National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week February 26-March 3, 2024. Elizabeth Young, M.S., Pharm.D., CHWC Clinical Intern  The National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAW) is from February 26 through March 3 this year...

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Self-Love

Self-Love Creator: Alexandria Viegas 02/09/2024Happy Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day is a holiday often associated with showing love to the people around us. We celebrate love with the exchange of flowers, gifts and kind words towards others. Here at Owens, we...

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Book Recommendations for Improving Wellbeing

Book Recommendations for Your Wellbeing  From the Team 01/29/2023From Lori: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death by Irvin D. Yalom Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD. The...

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January – Mental Wellness Month

     January Mental Wellness    By: Ashlyn Cadle, LPC, CADC, CCTP Tips and tricks for taking care of yourself this year:  Winter can be a tough time to motivate yourself in the wellness department.  Between less sunlight, cold temperatures, and less...

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Managing Your Mental Health During the Holiday Season

  Managing Your Mental Health During the Holiday Season By: Krista Mueller, LPC, NCC 12/11/2023  As much hype as there is around the holidays, not everyone is able to enjoy them so easily. Holidays can stress the importance of cheerfulness, love, joy, peace, and...

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Practicing Gratitude

Practicing Gratitude 11/20/2023 Growing up, your parents or caregivers at some point probably told you to “be grateful.” What they most likely did not always tell you was how. Now, you’re left with that question. How does one be grateful? Lucky for you, the answer is...

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Self-Care Ideas for Stress

Self-Care Ideas for Stress Our Teams Methods for Stress 11/01/2023   National Stress Awareness Day is the first Wednesday of every November, which comes at a great time knowing that the holiday season is upon us. It offers us a moment to prepare and plan for whatever...

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Call of the Void

Have you ever stood on the edge of a cliff or a tall building, and for a moment, felt an inexplicable urge to jump? Or while driving on a highway, felt a fleeting impulse to swerve into oncoming traffic? This mysterious and unsettling phenomenon is known as the “Call of the Void,” or in French, “L’appel du vide.” It’s a peculiar and enigmatic aspect of the human experience that has intrigued and puzzled many.

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Social Wellness

What is Social Wellness Month? Well, I’ll tell you! Social Wellness Month is celebrated in the Month of July each year and promotes social well-being

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Psychotherapy Day

It should come as no surprise that all of us at Owens & Associates Counseling & Therapy Center write about the stigma surrounding mental health and reaching out for help regularly in these blog posts.

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Women Touched by Addiction

July 23rd is National Women Touched by Addiction Day. This day is aimed to raise awareness on the issue of women suffering from addiction.

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Simplicity Day

National Simplicity Day is in honor of writer Henry David Thoreau, who once wrote: “As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” He’s right!

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What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a form of therapy that integrates visual media such as drawing and painting into the therapeutic process.

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Starting the Conversation

When we think about mental health and mental health problems, the first thoughts that come to mind are often of outwardly expressed symptoms.

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Let It Go

When you hear the words “let it go”, I think a majority of us can think of a song that goes along with those words.

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Narcissistic Abuse

We hear the word “narcissist” with increasing frequency, particularly for specific behaviors. Narcissism is a term commonly used to describe those who seem more concerned with themselves than with others.

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Self-Care for Men

With Father’s Day on the horizon, all of us at Owens & Associates Counseling and Therapy Center wanted to take some time to talk about self-care, and specifically, self-care for men.

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Mental Health Awareness Month

It is once again Mental Health Awareness month! During this month people try to bring to the forefront psychological issues that, many times, are shoved into the background and ignored.

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Filling a Void with Food

Picture this: It’s the weekend. You recently just finished another tough week of work or school. You’re exhausted & feeling drained. To reward yourself for surviving through the week, you go to the pantry & grab your favorite snack or dessert. You sit down with your favorite snack or dessert while you’re watching your favorite show & before you know it, the entire snack is gone.

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Secrets

Secrets can be kept in many ways. What is a secret? A secret is something that is told or kept confidential from another person/group/or thing.

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Person of Worth

Worth, in accordance with the definition of Merriam Webster, can be defined as “the relative usefulness or importance of something as judged by specific qualities.”  

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Importance of Sleep

Sleep is essential in how we function, physically and mentally. A bad night of sleep can drastically affect our mood and ability to regulate emotions. It can also affect our physical state by inhibiting our ability to fight diseases, decreasing our immunity, effecting our metabolism and increasing risk of chronic disease.

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Developmental Disabilities

Developmental disabilities refer to a group of conditions that can affect an individual’s ability to learn, communicate, and interact with others. These disabilities often appear during childhood and can have a profound impact on an individual’s daily life, making it challenging for them to live independently or function normally in society.

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Problem Solving Techniques

Problems are a natural part of life, and learning how to solve them effectively can be beneficial to an individual’s overall well-being. However, the process of resolving problems can also be incredibly stressful, which can have a negative impact on an individual’s mental and physical health.

