Scapegoating in Families, family counseling, Hoboken NJ therapist, Jersey City NJ therapist, hudson county therapist
Courtney Glashow
Understanding the Psychology of Scapegoating in ...

Scapegoating means that you are blaming a person or group for something bad that has happened or for something that someone else has done. Scapegoating typically occurs to protect the image of a person or family. In a family dynamic, a person may be used as the scapegoat to protect a more favored member in the family. While it is common for one person to be used as the scapegoat, it can happen to multiple people.

Scapegoating can occur in different environments, such as work, but it is most prominent in unhealthy family dynamics. In this case, scapegoating then tends to start in childhood when a child is blamed for all of a family’s dysfunction and problems. A scapegoat bears the burden of taking on the mistakes of a family or team. 

When children are assigned this role at a young age, it can wreak havoc on their mental health. A scapegoated child may not believe that they are inherently good, worthy, or lovable. Instead, they hear insults regularly, experience constant bullying, and even abuse and neglect. This leads to a low self-esteem, decreased self-confidence, and negative self-talk. 

Understanding the Psychology of Scapegoating in Families
toxic relationship, relationship counseling, couples therapy, hoboken therapist, jersey city therapist, marriage counseling, nj therapist, nyc therapist, premarital counseling
Courtney Glashow
How To Tell If You’re In A Toxic Relationship

When you are in a healthy relationship, it naturally functions well. Of course, like any couple, you may have disagreements from time-to-time or there may be some hard times, but you band together no matter what. You are able to make major life decisions together, discuss problems once they occur, and genuinely enjoy spending time with one another.

On the other hand, you have toxic relationships. In a toxic relationship, the ‘norm’ is feeling drained and unhappy after spending time with your partner. This should be a major red flag that some things need to change.

You may still love your partner, but the relationship does not seem enjoyable. Maybe minor issues turn into full-blown arguments or you always seem to provoke one another. It may even get so severe that you dread spending time with your partner instead of getting excited to see them, like you were in the past.

Continue reading this blog to see if your relationship is toxic, and some guidance on how to navigate a toxic relationship.

How To Tell If You’re In A Toxic Relationship
Intergenerational Trauma, trauma counseling, jersey city therapist, hoboken counseling
Courtney Glashow
Disney’s Encanto: How It Got Intergenerational ...

Disney has a way of exploring heavier life topics that can help children and the 2021 film Encanto is no exception. Movies like Inside Out and Soul also assist children in exploring heavier aspects of life, such as emotions, trauma, consciousness, and even death. Encanto joins the long list of children’s movies that have a deeper message.

Disney’s Encanto offers a multigenerational story about a grandmother and her family who have been endowed with magical gifts. The Madrigal family lives in a hidden village in Colombia. While each family member does their best to live up to their reputation and help others in the community, the facade slowly begins to crumble figuratively and literally in the house that all three generations share.
Not only do people love this movie because of its catchy soundtrack, including the famous song “We don’t talk about Bruno”, but people also love it because of its exploration of generational trauma.

Disney’s Encanto: How It Got Intergenerational Trauma Right
control issues, mental health blog, jersey city therapist, hoboken counseling
Courtney Glashow
7 Ways to Let Go of Control Issues

Do you have a hard time going with the flow? Do you have to follow a schedule or routine at all times? Do you try to control other people in your life? If you are dealing with control issues, it is likely that you feel like you must exert power over your life, relationships, and general environment. In some cases, this exertion of power may extend to the life of other people.

Control can simply be defined as exerting influence or power over the environment, actions, and behaviors of yourself or another person. There are many reasons why you may feel like you need to be in control, such as insecurities or fear of the unpredictable. At times, your need for control may become overwhelming and tiring, causing chaos in your career, relationships, and your overall quality of life.

7 Ways to Let Go of Control Issues
couples therapy, hoboken counseling, jersey city therapist, mental health blog, nyc counselor, relationship counseling
Courtney Glashow
8 Tips for Dealing With A Narcissist

While some people may be quick to throw the word “narcissist” around, it is important to remember that there is a distinction between someone being self-centered and unsympathetic, and someone who has Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Many people may have what doctors call narcissistic characteristics, such as feeling entitled or having a strong sense of self-importance. People who have narcissistic personality disorder may be challenging to deal with.

