is Invited to These Support Groups?

All pediatric (under the age of … Read more

Real Life Counseling Challenges Other Businesses to Maximize Health And Creativity, Not Just Profits

December 29

At Real Life Counseling, we are starting a campaign to challenge ourselves and others to build businesses that are healthy and creative, not just profitable. In a LinkedIn article “What If The Purpose of Business Is Creativity, Not Wealth Extraction,”[1] John Battelle questions the common understanding that businesses exist solely to deliver profits to shareholders. As we manage and work in business, we reach points where we must balance profit objectives with values that focus on the health of our organizations, the people within them and the community around us. Maximizing profits is not always opposed to creativity, but … Read more

Teen Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Group Starting January 8th, 2017

December 5

Emotion dysregulation has been linked to a variety of mental health concerns stemming from patterns of instability in emotion regulation, impulse control, interpersonal relationships, and self image.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a broad-based cognitive behavioral treatment aimed to assist with regulation of emotions.  Often overcontrolled and undercontrolled emotions create frustrations within ourselves and within our families, causing us to behave and interact with one another in undesirable ways.  

This DBT group is specifically designed for families and teens who may struggle with emotion dysregulation, making family connection difficult.

  • WHO: Adolescents (12-18) and parents
  • WHAT: 23 week DBT Skills Training
… Read more

Mindfulness – Finding Peace in the Present

November 15

By Shauna Meier, LSCSW

There is something powerful we all have within us, something we can practice any place and any time. It is known to ease anxiety, lighten depression, interrupt impulsiveness, and bring more happiness and peace into our lives. This powerful practice is called Mindfulness. Simply stated, mindfulness can be defined as  “Paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn).  Although mindfulness has been around for centuries, it has just recently received the attention and accolades it so rightfully deserves.

Mindfulness, being fully present in the moment, takes perseverance and patience as our minds are … Read more

Making Journaling Work for You

October 17

 

One of the most powerful tools we have available to us is our ability to give words to our inner experience – our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and intentions. Journaling is the practice of writing these things down, and can be a great way to work through difficult emotional issues. Many of us have difficulty getting into the habit of journaling or honing the practice into something that benefits us. One reason for that is our inner experience can seem jumbled and difficult to articulate. As well, we can encounter some very difficult feelings as we start to write, so … Read more