Celebrating LOVE on Valentine's Day

Card sticking out of an envelope on a wooden background with two hearts on sticks next to it. Card had a stick figure holding a giant heart. Family Counseling in Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 is available to Foundations Family Therapy in Raleigh, NC 27606. You can also get online therapy in North Carolina!

Love.

It’s a four-letter word everyone’s talking about with Valentine’s Day approaching. But the true meaning of love is complex. It’s an emotion perhaps more powerful than any other emotion!

Love is about setting priorities…
Love is about respect and trust…
Love is about respect and kindness…
Love is patient…
Love is SO many things!

Love Is Not Dependent On The Outcome

“Love is never wasted, for its value does not rest upon reciprocity”

C.S. Lewis

It’s hard when people don’t return your love the way you hoped. It requires you to be courageous, resilient and hopeful. As hard as rejection can seem, it’s important to know that love is never wasted.

Love is patient which means you can’t get too caught up on someone’s response to your love and generosity. Give love freely to better someone else and not in a desire to make yourself feel better. It means that your care is not dependent on their response. Loving well is never a waste.

We don’t need to look to the past regretfully, but we can look back with gratitude for the opportunity we were given to love at all.

Living Well: How To Adjust To A ‘New Normal’ In Life

Anxious Teenager | Anxiety Treatment | Foundations Family Therapy | Fuquay Varina & Raleigh, NC

There’s no way to prepare for a challenging setback in life.

You don’t really know how a life-changing diagnosis will affect you until you are faced with it head-on. For some people, the uncertainty is almost as bad as the diagnosis itself.

Maybe you just received a diagnosis that you were not expecting, or perhaps you’ve been living with it for a while. It’s not the path you would have chosen. But here you are trying to navigate your “new normal” while balancing physical symptoms, doctor’s appointments, treatment plans, and schedules.

As you continue to navigate the waters of your ‘new normal’, keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way to feel. Everyone experiences change differently. These tips will help you stay grounded during difficult seasons of change and adjustment in your life…

Adjust Emotionally

A life-changing medical diagnosis often comes with a wide range of care and support from your healthcare team. It’s likely your physical health is in good hands, but too many neglect their emotional wellness.

Allow yourself to feel. Someone dealing with a life-changing diagnosis might experience periods of shock, numbness, denial, anger, disorientation, and emotional pain. Recognize your feelings and be kind to yourself!

Maintain Your Routine

Don’t let a diagnosis keep you from thriving in life! You don’t have to give up everything you once enjoyed…you just have to find new ways to enjoy them!

For example, you might really love your morning walk around the neighborhood with a friend. If you’re adjusting to a ‘new normal’ that prevents you from continuing your walk with a friend, invite them over for morning coffee on the porch. You can find ways to spark joy in life even if it requires change.

Accept Change

Acceptance is a process of ups and downs. Don’t expect your adjustment to happen overnight. It’s a transformative process that takes place over time. And, even thought you might not have control over your condition, you do have control over your reaction.

You can still live a rewarding and fulfilling life! Your ‘new normal’ might not be the path you would have chosen, but you are in control of what you’ll do next.

Life is a beautiful gift and each day is worth living. If you or a loved one needs support in navigating the waters of change in life, our team is here for you!

Refresh Your Mindset: How To Go From A to B Instead of A to Z

Footprints | Faith Based Therapy | Foundations Family Therapy | Fuquay Varina & Raleigh, NC

We’ve all been there before…

You set a goal to motivate yourself and one thing leads to another. Work, the kids, deadlines, soccer games, grocery shopping- where does the time go?!

Soon, a few months pass and you aren’t any closer to your big goal leaving you feeling defeated, overwhelmed, and maybe even hopeless- sound familiar?

Burnout & Stress Lead To Overwhelm

Unrealistic personal goals usually do more harm than good in the long run. You essentially set yourself up for failure by having high standards or you become too consumed with perfectionism.

When your mindset is focused on always wanting more, you loose site of so many wonderful things in life.

