Transitions Marriage & Family Therapy and Individual Counseling, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Reducing Stress Using Muscle Relaxation (Contract/Release Method)

Kristin Slevin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:37:05 +0000

With the current advances of neuroscience we are coming to a greater understanding of the connection between the health of the mind and the body. Mental tension and physical tension go together. Most of us have some awareness of this connection when after a stressful day we find that we have a headache or our shoulders are tight or our stomach hurts. Mental and emotional stress affects our bodies, each of us in our own way. What we are often less aware of is that relaxing the body can help reduce mental and emotional stress. You have probably experienced this too. Have you ever noticed how much better you feel after eating a nice meal, soaking in the tub, exercising, or cuddling with your favorite animal or person? Such activities release chemicals in the brain which help relax the body as well as promote mental well-being.

Read the Rest of This Post »

Modern Technology in the Lives of our Children: A Lecture by Ken Myers

Sean Slevin — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:46:17 +0000

Redeemer Classical School (located in Keezletown, Virginia) has arranged for Ken Myers to present a lecture this coming Friday (May 14, 2010) on Growing up in a Digital Nation: Modern Technology in the Lives of our Children.

Friday, May 14, 2010, at 7:30pm
Massanutten Presbyterian Church
50 Indian Trail, Penn Laird, VA
Admission is free and all are welcome.

Read the Rest of This Post »

A Good Self-Help Book is Like a Map…

Sean Slevin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:23:45 +0000

One of our goals with the Transitions blog is to provide useful resources to our readers. These can be books, articles, psychological research, websites, etc., as well as, of course, our own thoughts about what can be helpful to those seeking to learn, grow and live well. We intend for all of these things to be useful and helpful (obviously, or why would we post them?), but part of utilizing any resource well is understanding what it can and cannot accomplish for you.

Read the Rest of This Post »

Green Space and Your Mental Health

Sean Slevin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:28:54 +0000

As a rather severe winter fades and spring approaches it seems like a good time to write about an interesting study I came across a while back about the health benefits of living near green spaces. The perceived connection between closeness to nature and one’s health is not new, and is one which is not hard to accept on just an intuitive level. Particularly at this time of year after having had so much snow it can feel good to just see the green grass again!

Read the Rest of This Post »

Knowing When It’s Wise to Get Marriage Counseling

Kristin Slevin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:58:53 +0000

As the old saying goes, time is a great healer. For the most part people are resilient and can find ways through difficult times. However, there are some circumstances in which it may not be worth the potential damage to wait to get counseling. This post examines one such situation: marital problems that have gone on for longer than four months without getting any better. In order to illustrate some of the damage that can be caused by waiting to get marital help, I will use a made-up example about a fictional couple, Sally and Bill. (In order to protect our client’s confidentiality we never use client’s stories as examples.)

Read the Rest of This Post »

Icicles at the Transitions Office

Sean Slevin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:43:27 +0000

I have always been fascinated by icicles–they’re just so fantastical and otherworldly! While the snow has been pretty to watch, the frequency and quantity has meant for a lot of shoveling and rescheduling. One perk for me with all of the snow has been the increasingly enormous icicles at our office. So for a change of pace here on the Transitions blog I thought I’d write a fun post just to share a few pictures of them.

Read the Rest of This Post »

Noteworthy Posts of 2009

Sean Slevin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:04:33 +0000

Kristin and I have a habit of taking time out in the new year (usually in January, after life gets back to normal) to reflect on the previous year and look ahead to the new year. In that vein I thought I’d share a list of some of the blog posts that proved to be popular with our readers in 2009.

Read the Rest of This Post »

What Happens After “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”?

Sean Slevin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:25:49 +0000

For many people the holidays are “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The wrapping up of the year with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve is a special season in multiple ways. In addition to the historical and religious aspects of the holidays, many people also enjoy the breaking from routine, celebrating and coming together with friends and family. Though I am very much a fan of all of these things, I think it is also worthwhile to acknowledge some of the ways in which the holidays and/or post-holidays can be stressful.

Read the Rest of This Post »

Counseling with Teens (Ages 13-18): Kristin’s Approach

Kristin Slevin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:57:03 +0000

One of the hallmarks of teenage behavior is the drive to define their identity apart from adult/parental influence. So while teens are mature enough to talk directly about their problems, it is still useful to approach therapy differently than one would with adults.

Read the Rest of This Post »

Influencing Teen Driving Behavior

Sean Slevin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:43:47 +0000

There are two informative studies in the October issue of Pediatrics that reveal: the effects that some parenting styles can have on teen driving safety, as well as the increased risk associated with teens having a vehicle of which they are the primary driver.

Read the Rest of This Post »