http://www.goldenhourcounselingpllc.com/

Golden Hour Counseling, Chicago, IL (2025)

11/14/2024

When a therapist says “lean into your feelings” or “let yourself feel them,” they’re encouraging you to allow and accept your emotions rather than avoiding, suppressing, or pushing them away. It means giving yourself permission to fully experience your feelings, whatever they may be, instead of judging them or trying to “fix” them immediately. This process can be essential for emotional healing, as it allows you to process what you’re feeling rather than letting those emotions linger unresolved.

Steps to Lean Into Your Feelings

•Identify the Feeling•
Take a moment to label what you’re feeling as accurately as possible: Are you sad, anxious, frustrated, disappointed, etc.?

•Create a Safe Space•
Find a quiet place where you feel comfortable and won’t be interrupted. This could be a room where you can relax, a quiet outdoor space, or even a cozy corner at home.

•Allow the Emotion to Be Present•
Remind yourself that it’s okay to feel this way, and give yourself permission to feel the emotion fully. You might say to yourself, “It’s okay to feel sad (or anxious, angry, etc.) right now.”

•Notice Sensations in Your Body•
Pay attention to any physical sensations associated with the emotion. You may feel tension in your chest, heaviness in your stomach, tightness in your throat, etc. Observe these sensations without trying to change or resist them.

•Breathe Through the Emotion•
Take slow, deep breaths. This can help you stay grounded and present, even when emotions feel overwhelming. Breathing deeply also helps you feel more in control and calm.

•Practice Self-Compassion•
Talk to yourself kindly, as you would to a friend. You might say, “This is hard, but it’s okay to feel this way. I’m here for myself.”

•Reflect on What the Emotion Might Be Telling You•
Emotions often carry messages about our needs, values, or boundaries. Ask yourself if there’s any underlying issue that might be contributing to what you’re feeling. This reflection can help you understand the emotion more deeply

10/10/2024

World Mental Health Day 🌍 Prioritizing Your Well-being

Today, on World Mental Health Day, let’s take a moment to reflect on the importance of caring for our mental health. Life can be overwhelming, filled with challenges that may weigh heavily on our minds. It’s crucial to remember that mental health is just as important as physical health, and taking care of it is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.

Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care looks different for everyone. Whether it’s taking time to meditate, going for a walk in nature, journaling, or spending time with loved ones, find what works for you. It’s okay to take a break when life feels too heavy, and give yourself the space to breathe, reflect, and recharge.

Ask for Help
If you’re struggling, remember you’re not alone. It’s okay to not be okay, and it’s okay to ask for help. Whether it’s reaching out to friends, family, or a mental health professional, seeking support can make a world of difference. Sharing what you’re going through is a sign of strength, not weakness. Sometimes just talking about your feelings can relieve a bit of the burden.

Mental Health Awareness
Raising awareness about mental health is essential to reduce stigma. It’s important to foster a culture of openness where people feel safe to talk about their struggles without fear of judgment. By supporting one another and encouraging discussions around mental health, we create a more compassionate world.

This World Mental Health Day, let’s commit to checking in on ourselves and those around us. Your mental health matters, and it’s okay to ask for help. Taking small steps today can lead to a healthier, more balanced tomorrow.

If you or someone you know needs mental health support, call 988- the national su***de and crisis line.

Rupi Kaur

03/08/2024

Happy international women’s day ❤️

02/21/2024

Immigrants and refugees may experience unique challenges that can impact their mental health as they navigate the process of settling in a new country. Some key factors include:

Pre-migration Trauma: Refugees often flee their home countries due to conflict, persecution, or violence. Experiences of trauma before migration can have lasting effects on mental health and well-being.

Post-migration Stressors: Challenges in establishing a stable life in the host country, such as finding housing, securing employment, and meeting basic needs, can contribute to stress. Additionally, immigrants and refugees may face discrimination or stigma, which can contribute to stress, anxiety, or depression.

Uncertain Immigration Status: Individuals with uncertain or precarious immigration status may experience heightened anxiety, fear, and uncertainty about their future.

