Author: Victoria Fleming
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The Unexpected Journey of Grace & Frankie
Netflix recently launched a new series about the emotional upheaval of divorce, and the title of the show, Grace and Frankie, does much more than name the leading ladies. The basic premise of the comdram is this: Two marriages end, and the shafted wives transition to 70-and-single lives. The women, played by the incomparable Jane…
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Enjoy the Holidays, Avoid the New Year Blues
It’s November, and a Chicago radio station has flipped to holiday programming. Local stores are thoroughly decked, and it even snowed two weeks before Thanksgiving. Various efforts to push up the holiday shopping season are afoot, and there just doesn’t seem to be any way to avoid the reality of the situation: The holiday season has…
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Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day! “Making the decision to have a child – it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ” ― Elizabeth Stone I love this quote. I would have appreciated it as poetic at any time in my life, but now, as a mother…
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A Toxic Blend of Control and Neglect
There are some predictable outcomes when you grow up with a controlling parent. You tend to have your own power and control issues — rejecting others who tell you what to do, getting angry in the face of direct instruction, rebelling against “the man” — all signs you didn’t grow up with healthy autonomy. There…
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No, I can’t give you drugs!
I was out recently with some friends, one of whom I’ve known for about 2 years. The conversation turned to the recent bug that’s been going around, flu-like symptoms, how to cope, etc. He said to me, “Well, you’re a psychiatrist, right? Can’t you just prescribe yourself something?” When my own friends think I have…
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New Year’s Resolution: Don’t Bother!
Like many people, I spent New Year’s Day catching up on news and sports, watching some bowl games and eating left over holiday treats. One of the news programs hosted an educator from Harvard who was on to tell us why New Year’s Resolutions fail. Her point was that people tend to focus on the…
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What’s in a Name? For North Shore Counseling, it’s the perfect anniversary gift!
In 2014, we’re celebrating 10 years in business. We’ve seen many changes during that time. When we first started out in 2004, we had a variety of services to support the mental and behavioral health needs of the community, and our name, “North Shore Wellness Services,” reflected our diverse offerings. Over the years, we became…