Articles and Resources

voice of experience: diagnosing and its future impact

We do not take insurance at Gainer Counseling & Consulting. The primary reason is concern for our clients’ privacy in the present and future.

“When clients ask if I take insurance, my answer is always no. I explain that even though it may cost them more out of pocket at the moment, the upside is that there will be no permanent record of their visit other than what is confidentially maintained in my office. It is rare that any future organization could have access to their information. Exceptions would be related to a subpoena or a security clearance for government jobs, but in three decades of practice, that has happened to me only a few times (other than in cases that were highly likely to go to court from the beginning of the therapeutic relationship).” -Gregory K. Moffatt

Dear Parents, please stop saving your children

"As a parent, sitting on the sidelines and letting the struggle happen is painful, but it is necessary."

The problems parents inadvertently cause by over-managing their children's lives are real and long-lasting. Parenting your son or daughter through childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood is very different at every stage. Growing up is a learning process with the goal being independence, confidence, the ability to interact with others, and healthy self-direction. This cannot happen if parents do not allow their children to stumble, fail, and grow in their own way.

Setting Healthy versus unhealthy boundaries in toxic relationships

"If you are not used to it, setting stronger, healthier boundaries will feel strange and bad… at first. Your existing social structure will be challenged. Your family, friends, work relationships, and your intimate relationships will change, and it will be difficult. It will be hard to know when to say no, especially since you may feel guilty about it, or people may abuse you for doing it, or you may feel like you are the problem and are being “the bad guy.” But keep moving forward, keep standing up for yourself, and keep being yourself." - Darius Cikanavicius

predicting divorce: the four horsemen of the apocalypse

“Just as you can take regular care of your house in order to prevent it from falling apart, the same is true for your relationship. John Gottman, renowned relationship expert, discovered four markers of relationship failure with 93 percent accuracy in predicting divorce. These four indicators, also known as the four horsemen, are criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling.” - Maureen Werrbach, MA, LCPC

What it means to “change your relationship with grief”

"As you change your relationship with grief – by changing how you respond to, cope with, and conceptualize grief – you will likely also find hope and healing."

8 Ways to support someone with depression

“In my many years of experience with depression, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a lot of people around me who have not only tried to support me but have gone out of their way to make sure they’re supporting me in the right way. Not everyone is this lucky. So before I take you through these ways to support someone with depression, understand that by caring to read this at all, you’re already so much more help than so many people.” -Rebecca Milton