Matt Kindler, LCSW

05/02/2023

This Mental Health Awareness Month be sure to get outside and play. The Rockford Park District has some great suggestions on how you can take care of your mental health while enjoying what the Rockford region has to offer!

During the month of May, the Rockford Park District invites all citizens to improve their mental wellness with exercise, social interactions, and time in nature through the use of Rockford Park District parks and facilities.

02/13/2023

Did you place one of the $16B in bets on the Super Bowl? Did you lose and have an unusually strong reaction? Did you win and immediately start looking for the next bet? These might be signs of problem gambling.

If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, there is support. Contact me for a free 15 minute consultation to discuss your option.

05/30/2022

Excited to announce that as of July 1 I will be practicing in Rockford again at Bluestem Counseling!

01/31/2022

It's just a game right? Unlike substances, this addiction does not cause visible signs of intoxication or withdrawal, but like substances, can ruin lives. If you are struggling with a gambling problem, I can help.

The ends of the college and pro football seasons were already a perilous time for people recovering from a gambling addiction. Then came the onslaught of ads for legal sports betting.

01/18/2022

You are not alone, and sometimes talking isn't enough.

This is my medicine.
(Not pictured medicines: friends/family, therapy, exercise, sleep and meditation.)
I wanted to write a little bit about the fact that after 20 years of feeling very strongly that it was not the path I needed to take…I have tried medication for the first time. For the first time in months I can feel myself again- my joy, my optimism and my laughter are among some of the precious parts of myself I have rediscovered. They sit at my soul’s table, along with my sweet sadness and my tender anxiety…who, by the way, aren’t the only ones talking anymore. It is a profound, holy relief.

For those who don’t understand it or have never dealt with it, from the inside of depression and anxiety sometimes you can’t see the possibility of a way out, much less the path itself.
For the past year, I felt desperate and overwhelmed almost all the time. The amount of energy it took to “manage” my emotions (I use that term loosely because that makes me seem like I had a handle on anything) would exhaust me so much that my whole sense of myself got distorted. I didn’t feel like me anymore.
Depression is not rational. It does not respond to “I have so much to be grateful for”, or “just concentrate on the good things”. I have moved through depression and anxiety many times in my life , but this time I needed extra help.
I had SO MANY FEELINGS about it. “What am I trying to suppress?” “Am I taking a short cut instead of doing the work?” “I’m afraid I won’t recognize myself anymore.”
For me, the truth was that this medicine helped me see myself again, without the cloak of depression and anxiety. I remember myself.

I am lucky to be surrounded by an INCREDIBLE partner (I love you ) and angelic friends who have listened, lifted up, comforted and encouraged me to do what needs to be done to feel better. It ultimately came down to me though. This was more than I could hold on my own.

I was blessed with a breaking point. So let it all break open…so it can be reassembled to be stronger than before. Keep going. Begin Again.
🌱❤️