Access to Healthcare: Limited access to culturally sensitive healthcare services or unfamiliarity with the healthcare system may impede immigrants and refugees from seeking necessary mental health support.

Social Isolation: The physical distance from family and familiar communities can contribute to a sense of isolation. Building new social connections in a different cultural context may take time.

Dual Cultural and Identity Stress: The pressure to conform to both the cultural norms of the host country and those of the home country can result in added stress. This duality can create internal conflicts or can lead to feelings of displacement and identity crises.

Language Barriers:Struggling with a new language can lead to communication difficulties, affecting day-to-day interactions and potentially impacting self-esteem.

Nostalgia and Homesickness:Feelings of nostalgia for the home country and homesickness can impact mental well-being. The longing for familiar surroundings may evoke a range of emotions.

It's important to recognize the resilience of immigrants and refugees and the diverse ways individuals cope with these challenges. Seeking culturally competent mental health support, community engagement, and fostering social connections are crucial for promoting mental well-being in this context.

01/30/2024

You are watering seeds you can't yet see

01/26/2024

Healing is a process that can be compared to peeling back layers of an onion. Different stages of life can act as triggers, revealing past traumas and experiences causing us to revisit these emotions. Each layer represents an opportunity to confront and work through these emotions and experiences, enabling us to delve deeper into our emotional healing journey.

01/24/2024

The window of tolerance is a concept in psychology that refers to the range of emotions and arousal levels that an individual can manage effectively without becoming overwhelmed or dissociated. When a person is within their window of tolerance, they are able to regulate their emotions and respond to situations in a flexible and adaptive manner. However, if they are pushed outside of this window, they may become either hyperaroused or hypoaroused, leading to feelings of anxiety, panic, or dissociation. Understanding and expanding one's window of tolerance can be an important part of therapy for individuals who struggle with emotional regulation.

Building our window of tolerance allows us to have greater control over how we respond to different situations. By widening the space between a stimulus and our response, we can make more intentional choices about how we react. A wider window of tolerance means an increased tolerance to stress, improved brain function, and a better grasp of the ability to think and feel at the same time. Ultimately, we hold power in our response and can choose to respond in a way that aligns with our values and goals.

How can we practice expanding our window of tolerance, or the space between stimulus and response? Here are some tools to implement and practice:
-Building awareness of body sensations when activated
-Mindfulness
-Guided Imagery
-Deep Breathing
-Grounding Exercise
-Body Movements-Exercise, Dancing, Yoga, Tai Chi
-Building acceptance by sitting through challenging emotions and sensations

01/22/2024

Taking the time to untangle our thoughts and process our emotions is important for our well-being. It's okay to go at our own pace and be gentle with ourselves during this process. Breaking down our thoughts and emotions into manageable pieces can also help make it easier to navigate and understand them.

01/19/2024

Unexpressed needs can be a source of resentment in relationships. It's important to communicate openly and honestly about what you need from the other person. However, sometimes people keep quiet to avoid conflict or maintain the peace. This can lead to a buildup of negative feelings and ultimately damage the relationship. It's important to find a balance between expressing your needs and being considerate of the other person's feelings. Communication is key to maintaining healthy relationships.

01/08/2024

Growth and healing goes beyond us. When we heal and grow, we initiate a deep understanding of the impact intergenerational and collective trauma can have. When we heal and grow, we begin to initiate collective healing that passes down from us to the next generations and our communities.

12/13/2023

Cognitive distortions are patterns of thinking that can negatively impact mental health. Unhelpful thinking, such as black-and-white thinking or catastrophizing, are examples of cognitive distortions. Challenging negative thoughts is a technique that can be used to combat these distortions and improve mental well-being. It involves questioning the validity of negative thoughts and replacing them with more realistic and positive ones.

12/12/2023

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that helps individuals identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors. It is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected and that by changing our thoughts and behaviors, we can improve our emotional and mental well-being. CBT is often used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The therapy involves working with a trained therapist to identify negative thoughts and behaviors and develop coping strategies to replace them with positive ones. CBT is considered a highly effective form of therapy, with many individuals experiencing significant improvements in their symptoms after just a few sessions.

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