However, having motivation and goals in life is important. The good news is you can create the perfect balance of motivation without getting overwhelmed if you change your mindset.


Baby Steps Over Leaps

If you have a big goal, you don’t have to toss it out the window. Dreams and aspirations are great motivators. The key is developing a mindset that welcomes change and personal growth.

Instead of going from A to Z, take as many baby steps as you need. Try going from A to B. Think about one small thing you can (realistically) do today that will move you one step closer to the bigger goal. This mindset will help you feel motivated and accomplished which is just the fuel you need to take another baby step the next day….or week.


Practice Self-Love

Above all, on your journey to personal improvement and growth, don’t forget to be kind to yourself. Sometimes, life really does get in the way. Enjoy the moment at hand for what it is and try to refocus.

After all, life isn’t about how many times we fall, but how many times we get back up!

5 Inspiring Quotes To Welcome Spring

Child Therapist | Teen Counseling | Foundations Family Therapy | Fuquay Varina & Raleigh, NC

Spring is a season filled with hope! In nature, we watch beauty bloom and regrow around us. There’s optimism and cheer in the warm breeze as we welcome the new season ahead.

Let go of the long, cold days of winter and welcome the warm sunshine of spring with these inspiring quotes.

The Positive Side of Unpleasant Experiences

Anxious Teenager | Anxiety Treatment | | Foundations Family Therapy | Raleigh, NC 27606

Why is it that some people seem to be able to weather difficult storms in life with strength while others shut down at the mere thought of disappointment?

It all boils down to personal resilience and your ability to adapt. The good news is resilience is learned.

You can learn new ways to respond to your own thoughts and feelings when unpleasant experiences arise. Though we can’t always control life’s challenges and setbacks, we can control the way they make us feel.


Life’s Difficulties Help Us Gain Perspective

Your vacation cruise was canceled because of a hurricane …
You’ve been searching for a new job for months now with no success…
You lost a loved one this year…

All of these difficulties, whether small or big, are about personal perception. For example, if you perceive a difficult situation as threatening, you might lose your ability to face it. This can lead to an endless cycle of negativity and avoidance. In stead of adapting and building your inner strength, you continue to shut down. However, if you change your prospective, you can develop coping abilities and work toward peace, happiness, and resolution.

Setbacks Can Make Us Stronger

There are many opportunities to develop resilience daily in our lives. Setbacks force us to weather the storm or come up with another plan. This type of adaptation helps us grow. It helps strengthen our resilience. Even the little unpleasant experiences in life like spilled coffee, running late, or
locking your keys in the car can help build resilience and strength.

Challenges Expand Our Emotional Capacity.

Compassion, love, empathy, pain, disappointment, and grief are just a few emotions that arise from unpleasant experiences. Pain gives us a great insight on self knowledge and awareness. These challenges help us strengthen our mental and emotional wellness.

We can’t avoid pain, setbacks, depression, anxiety, and unpleasant experiences in life. But, we can work on ways to overcome them. Ways to welcome happiness and build inner strength. We can learn to treat ourselves with kindness.

If you’d like to learn more about ways to alleviate depression and manage anxiety, learn more about our upcoming Freedom From Anxiety & Depression Weekend Intensive.

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Freedom From Anxiety & Depression Weekend Intensive

Woman looking up in the sunset. Family Counseling in Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 is available to Foundations Family Therapy in Raleigh, NC 27606. You can also get online therapy in North Carolina!

Foundations Center For Trauma Recovery is pleased to announce our upcoming weekend intensive. Lead by Foundation’s Sharon Sheppard, LMFT, CCPT, join us to pave the way for a brighter 2019 by learning how to alleviate depression and manage anxiety and stress by learning new ways to respond to your own thoughts and feelings.

Learn how to stop living on autopilot! We’ll work to align your thoughts with your realty and accept unpleasant experiences as part of life. It’s time to learn how to treat yourself with kindness!

Friday, March 22 6:30-8:30 pm

Saturday, March 23 10-4

Friday, March 29 6:30-8:30 pm

$350/person

Sign Up Here