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Resolutions and Eating Habits

We are well into the new year now which is typically a time where we see friends, family, and maybe even ourselves start to become more relaxed with our new year resolutions. Common resolutions I see are to eat right, work out more, get in shape, or to improve physical appearance. What we don’t always recognize is the danger, physically and mentally, we introduce to our routine when these are the goals set in place as they can lead to disordered eating patterns.

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Staying Safe on the Internet

The internet can be super helpful when you are trying to figure out how many inches are in a foot
or how to cook a turkey at Thanksgiving! Although it can be a useful place, it can also be unsafe
without the proper precautions.

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The Importance of Reaching Out

Experiencing mental health disturbances can cause for significant feelings of isolation, worthlessness, and confusion. It may feel like your brain is working against you, and since you are the only one with your brain, this can be extremely lonely.

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Self Renewal

While February 2nd is most known as Ground Hogs Day, it is also known as self-renewal day!

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Celebration Of Life

What is celebration of life? Celebration of life is a gathering for a grieving family and friends to honor a loved one who has passed.

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Blue Monday

January can be an exceptionally tough month because the holiday excitement has died down and
reality has set in. This sudden shift from the holiday mode can feel like a huge letdown.

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Meditation

“Meditation is not about stopping thoughts but recognizing that we are more than our thoughts and feelings” Arianna Huffington.

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Seasonal Depression

The last few months of the year are filled with a myriad of joyous events: holidays, family gatherings, breaks from school and/or work, and many more.

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What Rights Do You Have?

Honor you as the client, and be treated with dignity and respect. As clinicians, we strive to not only honor your rights, but make you aware of those rights from the very beginning!

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Gratitude

Thanksgiving is a common time to “give thanks” and reflect on what we are grateful for from the year.  Research shows that making this a more consistent habit not only shifts our mindsets, but the way we treat others.

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Transgender Equality

This November, between the 13th and 19th, marks transgender awareness week! This week is a time for people to uplift members of the transgender community by sharing positive stories while also surrounding them with love and support.

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UnFriend Day

Does your friend from grade school who you haven’t spoken to in years really need to be your Facebook friend?

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Kindness

“Just because an animal is large, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo” Winnie the Pooh.

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Veteran’s Day

If not for you and your brave sacrifices, we as a nation could not enjoy today’s freedom and security! 

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Stress

Do you tend to feel anxious?  Restless? A million different things on your mind racing around to be the first thought you have when you wake up in the morning? Let’s consider what we can do to help with that. 

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ADHD in Women and Girls

ADHD—we often think of an overactive child, running around, unable to pay attention. While this is very much classic for ADHD, it does not commonly show up this way in women (or girls). That can make diagnosis at a young age for girls more difficult, leading to a childhood and young adulthood that is challenging and confusing. 

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Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner, it a time for fun and celebration. While getting in the Halloween spirit, it’s important to be cognizant of the different situation’s others might be in. There are many aspects of the holiday that can be difficult for individuals.

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National Coming Out Day

This annual celebration began back in 1988, commemorating the anniversary of a march in Washington in 1987 where half a million people marched for lesbian and gay rights. By 1990, all 50 states were observing October 11th as National Coming Out Day.

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Bullying

National Bullying Prevention is this month, and the idea of bullying can sometimes seem like it can relate back to the child beating up the kid for their lunch money. But what if I told you it can go far much deeper than that.

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Psychotherapy

Have you ever experienced feelings of distress and hopelessness? Do you ever feel unhappy and overwhelmed about what is happening in your life? Do you have unresolved painful feelings and issues you do not want to face alone? If so, it could be a good time to seek psychotherapy.

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Positive Thinking

It can feel almost impossible to think positively when you’re overwhelmed and struggling. This is because our minds can get stuck in a loop where negative thoughts repeat over and over.

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Suicide Prevention

If you have a good memory for the early 2000s, you may remember the saying that “suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”

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Addiction

I’m Mike, a therapist at Owens & Associates, and we are entering my favorite time of year…autumn! Not only do I love the cooler weather (Hoodies!), but it begins with a month dedicated to addiction awareness and recovery; a topic very near and dear to me.

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Women’s Equality

Equality, it’s a concept you hear a lot about. Equal rights, equal opportunities, but when it comes to trying to see equality in action, you sometimes need to take a step back.

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Back to School

Oh the excitement the new school year can bring! Fresh school supplies, new classes, social bonding with peers, and maybe being able to reach goals athletically or with clubs or activities this year!

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Happiness

While there is so much research and information floating in the world, something that is so precious is wisdom gleaned from time and experience.

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Feeling Like a Burden

Feeling as though you are getting in the way of something, imposing on someone, or souring situations can take a significant toll on your physical and mental health.