The first step to determine your dynamic with someone who you think is a narcissist is to know the difference between someone with narcissistic tendencies and someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

8 Tips for Dealing With A Narcissist

mental health stigma

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What We Learned About Mental Health From Harry & Meghan

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What We Learned About Mental Health From Harry & Meghan

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their docu series on Netflix, Harry & Meghan, which detailed their high-profile love story. The series starts from the very beginning of their relationship to the institutional challenges that the couple endured and continues to face in the public eye. Most importantly, this documentary reveals some stunning mental health revelations. 
Mental health impacts everyone regardless of gender, race, and socioeconomic status, and Harry & Meghan certainly sheds light on this fact. The docu series highlights Meghan Markle’s battle with depression and suicidal thoughts. It even draws strong parallels between the royal life of Meghan Markle and Princess Diana of Wales, Prince Harry’s mother.

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Find Out If You’re An Introvert or Extrovert

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Find Out If You’re An Introvert or Extrovert

From the Myers Briggs Type Indicator to the Enneagram, there are many personality tests out there that can reveal more about you. Learning more about your personality can be a powerful tool.

Personality tests can provide many advantages, such as:

  • Being able to understand yourself better

  • Helping you choose what path of study you want to pursue

  • Helping you pick a career that suits your interests

  • Enhancing your management skills

  • Teaching you healthy coping mechanisms

  • Making you more empathetic

  • Gaining insight into your mental health

More generally, personality tests can increase your level of self-awareness and help nurture important relationships in your life. A major component of almost all personality tests is whether you are more introverted or more extroverted.

Most likely, you know what side of the spectrum you are on by simply noting if you are more outgoing or shy in your everyday life. However, personality tests can offer more definitive answers. The question of whether you are an extrovert or introvert is more complex than simply being demonstrative or timid.

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5 Ways to Build Self-Confidence

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5 Ways to Build Self-Confidence

Self-confidence can be a difficult aspect of ourselves to build up. Not everyone automatically has a high level of confidence. From generally suffering from low self-esteem to having an incident that lowered your trust in yourself, it can often be difficult to raise our confidence levels.

Self-confidence can generally be referred to as a feeling of trust you have in your abilities, judgment, and qualities. Having a good level of self-assurance is not only good for your health, but it also benefits your psychological welfare.

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Anxiety: Why It Can Be Different for Men

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Anxiety: Why It Can Be Different for Men

We are living in the age of anxiety. People are stressed in every sphere of their lives and there are new challenges everyday related to our jobs and our relationships with friends and family.

Anxiety actually has a purpose. Its natural function is to alert us to potential threats that allows us to evaluate and respond to them in appropriate ways. Anxiety can help us perform better and can stimulate creativity and action. Anxiety can actually be rewarding: putting oneself in a situation that may be terrifying initially, but powering through often comes with great rewards.

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Starting A Conversation About Mental Health with Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka

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Starting A Conversation About Mental Health with Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka

The world experienced an alarming and devastating international health crisis known as COVID-19 or Coronavirus. While this pandemic was consistently reported on, there was another catastrophe taking place at the same time- a mental health crisis. It was common for people to experience anxiety due to COVID-19 and its unknown long-term effects. If you need assistance managing post-pandemic anxiety, check out our past blog post, “How To Return To ‘Normal’ With Post Pandemic Anxiety”. Understandably, the pandemic has impacted each one of our lives in unique ways. We have had to respond to stressful and overwhelming situations that have caused troubling emotions. Luckily, we all can cope with stress in a healthy way which can make us more resilient.

Within recent years, there has been a widespread movement to dissolve the negative connotation surrounding mental health. Compassion, education, and personal attitudes towards mental health have successfully confronted the mental health stigma. The mental health stigma has been addressed and challenged by many, including athletes. Recently, Simone Biles, an American gymnast, and Naomi Osaka, a Japanese professional tennis player, have opened the doors for open conservations surrounding mental health. The brave decision on behalf of both of these women is actively altering the ‘norms’ of professional sports and people with celebrity status.