Let’s get one thing straight: we humans do not like to be in pain. It’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, and very often unbearable. Whether it’s physical aching, emotional grief, mental stress, spiritual wounding… nope. We don’t like it.

As the primary insurance analyst for Roubicek & Thacker Counseling, I have come across a variety of insurance companies, third-party administrators, rates, plans and coverages. Here are some insider tips for you -- things to know ahead of time when considering using your insurance to help pay for your mental health services:

Ever wonder why you keep putting off that pile of papers on your desk? Cleaning out your closet? Or making that phone call to set up a physical with your doctor?

A legend often contributed to the Cherokee, speaks of a grandfather who is teaching his grandson about life. He tells a story of two wolves who are fighting. “One” he says, “is angry, envious, greedy. He lives with regret, arrogance, self-pity and pride. The other is kind, humble, compassionate, full of empathy, generosity and faith.”

Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) was a neurologist and psychiatrist from Austria who survived the horrors of the Holocaust. In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning he writes of his experience in a  concentration camp in Auschwitz where he would be witness to most degrading of human behavior. There he would lose his mother, brother and his wife Tilly.

Many parents today are concerned about the amount of electronic games their kids play or time they spend on social media, and rightly so.

“To be or not to be, that is the question”.  If you are a Shakespeare fan you’ll recognize this line from Hamlet.  But for me, given the work of healing that we do, I make this change to that famous line: To be (in therapy) or not to be (in therapy); that is the question.  Many have wondered and asked themselves this; maybe you too have asked yourself whether or not therapy is right for you. 

Relationships, the best of times and the worst of times! We are wired for connection and desire to pair off yet our primary relationship will bring out the best and the worst in us (and our partner). Spending time nurturing this relationship can help us find deeper satisfaction in both the relationship and in life in general. 

If you are in a toxic relationship, you may find yourself fatigued, feeling hopeless and struggling with feelings of unworthiness. You may try repeatedly to make your partner (parent, friend, boss) happy but feel that whatever you do is never good enough.