Christine Miller
CCPW Marriage and Family Therapy Extern
We all have inner fears and insecurities. Some of us can trace it back to how we were cared for as children, to past romantic relationships, or maybe even to our current relationship. One of the easiest ways some of us cope with these fears is to hide them from others. While this keeps us safe from rejection, we can’t get the reassurance that we want or maybe even need.
Of course, we can’t shout out our fears for everyone to hear! We must be able to distinguish those safe relationships where we can be open. Discovering those safe relationships requires boundaries and a foundation of trust. Let’s say that we have established those boundaries and trust within a relationship, as we feel safe with our partner, why is it still hard to tell them when you don’t feel good enough or you’re scared that they won’t fully accept you? Why is it difficult to share those parts of yourself with your loved one? You are not alone in these questions.
This is the fear of disconnection. The fear that our loved one may see these raw spots of ours and mirror our shame. Insecurities are often tied to shame; shame of our past, our thoughts, our feelings. It’s hard to have compassion towards our imperfections. This fear and our shame can put us into a bind. In one way, it feels like our fear protects us from judgement and rejection. At the same time, our fears lead us to feel misunderstood and not fully connected to our partner.
Being connected is allowing yourself to be fully seen. Being able to share these vulnerabilities requires courage. Our partners feel most connected when they can see our vulnerabilities and share in understanding more about the person they love. As our partner feels more connected our feelings of acceptance and connection increase.
Maybe we can learn a new definition of courage? Instead of putting up emotional walls as a sign of courage, we can reframe courage as the ability to build a gate for others to witness our true vulnerable self. Vulnerability is what makes us human, so let’s learn how to embrace it.
Note From the Author: Of course, there are relationships in your life that may not be safe or might be too emotionally reactive. Please consult with a mental health provider if you are unsure of the emotional safety in your relationship. Therapy is a good place to navigate boundaries, as well as, learn the steps in how to be more emotionally open in your relationships. If you would like to learn more about vulnerability and you’re not ready to take a step towards therapy, I suggest reading Brene Brown’s Daring Greatly.
Improved Circulation
With so many different diet trends and fads displayed on social media it can be hard to know what is real or fake. Many diets have you cutting out certain food groups or labeling food as “good” or “bad.” I am not entirely sure where these notions come from, but one thing is for sure – the public tends to listen to it. What we see on the internet or on television often comes from unreliable sources and people who are tying to make money off of this multi billion dollar industry. What is important to remember is that if it seems to good to be true it usually is.
There are quite a few differences between an emotional support, therapy, and service dog. Each type of registration provides the animal and its owner certain rights that otherwise are not granted to pets. Service dogs help with performing a function for a person that is limited by a disability. Emotional support dogs help individuals with emotional problems by providing comfort and support. Therapy dogs provide affection and comfort to individuals in hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities. Service dogs are protected under the Americans with Disability Act, while Emotional Support Dogs are protected under the Fair Housing Amendment Act and the Air Carrier Access Act. These protections allow service and emotional support dogs to be able to fly with and provide emotional support for their own and not be charged by the airline, to be able to reside with their owner even in buildings with pet restrictions, and to be able to take their animal to public places. The only questions the owner is legally allowed to be 
asked is the dog a service dog required because of a disability, and what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Outside of those two questions, all other information is considered privileged. In order for your dog to be certified as a therapy/emotional support dog a doctor’s note is required. The doctor’s note should generally be on the doctor’s letterhead to identify the doctor and show legitimacy, and provide the doctor’s name and contact information. The note will state that you have been under the care of the doctor, that the doctor has determined that you have a disability, and that the doctor believes that an emotional support dog would assist you with your disability.
well thought out, as most decisions in getting a companion animal should be. Corgis are known to be extremely friendly (they literally always smile), have a wonderful temperament, and are very loyal dogs. Corgis were breed to be sheep herding dogs, so they stick close to you and may have a tendency to nip at an ankle every now and then (especially if they don’t agree with where you are walking to). Corgis are longer dogs with very short and adorable legs. They will weigh anywhere from 22-30 pounds full grown and will only be 10-12” tall. The combination of these factors make the Corgi an ideal therapy/emotional support dog. It is important to assess your needs when deciding what breed to get, as some dogs are much better suited for some needs over others.
needed for living situations and/or for airlines to make sure that your Emotional Support/Therapy dog can be loyally by your side at all times.
I often thank my patients for letting me have the opportunity to become a part of their wellness plan and for most people it’s the first time they have been introduced to the concept. So what is a wellness plan?
It’s the same story I hear from my clients. They try a diet and do great, losing 15-20 pounds in the first week or two. Then they become hungry, irritated – mad that they are missing out on parties and events because of the diet they are on. They become resentful of the plan and feel deprived of their favorite foods, spiraling into negative thoughts and eventually giving up on the diet. These negative thoughts and “screw it” attitude lead to overeating on the foods they were restricting and 
Have you ever found yourself in an argument with your partner that started over something silly or small, like the toothpaste cap being left off or not bringing your significant other a latte after you made a personal stop at the coffee shop on the way home? Maybe you and your partner were in a car headed some place new and the co-pilot informed the driver that you guys have just missed a turn, which irritated the driver and he/she made a passive-aggressive comment about the co-pilot’s navigation skills. The co-pilot became defensive and yelled at the driver and you two were off to the races! Resonate at all?
Jayla Fincher
Relationships are dynamic, and they can encompass many aspects of our health and wellness. I often hear people ask about the healthiness of past and current relationships. Although we could use many tools by which to measure a relationship’s health, for this post let’s address one construct I often hear used to gauge the successfulness of a relationship — independence versus dependency.
