In today’s day and age we are all programmed to be independent. We go off to 4-year colleges to get our degrees. We then use those degrees to land ourselves a career to support us through life’s necessities. Being independent means that we don’t have to rely on anyone else to aid or support our needs and wants. Wanting to be independent is a good virtue to have when it comes to financial stability and careers. However, when it comes to relationships, being independent might not be what’s best for you and your loved one. What happens when we try to be too independent in our relationships? Can being interdependent, dependent, or independent hurt our relationship with our loved one? What can we do to become more mutually dependent with our loved one?
Earning her Doctoral Degree in Counseling Psychology at Temple University, Dr. Susan Orenstein is founder and director of Orenstein Solutions in Cary, North Carolina. Dr. Orenstein has devoted her professional career to helping individuals and couples improve their most intimate relationships. She specializes in relationship and couples issues. Dr. Orenstein is committed to providing state-of-the-art practices in marital counseling and to that end, continues to attend professional training programs.
To find out more about Dr. Susan Orenstein and her practice, Orenstein Solutions, you can visit their website or call (919) 428-2766 for an appointment.
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Each and every one of us responds to stress differently. Some of us respond to stress by eating more than we usually do while others eat less than they are used to when they are stressed. Some of us exercise until they push themselves too far while others may stop their exercise regimens. Some use smoking, drinking and drugs to try to escape the stress in their lives. Sometimes, we may choose to withdraw from our friends, families and activities while some of us fill up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems, which leads to added stress. How does our stress response impact the way we respond to others? Are we often even mindful or aware of this? How can this affect our relationships? What can we do to improve the quality of our relationships?
Earning his Master’s Degree in Counseling and License in Marriage and Family Therapy, Mr. Jude Johnson practices at Akeen Mind in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jude specializes in the practice of mindfulness, meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy. He has attended extensive training on the practice of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and has applied these skills into clinical practice. Jude has worked in an array of settings including inpatient psychiatric/substance abuse, home based family therapy, alternative schools, emergency services, and outpatient clinics both as a therapist and administrator. Jude utilizes mindfulness and family systems theory as base ingredients to optimize the well-being of organizations, professionals, and people from all walks of life. He has experienced the benefits of practicing mindfulness first hand and is passionate about helping others discover their own inner resources for managing stress, pain and illness.
To find out more about Jude Johnson and his practice, Akeen Mind, you can visit their website or call (843) 364-5921 for an appointment.
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Having trouble understanding your partner?
We all go through life trying to understand who we are and what we are meant to do. We have to learn how to differentiate our needs from our wants and truly discover who we are. It is difficult for us to do this for ourselves and even more challenging to understand someone else’s needs and wants. When we come into a relationship we have to learn to acknowledge and share our own needs and wants as well as discover our partner’s needs and wants. We do this so that we can understand each other and our motives in life so that we can better communicate and coexist. But, how do we know exactly what motivates us in life? How would knowing what motivates our lives benefit our relationships?
Earning her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Fordham University in New York City, Mrs. Patricia Pirone is the Senior Vice President of Pratt Assessments. While attending graduate school, Patricia worked extensively with children in foster care. After earning her Master’s in Social Work, she began working in an outpatient mental health clinic with children, adolescents, and families. In 2010, Patricia started her private practice where she returned to clinical work with children, adolescents and adults. Over the next several years Patricia grew the practice and in 2014 decided to create Pratt Assessments and began selling a tool that revolutionized her practice. Pratt Assessments is the parent company to Touchstone Assessments, Elevate Assessments, and Assessment Athletics.
To find out more about Mrs. Patricia Pirone and her practice, Elevate Assessments, you can visit their website or call (704) 350-2380 for an appointment.
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