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Tea and Well-Being: Alert and Calm

A large benefit of tea is an increase in alertness and energy. Often clients experiencing symptoms of depression may have reduced energy or experience an increase in fatigue.

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You’ve Got a Friend in Me

Friendships are hard work, especially when we are first starting that new relationship – it can feel like we are putting in so much effort with little reward.

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Self care

We talk to our clients a lot about the importance of balance in our lives in order for us as individuals to be happy and function effectively.

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Our Brains and Bellies

Our Brains & Bellies by Nichole Dabrowski, Counseling Intern Could you ever imagine that your gut activity was related to the activity in your brain? Or that your mood, depression, or anxiety is related to what is going on in your intestines? Our gastrointestinal...

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Forgiveness part 2

Does forgiveness remove the consequence of the aggressor’s actions? I hope your response is a resounding NO!

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Forgiveness Part 1

It’s a nice sentiment, but why is this so difficult to put into practice? I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “oh, it’s over–just forgive and forget!”

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Tea and Well-Being

Tea has been a hobby for mine for many years now – not just a hobby, but also a tool that I use to help in a variety of area in my life.

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Tea and Well-Being part 2

A large body of research demonstrates a connection between mood and the ability to recall information, including recall of skills to aid in reduction of distress and emotion regulation.

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Boundaries

Boundaries are protective barriers that people set to protect themselves from harm. Those boundaries can be physical boundaries, emotional boundaries and time boundaries to name a few. Boundaries are important for an individual’s mental health and wellbeing.

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Nature or Nurture

It’s a question that we’ve heard repeated time and time again, and it continues to be asked: nature or nurture?

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Managing Overwhelming Stress

Stress can be helpful and harmful, due to the varying degrees of stress that people can experience. Stress can sometimes be helpful when it is small amounts of stress that can motivate you to complete tasks. But stress can also become overwhelming, increased amounts of stress can cause people to freeze and become unable to do anything.

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Are You Willing?

There is a large difference between being willing and willful, especially when we consider how this impacts our daily lives

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The Basics of Burnout

By Jacki Haworth, Clinical Intern   Burnout is caused by having an elevated stress level for a prolonged period of time. This is the reason that burnout can in some ways sneak up on people. Burnout is when a person has such an exposure to stress that things or...

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Sorry, Not Sorry.

By: Kaleigh Nobbe, Clinical Intern Oh, I’m sorry… but am I? It is a simple statement that we often feel will help others react in a more positive way to whatever the situation may be. Lost a loved one? Sorry. Are you sad? Sorry. Did I say no? Sorry. It is an easy...

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The Importance of Sleep

By Jacki Haworth, Clinical Intern   Sleep is the time where a person can rest, recharge, and reset for the next day. Throughout the day there are opportunities to rest your body but sleep is an opportunity for your mind to rest. Sleep can often be overlooked....

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Keeping it Real

Keeping it real Written by Nichole Dabrowski When you think about who you are, does this change if you imagine yourself in a different environment? While we ideally want to be ourselves every part of every day, there are times we might live with a mask. I’m not...

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Just Breathe

Just Breathe Written by Clinical Intern Nichole Dabrowski I am sure someone has told you to “just breathe”—but what does that mean? Maybe you’ve heard about deep breathing. What is that supposed to do for us, anyway?The breath is an amazing part of being alive. It’s a...

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Women in Recovery

The processes of recovery in both the area of substance use disorder and mental health present qualities that go far beyond abstinence, symptom reduction, or remission.

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Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is the effect of a person’s friend group or peers on that person’s behaviors and actions. Peer pressure can be positive and it can be negative.

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Understanding Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings and emotions of others. Empathy is having the ability to feel the pain of others. Empathy is different from sympathy which is much more common.

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Coping Skills

Coping skills are techniques to manage stressful situations. These skills can be useful in processing emotions and to decrease stress.

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Self-Acceptance

Self-Acceptance is a type of mindfulness that involves accepting yourself. This involves acknowledging your strengths as well as acknowledging your weaknesses.

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Who’s Your Worst Critic?

It can be hard to hear people remind us of all the ways in which we can improve – at work, at home, with friends, you name it. Sometimes it can feel like we don’t meet anyone’s standards, even our own.

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Judgement: Does It Help reach Goals?

One way in which I try to work with clients is in identifying judgment: “good or bad;” “right or wrong.” When we replace these judgments with “helpful or unhelpful,” “beneficial or unbeneficial,” we can start understanding the value it has in our life.

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Contact Us

Call Us: (847) 854-4333

Administrative Office Hours

Monday-Friday: 8am-9pm

Saturday: 8am-2pm

Appointment Hours

Availability 7 days a week!

(Each clinicians hours vary)

Our Locations

Lake in the Hills
Schaumburg
St. Charles
Collinsville

Telehealth/Phone Counseling Offered

 

 

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