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8 Ways to Pull Yourself Out of a Funk

A friend recently shared something new with me. A happy-go-lucky person, he said he falls into a funk—a brief period of feeling gloomy without knowing why—once or twice a year. Each episode lasts no longer than a few days, and he asked why this occurs seemingly out of the blue. I suggested it was neither sadness nor depression. Sadness is an emotion triggered by a difficult event, experience, or situation, while depression is a recognized mental illness that makes us feel sad about everything. A...

The art of making friends - An interview with Matt Hiller, LCSW

Matt Hiller, LCSW, is a therapist in our Lakeview office. He works with adults, adolescents, children, and families. You can read more about him here.

Why has it become hard to develop friendships?

Matt Hiller: Working as a therapist with young adults, I often meet with people who have moved to Chicago and are struggling to make friends. I think this reflects a larger trend where people are relocating for work or school and feel disconnected from their older social networks. Another factor is that there are so many things that compete for people's time and attention. Long work hours, technology, and family responsibilities often reduce the time that people...

Relationship Endings and Behavioral Economics

Santiago Delboy, MBA, MSW, LCSW, S-PSB

A long time ago I became interested in the intersection of economics and psychology. A few years later, I was delighted to hear that the 2002 Nobel Prize of Economics was awarded to a psychologist, Daniel Kahneman. He is one of the founders of Behavioral Economics, which studies the ways consumers make biased or "irrational" decisions, and one of the developers of Prospect Theory.

...

Successfully Navigating Family Life with a Child with a Newly Diagnosed Disability

Susan Silver, MBA, MA, LCPC

Wow, you’re having your first child. It’s very exciting and scary. You find yourself discussing with other people, family, friends what you’re doing to prepare, what life may be like, how you are envisioning the inevitable changes, though in reality, you can’t begin to understand what your new status as a first-time parent will truly be like. You’re wondering who the baby will look like, possibly contemplating milestones, or fantasizing about their ultimate careers. You are about to acquire a title that will never leave you once obtained, that of “parent.”

Or, you...

Generation Compassion

Susan Silver, MBA, MA, LCPC

I am a relatively calm person, not generally prone to panic. However, as a baby boomer, when I was told I would periodically need to post to Facebook, blog, and perform other such unnatural acts, my reaction (and that of many others in my generation) was pure, unadulterated dread. I have adapted to many new things in this fast-paced, exponentially-changing world. Social media has not been one of them. That does not mean that I do not understand the marketing benefit provided by the extensive reach of social-media platforms. But like many of my generation, I prefer individual, personal interaction and to...

Trauma is an Experience, not an Event

Santiago Delboy, MBA, MSW, LCSW, S-PSB

It seems like "trauma" has become one of those household terms everyone talks about. I took a look at the number of average monthly Google searches for "trauma" in the U.S., and found that it has grown 22% in only one year. As with other terms that became mainstream (for instance "addiction" or "narcissism"), I suspect the price of increased awareness is a diluted understanding of what they really mean.

After hearing my patients talk about their experiences, reflecting on my own upbringing, and studying some of the literature on trauma, I believe the following can be a useful working...

Men at Midlife—and Beyond

Wellington Group President Dr. David Rakofsky specializes in helping men journey through the challenging years of midlife and beyond. He has a great deal of experience in this area and here he shares his approach.

Do you remember when Michael Jordan left the Bulls? You can imagine how difficult it was for him to define himself after so many years in the spotlight with a singular focus. And you can bet a professional helped Michael Jordan figure out his second act. In my practice, I see successful men who are reaching for something new in their lives.

My job is to help you decide how and when to make a move—professionally or personally. I know...

What am I supposed to be doing with my life?
Is this the right career choice?
When will I find the relationship I’m looking for?
Am I making a difference in the world?
How can I pay all my bills on this salary?

If you are an adult in your 20s, asking yourself these soul-searching questions, you are in good company! A time full of promise, hope and possibilities, your 20s—and even into your early 30s—are also a uniquely stressful time in life, full of frustration.

While these decades are a wonderful phase of self discovery, offering up a time for exploring the...

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