Nova Terra Therapy

06/14/2020

Counselors and Allied Mental Health Professionals, our MoveOn.org petition now has over 25,000 signatures. It's time for us to get the attention of Congress, state by state. Please write your state senators and representatives today and advocate for national licensure. See www.nostateborders.com for a sample letter.

06/11/2020

How to help a loved one who is struggling with anxiety

06/06/2020

Your Fear is Normal

06/06/2020

Why Doctors Like Cognitive Therapy

06/03/2020

How to help your loved one when they’re struggling with anxiety How to help your loved one when they’re struggling with anxiety When someone you love is suffering from anxiety, it can be hard to know how to help. Here are some ideas.

06/01/2020

Low-Cost Counseling for People Struggling Financially

Feel like you could use some counseling support but can't afford it? Here are five ideas for finding low-cost counseling services.

06/01/2020

Does Being Online Sometimes Make You Feel Inadequate?

The Internet has been a wonderful asset during the pandemic, but comparing yourself to others online can also lead to feelings of inadequacy.

05/31/2020

Does Being Online Sometimes Make You Feel Inadequate? Does Being Online Sometimes Make You Feel Inadequate? Too much time online can lead to feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.

In many ways, the Internet has been a godsend during this pandemic. Can you imagine what it would be like to socially distant in a world in which you also couldn't Zoom, email, Insta, or Snapchat? Like all good things, though, there can be downsides to spending too much time online. It can sometimes lead you to feel inadequate, especially if you are comparing your life to social influencers.

Challenge Your Thinking

It's important to challenge your thoughts around what you see and read online. Seeing influencers at home can create a false sense of intimacy, making viewers forget that what they are actually watching is a worker doing their job. Keeping audience members engaged, impressed, and wanting more is what influencers do to get paid. This isn't too different from faking a smile and cheery disposition while you serve lattes or pulling it together for the marketing meeting with your boss. It's an image that someone wants to project in order to protect their livelihood, not necessarily a reflection of their personal reality. If you begin to feel inadequate compared to a social influencer, remember that they have a lot of financial incentive to make themselves the object of envy.

How Much Time Online is "Too Much"?

What constitutes "too much" time online depends on your individual tolerance so it's important to stay in tune with how you are feeling. Each person needs to gauge this for themselves, asking, "Is what I am reading or watching making me feel worse about my life?" For some people, almost any social media use will create negative feelings, while others may have a higher tolerance. Hitting this saturation point is a sign that it's time to take a break and do something in the "real" world, like take a walk or call a friend.

Reach Out When You're Having a Hard Time

It's also important to be honest when you are not okay. Opening up to friends and loved ones about how you're doing can bring you closer. It's hard, after all, to relate to someone "perfect." In sharing your own struggles, you just might make a positive difference for someone you care about, rather than making them feel "less than," too.

Having Trouble Shaking Off Feelings of Inadequacy?

Consider reaching out to talk to a therapist about how you've been feeling. It's possible that your escalating comparisons and that feeling of being inadequate are a sign of something else, such as depression or anxiety. A therapist can help you sort it all out and chart a healthy way forward online and in the real world.

Want to read more about online inadequacy? Here's an article you may find interesting.

The Internet has been a wonderful asset during the pandemic, but comparing yourself to others online can also lead to feelings of inadequacy.

05/13/2020

Low-Cost Counseling for People Struggling Financially

If you are struggling financially during the pandemic but still want counseling, here are some resources to try.

Lost your job and your health benefits along with it? Nervous about spending money when the world has gone haywire? Here are five resources for low-cost counseling to try.

5 Sources for Low-Cost Counseling

Currently, many counseling clinics have moved their practices online so will be offering online therapy rather than in-person appointments for now. This situation is dependent on state policies and when your particular area loosens up on closures and social distancing.

1) Open Path Collective. Open Path lists therapists (by state) who have agreed to see clients for reduced fees (between $30 and $60 per session for individual psychotherapy).

2) A university in your state, specifically one that offers advanced degrees in counseling or psychology. These kinds of programs require their students to practice their therapy skills while being supervised by advanced clinicians. Sometimes these counselor training centers are on the university's campus and offer low-cost services in exchange for your willingness to be seen by a graduate student. While many universities have been closed, it still is worth a call or an email to the program because despite the pandemic, students have experience requirements that must be met to advance to graduation.

3) Your county's "Community Services Board" or local health department typically has outpatient individual and group counseling resources or can recommend where in your state to find them.

4) Are you a healthcare provider or other essential worker? Coronavirus Online Therapy lists therapists offering free and low cost sessions for folks who have served as frontline workers in the current crisis.

5) Use a counseling resident. These are counselors who have graduated from graduate school but are not yet fully licensed in the state, which means their fees are usually lower. Residents must practice under the supervision of someone who is licensed and who will monitor the resident's work. The best way to find a pre-licensed therapist is to look on the websites of bigger practices in your area where residents may be receiving supervision or Googling "resident in counseling" plus your town and state.

If none of these ideas pan out for you, you can also always call a clinician in private practice to see if they have a sliding scale. Or check if they maintain any reduced fee spots for which you can get on a waiting list. It doesn't hurt to ask!

Live in Virginia? Our practice Nova Terra Therapy is offering special COVID-19 rates for first responders and essential workers. We'd be happy to answer any questions or chat with you to see if one of our therapists is a good fit.

Feel like you could use some counseling support but can't afford it? Here are five ideas for finding low-cost counseling services.