Veronica Ingrao, LCSW, LADC, CCS

Anxiety

5 Dietary Suggestions To Defuse Your Anxiety

What you eat has a direct, considerable impact on your physiology and biochemistry.  Some natural substances can reduce your anxiety, while others may leave you keyed up.  Coffee is the most common culprit, but there are other small dietary revisions that won’t hurt your pallet and can decrease your anxiety.  I’m a fan of easier […]

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Anxiety

Rippling Through Grief + Death Anxiety

Undoubtedly, what I consume dictates my therapy practice. August’s read, Irvin Yalom’s, Staring at the Sun, made quite an impression on me. Yalom, a 20th century psychiatrist, writes about the human condition, particularly instructing readers on how to find meaning in death. Many of my current clients have heard a mouthful about Yalom’s ideas regarding

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therapy

Bright + Early Therapy May Benefit You in a Surprising Way

I’m continuing to transition to an earlier practice, seeing people for counseling sessions as early as 7A. Like many, with age, I’ve become more of a morning person (insert luxurious fantasy of sleeping in). When building my practice, a couple folks shot me dirty looks when I first offered them early sessions, but now they’ve

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trauma

Trauma Healing: Returning to the Time of Tonka Trucks and Troll Dolls

The beginning of long summer days, getting active with friends, and ice cream cones can lead us back to our most fond childhood memories. Who wasn’t ramped up about, “no school for the Summer!?” While some people have plenty of childhood memories, many cannot come up with more than fuzzy images that drift away upon

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anxieties

How to: Accept Anxieties as COVID Precautions Shift

“I should be happy and excited, but all I feel is pressured.” The preceding statement is a variation of so many dialogues I’ve had with clients over the last few weeks, as they anticipate the slow, but steady reopening of their communities. These ponderings are especially prompted by scheduled vaccinations, which will inevitably make it

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love

Break the Rules: A Guide to Relearning Love

Disclaimer: I know this doesn’t speak to everyone’s experience, including those adopted at birth or those with extremely volatile early experiences. Please know that I acknowledge & honor this disparity. When we are born, our mother’s body releases ‘love’ hormones & neurotransmitters that intuitively drive her to take care of us. Oxytocin, the primary maternal

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good therapy

How Do I Know I’m Receiving GOOD Therapy?

Therapy is an emotional and financial investment, so people’s hesitation makes sense.  Some basic ways to assess whether or not you are receiving quality therapy, versus just chatting with a stranger, are:  Your therapist is qualified. It is very important to find a counselor with credentials and certifications in the area you are experiencing stressors

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feelings

Needs + Feelings: Another Way to Inventory

Learning to name and pay attention to your emotions can help you identify what needs healing. First, use a journal, notebook, or smartphone notes to write down which of the feelings below you experienced. On the margin, note if they changed, at what pace, and how obvious they were. If your feelings come from the

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Mindfulness

4 Methods for a Minute of Mindfulness I am Loving this Holiday Season

Well, we just got through the-elections-of-elections, are battling a scary virus that most of us hadn’t heard of pre-2020, are in a unique state of isolation and ramping up for the holiday season. Stress much? We are being presented with a novel opportunity to expand our present moment awareness. When tensions are high and you’re

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