Rosalind Cardia, Marriage & Family Therapist

Wishing everyone a wonderful And healthy Holiday Season!!!

Self-Esteem versus Other-Esteem Self-esteem is something we learn about ourselves while we are young. Caregivers (mothers, fathers, babysitters, teachers, classmates) mirror back to the child what they see in him or her; good or bad. An example of this may be a mother smiling back at her child when the child is smiling and conversely the mother might ignore or frown at the smile of her child....each of these examples show how the child learns to perceive himself and his self worth based upon what he sees in the mirror. [ 161 more words ] https://rkcardia.wordpress.com/2016/09/20/370

The belief that we have to be strong, no matter what, often comes from experiencing trauma. This often happens in a family system where there were drugs or alcohol and or abuse; physical, emotional, verbal. The brain has a wonderful way of protecting us from trauma by numbing our awareness of our emotions. The outcome of numbed emotions is anxiety and the unwillingness to be vulnerable. https://rkcardia.wordpress.com/2016/09/13/271

People often present in my office with a history of fears, phobias, and anxieties that are limiting them from fully enjoying their life. Almost always the way they deal with their fears is by avoiding the very thing/place/thought that scares them. For instance people often struggle with fears of flying, water, heights, their own anger, driving, etc. While avoidance appears to work in the short term, it causes the anxiety to get worse over time as the Amydala, the "reptilian brain", files away each incidence of avoidance as if it was truly a dangerous event. [ 186 more words ] https://rkcardia.wordpress.com///14/facing-what-scares-you

Coping with chronic illness is very very stressful for every member of the family. The person who is affected by the disease certainly is effected and every other member of the family is as well and often the unaffected members of the family have needs that do not get met as the family struggles to meet the increasing needs of the affected member. [ 77 more words ] https://rkcardia.wordpress.com//dealing-with-chronic-disea

The belief that we have to be strong, no matter what, often comes from experiencing trauma. This often happens in a family system where there were drugs or alcohol and or abuse; physical, emotional, verbal. The brain has a wonderful way of protecting us from trauma by numbing our awareness of our emotions. The outcome of numbed emotions is anxiety and the unwillingness to be vulnerable. https://rkcardia.wordpress.com/2016/09/13/271

Coping with chronic illness is very very stressful for every member of the family. The person who is affected by the disease certainly is effected and every other member of the family is as well and often the unaffected members of the family have needs that do not get met as the family struggles to meet the increasing needs of the affected member. [ 77 more words ] https://rkcardia.wordpress.com//dealing-with-chronic-disea

Sexuality in a relationship improves intimacy, both emotional and physical, and contributes to the overall satisfaction couples have in their relationship. When sex is absent, limited, or unsatisfying the relationship suffers. This article does a good job of defining ways couples make excuses to avoid sex in relationships and the alternatives. https://rkcardia.wordpress.com//the-5-excuses-we-need-to-s

Interesting article.

The author, James M Sama, really does a great job of defining a "Good" woman. See what you think.....

How Good Relationships Make Us Better People This is a great article posted by The Mind Unleashed on the positive attributes of really good relationships and the ways we as individuals are positively influenced. Great stuff!!

How Good Relationships Make Us Better People http://wp.me/p4fkTG-40

Oops, this is the article I meant to post yesterday. Please take a look. This article by Nancy Colier is extremely well written as she describes the process of allowing our painful feelings to be rather than change them or defend them. When we allow this to happen we eventually feel better and are better able to access and experience our own feelings and trust ourselves.

The way we fuel our body not only effects our physical abilities it also affects our emotional and relational abilities as well.

Once in my youth I recall watching a young girl walk past me at church and as she passed I noticed the back of her head where her hair was knotted and tangled. I remember the judgment that came up so suddenly within me and felt surprised and