• 10 tips for navigating the holidays with an eating disorder

    Holidays with an Eating Disorder

    The holiday season is here! Almost all holiday parties and gatherings revolve around food and drink. Although this can be fun for many, it can be frightening for those with disordered eating. Creating a sense of safety around food and meal planning is essential experiencing a joyful season with family and friends. Evidence-based research has shown that if you are someone who struggles with an eating disorder, it is beneficial to navigate the holidays with the help of your treatment team. A treatment team for an eating disorder patient would include a dietitian, a therapist, and a physician. Your dietitian can cater your meal plan specifically for the holidays. Your…

  • Living Life Abundantly During Christmas & Holidays

    Living Life Abundantly During the Holidays

    We all know that Christmas should be a time of joy, but the reality for many is very different. The holidays can be a challenging season of managing thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Sometimes, family stresses can be greatly exaggerated and even become intolerable over the holiday period when everyone is forced to spend time together, trying to put the best behavior forward and trying to keep things cheerful. Sometimes needing approval for creating the “perfect Christmas” can result in feelings of anxiety and being rushed. For some, the holidays can be a very lonely time. This time of year can be a reminder that we are out of contact with…

  • Grown-Up Holiday Selfishness Moving From Arrogance to Altruism

    Grown-up Holiday Selfishness: Moving from Arrogance to Altruism

    Selfishness can be easily spotted in children, especially during the holiday season. Although the holidays are a particularly challenging time for children to keep selfishness in check, it can be just as challenging for grown-ups! It’s part of being human. We have talked quite a lot about having a strong sense of self, being able to regulate our emotions, and being able to tolerate emotional pain for growth. Although this is what we want for our children, it’s easy to dismiss, justify, or rationalize our own selfish behavior.  As we enter this year’s holiday season, I would like to challenge all of us grown-ups to look at ourselves and consider…

  • Newsletter Dec 2014 Logo

    Bridge To Wholeness: Volume 1 Issue 5 December 2014

    Welcome to the December 2014 Issue of the Agape newsletter, Bridge to Wholeness! Our monthly newsletter is the best way for you to keep up with what is going on around Agape, with events and updates, and articles written by our counselors. We hope it will help bring you a little bit closer to emotional, mental, and spiritual wholeness! In this issue (click to read individual articles): The Problem with Perfectionism by Bob Vass, PLPC NCC Funny, Funny, Funny, What Money Can Do by Kathryn Manley, MS, LPC, CST Problem Solving with Your Child by Carolyn Knarr, MSW, LCSW New Group Counseling groups and much more! Click here for full newsletter!