Veronica Ingrao, LCSW, LADC, CCS

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Four Steps to Overcome Negative & Unhealthy Behaviors

Recently, I read a critique of negative societal patterns that result in illness, The Myth of Normal (Mate, 2022) .  Towards the end of the book, Gabor Mate builds on a concept I read in a book ten years prior, You Are Not Brain: The 4-Step Solution for Changing Bad Habits, Ending Unhealthy Thinking, and …

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Lady Gaga talks about mental health at the Grammys.

Celebrity Exposure: Does It Help Destigmatize Mental Health?

Mental health access in the 2000s–  not only are there more films addressing mental health issues (i.e.: Silver Linings Playbook, The King of Staten Island, Shutter Island, Black Swan) but celebrities are also talking more openly about their difficulties with mental illness. Below are some examples of popular celeb disclosures, followed by some key insights …

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Dog Therapists: 5 Ways Dogs Are Therapeutic AF

“Therapy dogs! What about therapeutic cats, lizards, etc? Here’s an important author’s note- I’m partial towards dogs, so I’m writing about dogs. 🙂 I was so nervous about getting my dog, Biscuit.  I work a lot and have a nasty habit of worrying about the future, so I wasn’t sure how I’d find the time …

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Narcissism and How We Overuse the Term

Narcissism, as a concept, comes from the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus.  It’s a beautiful story, actually.  Narcissus was a hunter wanted by many admirers.  Everyone wanted to be with him, but he refused to show an interest.  He’d spend his days running through the woods alone, shining radiantly as he pranced amongst trees.  One …

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5 Strategies to Overcome Negativity Bias

“I’m so negative,” my clients often say. “You’re so human,” is often my first response.  The truth is, aside from illnesses like depression or someone’s naturally more easy going persona, all people’s minds are wired towards negative thinking patterns.  Humans give more importance to negative experiences than positive ones, often referred to as a negativity …

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bright minds

BRIGHT MINDS: Neuroscience to decrease symptoms of mental illness?

Dr. Daniel Amen uses the pneumonic BRIGHT MINDS for 11 risk factors that can result in symptoms of anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions. Often, the DSM-V guides clinicians to assess solely from a psychiatric lens, but there is an abundance of evidence of physical illness, trauma, over medication, mimicking mental health …

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Boundaries

Therapists with Poor Boundaries + Why this Matters

Questions regarding boundaries have come up frequently lately with my therapy clients, so let’s see if I can help make sense of this. One client stated, “I feel weird that I don’t know much about you.” Another, “I’d like to be your friend.” Earlier in the month, “My girlfriends therapist talks about herself a lot. …

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