cedar maia

Have you ever been in the position of taking care of your children while also taking care of your parents/in-laws? If so, you might be a part of the “sandwich generation.” Miller (1981) was the first researcher to name this population. She wrote that individuals who fall in this generation are unique because they often give resources and services without them being returned. Many researchers note that this population faces challenges such as emotional strain, financial burdens, health problems, and little self-care (Chisholm, 1999; Finnegan & Ferron, 2015).

During my undergraduate career, I quickly realized how difficult and stressful college life would be. I was riddled with stress –  getting assignments done on time, pressure from myself to get good grades, and participating in multiple activities just because I could. Before long, I began to feel stretched so thin that I could barely function at times. The American College Counseling Association has noted that the percentage of college students seeking counseling services has increased quite greatly in recent years. The fact is, the pressure to succeed in classes while also balancing your social life is real. 

Many couples are advised to explore premarital counseling before they get married – and many more could likely benefit from this work. Doing couples work with a therapist to prepare for marriage frequently provides valuable insights, allowing the focus to be on your specific needs as partners. Premarital counseling can also be a great way to discover areas within your relationship that need support, as well as prevent problems in the future and grow closer as a couple.

Ever since I heard her talk about it, I have been fascinated by it and now use it often with my clients.

While most of us know that not getting enough sleep can be detrimental to our physical health, leading to increased fatigue and putting us at risk of several medical conditions, lack of rest also affects our mental health significantly. This, of course, doesn’t stop many of us from choosing work, entertainment, or other distractions instead of the amount of sleep that we need – more than 1 in 3 Americans report sleeping less than the recommended minimum of 7 hours per night.