Trauma. Isn’t this the word on everyone’s lips? It’s been so used – overused– that it’s hard to pin down what it means. No, trauma isn’t hearing someone else mention a car accident. It probably isn’t someone giving you feedback on your work performance. So what is it? And why is everyone seemingly talking about it?

We at East Atlanta Counseling can help you move towards healing — helping you to FEEL safe when you ARE safe.

EMDR, TraumaCatherine MoonMay 25, 2024East Atlanta Counselingtrauma, ptsd, emdr, IFS, TherapyComment

Self-Worth, A Worthy Cause

Many of us are conditioned from a young age to seek approval and validation from external sources. We are praised for good grades, for accomplishments at work, or for getting the most likes on a Tik Tok video. The issue arises when our grades dip, we lose our job, or our next video doesn’t get nearly as many likes. When our sense of self-worth is tied solely to external factors, we may find ourselves giving way to a decrease in self-esteem, and paying close attention to a powerful inner critic voice that has developed. Over time, this can impact the kinds of challenges we are willing to take, the relationships that we may choose to enter and stay in, and our overall satisfaction with our lives and ourselves…

EMDR, TherapyCatherine MoonMay 4, 2021East Atlanta Counseling Servicesself-worth, Validation, IFS, self-talk, EMDR, MindfulnessComment

Trauma Processing for Healthcare Workers

Find out how a kind of trauma processing called EMDR can be helpful for medical professionals, and hear one healthcare workers personal journey in starting EMDR therapy.

Catherine MoonFebruary 8, 2021Comment

Reframing Winter

Catherine MoonOctober 19, 2020winter, Therapy, Stephanie BorerComment

Guilt in the Grief Process

Part of the mourning process becomes not just missing the person you said goodbye to, but also examining the person you were, the person you were in relationship to your deceased loved one, and the person you are today.

Caregivers, Grief, TherapyCatherine MoonSeptember 17, 2020East Atlanta Counseling Servicesgrief, Caregivers, relationships, mourning, guilt, Stephanie BorerComment

Dear Exhausted Parents: Healthcare Worker Edition

Dear Exhausted Parents: Your Kids Already Know What’s Up

As all of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the pandemic drags on, opinions and advice abound. Recently, regarding parents’ disappointments about the possibility of virtual schooling in the fall, one Facebook post I came across is encouraging parents to “Discuss your frustrations away from the kids”, “be angry or sad in private” and “stay positive”. I wanted to take a moment to deconstruct the myth that we have to hide our emotions from our children. What might it look like to be vulnerable in front of them? Is hiding our emotions from our children missing an opportunity to role model what tolerating uncertainty looks like?

Dear Exhausted Parents... An Open Letter of Validation

Dear Exhausted Parents,

I see you. I see you carrying the weight of all the world’s issues on your shoulders.

You are grieving. Everyone you know is grieving.

We are all suffering from loss right now in different ways. Some are mourning the loss of their daily work/school/life routines. Some are missing loved ones in quarantine. Some have had to deal with illness or death in their very own households. Many are out of work and suffering from economic hardship. Racial injustice continues at a time when equality is needed more than ever. Access to healthcare is challenging and unaffordable. Loved ones with special needs may have difficulty accessing services. Celebrations and traditions have been placed on hold or modified. This is an unprecedented time of individual and communal loss.

QUIZ: How Clean Is Your Sleep Hygiene?

There are several things you may be doing during the day that could be impacting how “healthy” your sleep habits are. Ask yourself these questions to see whether your sleep hygiene is GROSS or squeaky clean.

DBTCatherine MoonOctober 24, 2018east atlanta counselingsleep, insomnia, dbt, sleep hygieneComment

What to Do if Your Child is Self-Harming

You are not alone. In fact, rates of self-harm, or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), tripled in the past ten years for adolescent girls. One in four adolescent girls reports self-harming.

Approach your child with love, concern, and curiosity. Remember that your child is not his or her behavior. Their behavior is likely coming from a place of deep emotional pain.