Transitions Individual & Couple’s Counseling: Harrisonburg, Virginia — Make Changes that Last

The Ask Sean YouTube Channel is where I engage with anonymous questions about the challenges of being human and learning to grow, heal and flourish.

Everyone experiences some anxiety. What is important is having the emotional muscles to be able to healthily work through one’s anxiety such that it does not dominate your life. This quiz can be a helpful way of getting a sense of the level of anxiety you are currently experiencing.

Go to the Anxiety Quiz.

A list of body sensations, which can be helpful for self-awareness exercises.

Go to the Body Sensation List.

In addition to books for individual and relational growth, I include a sampling from a wide variety of disciplines—anything that I think might help a person thrive in some aspect of their life. My listing a book does not mean I agree with all aspects of it—use your own discretion as to whether a particular book seems like a good fit for you.

Go to the Book List.
Tip: If you are using a mobile device you may wish to use Coverless Mode instead. ?

This paid career test (created by Truity.com) can help you hone in on careers which might be a good fit for you based on your personality mix and the types of work you like to do.

Go to the Career Surveyor.

Everyone has down days. But low times that become a pattern can turn into periods of depression. This quiz can help you connect with what depressive symptoms you might be experiencing recently.

Go to the Depression Quiz.

A list of feelings words, which can be helpful for self-awareness exercises.

Go to the Feeling Word List.

This guide can help you evaluate the quality of the connection you are experiencing with any therapists you are trying out, and how good (or not) of a fit they are for you.

Read How to Choose a Counselor.

This audio file (contained in the below blog post) is helpful for practicing learning how to help your body relax, and better tuning into what that relaxed feeling is like for you.

Blog Post: Relaxing Your Mind by Relaxing Your Body

Get an overview of each of the 16 types (e.g., INTJ) created by Isabel Briggs Myers, which she derived from the personality theory articulated by Carl Jung. Understanding personality types can help you to better understand yourself and others. If you do not already know your personality type you can find the link to the TypeFinder^® Personality Test below.

Learn more about Personality Types.

Premarital and married couples wishing to strengthen their relationship may be interested in the PREPARE/ENRICH Assessment (which can only be taken in conjunction with scheduling sessions with me). For couples (married or dating) who would like to work on their relationship without counseling sessions I recommend the Couple Checkup (which is based on the PREPARE/ENRICH). Both of these cost money.

Self-compassion is like “fertilizer” for the soil of our soul. When we have the ability to be compassionate toward ourself in the midst of hard things those difficulties just become another stepping stone towards further growth. But when we lack self-compassion we increasingly become stuck, and feelings of discouragement and hopeless can begin to overwhelm us. This quiz can help you become more aware of the degree to which you are currently able to give compassion to yourself.

Go to the Self-Compassion Quiz.

Guilt and shame are common to everyone, but often misunderstood. This quiz can help you become more aware of the difference between guilt and shame, as well as the degree to which you experience each in your life.

Go to the Guilt & Shame Quiz.

Everyone experiences stress—even positive changes bring some stress with them (because all change requires us to adapt). But when you experience too much stress for too long it can begin to have a significant negative impact on your physical, emotional and relational wellbeing. This quiz can help you to reflect on the amount of stress you have experienced in the past year, highlighting areas to try to reduce stress, as well as giving you encouragement to reach out to others for emotional and relational support.

Go to the Stress Quiz.

This paid assessment (created by Truity.com) is based on the original 16 types (e.g., ESFJ) created by Isabel Briggs Myers, which she derived from the personality theory articulated by Carl Jung. Knowing your personality mix can help you to better understand yourself.

Go to the TypeFinder^® Personality Test.

White Noise Machines are useful for privacy and sound dampening (e.g., to help with sleep). I also recommend them in conjunction with Distance Counseling.

Blog Post: Helpful Uses for White Noise Machines

I love to listen and read broadly, including sources I might not fully agree with. I post content (quotes, podcasts, videos, etc.) in this section from a variety of speakers/authors, but that does not equate to my wholesale endorsement of all aspects of what I post—use your own judgment regarding the shared material as to what feels helpful to you. And if you are a client always feel free to follow up with me at your next counseling session if you have questions about particular content.

Explore Quotes & Such.

In addition to being excellent exercise (for building both strength and increased flexibility), yoga is an great way of becoming more in tune with your body. And being in touch with what you experience in your body can play an important role in emotional healing (because of how the body and the mind are interconnected).

Explore the Yoga Resources.