Vantage Point Counseling Services Blog
This page is dedicated to discussing current events and topics of interest relating to psychotherapy, counseling, and other advice and help for issues relating to anxiety, depression, substance abuse, relationships, and sexual issues. Please feel free to contact me with questions or comments. This page will be updated often, so please check back frequently. Click on the title to be directed to the article you are interested in reading about below.
Your Story Matters: The Benefits of LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy
As a Dallas therapist, I love working with people. It’s a privilege to help individuals…
Men, Therapy, and the Power of Positive Change
Why You Might Be Hesitant to Seek Therapy Let’s be real—talking about emotions isn’t exactly…
Why Anxiety is Wreaking Havoc in Your Life and What you Can Do About It
You likely already know what anxiety is but to make sure we’re on the same…
How Unhealthy Boundaries Negatively Affect Your Sense of Self
"Boundaries" an Important Buzzword It’s a buzzword that people toss around, but what exactly is…
How Gay Men Can Turn a Mid-Life Crisis into an Opportunity for Growth
There comes a time for all of us when we have to contend with the…
Discovering Your Partner’s Sexual Secrets: How to Navigate the Pain and Find Healing
Some secrets are innocuous. For example, if you had a crush on a movie star...…
Navigating Holiday Stress: Finding Joy in Relationships and Self-Acceptanc
The holiday season is often painted as a time of joy, connection, and celebration. But…
Using Positive Self-Talk to Heal from Sex Addiction
Addiction often comes with a lot of shame because the addict has done things they…
Navigating Open Relationships: A Therapist’s Guide to Building Trust, Communication, and Boundaries
More than ever before, people are opening up to various forms of non-monogamous relationships. Some…
Managing Grief and Loss on Your Addiction Recovery Journey
When we think of grief, we tend to associate it with certain losses like someone…
Breaking Relationship Myths of Love and Sex to Enhance Your Connection and Bond
Years ago, I wrote a blog post about Silver Linings Playbook that was somewhat critical…
Reframing Workaholism: Understanding How Overworking Contributes to Addictions and Trauma
One strategy to dealing with an addictive behavior is to trade out negative, problematic behaviors…
How to Manage Anxiety to Better Your Addiction Recovery
What is Anxiety and Why Do We Have It? Wouldn't it be great if we…
Resolving 9 Common Relationship Problems to Deepen Your Connection
Relationship Problems are Hard, but They're Also Normal and Extremely Common Romantic relationships can be…
Is Your Relationship Worth Saving? When Conflict Replaces Love.
Although relationships create a place for love, connection and security, they can also transform into…
Unpacking the Reality of Sex Addiction: Beyond the Controversy
Is Sex Addiction even real? Sex addiction is one of the most contentious and controversial…
Sex Addiction Relapses and Slips: Getting Back on Track
Whether you've slipped or you're in a full-on relapse, it can be challenging to figure…
Handling Sexual Resentment That Turns into Passive Aggressive Behaviors
Sex is hard to talk about. Even when you can do it without a problem,…
The Importance of Healing Old Wounds: How to Address Unresolved Emotional Scars
When you get a scratch yourself it can leave a scar. This is common knowledge,…
Stop Doom Scrolling: Find Inner Peace When it Seems Like There is No Peace Around You
Do our election cycles ever really end? It almost seems like they don't these days.…
How to Clearly Communicate to Your Needs to Overcome Sexual Frustration and Strengthen Your Relationship
How Sexual Issues Show Up in Relationships Believe it or not, but there are couples…
Is a 12 Step Support Group Right for Your Sex Addiction Recovery? Exploring Benefits and Limitations
If you're dealing with an issue with sexual compulsivity, you may feel like you need…
Key Questions to Ask When Choosing a Gay-Affirming Counselor
How to Choose a Gay Affirming Therapist that is Right for You Choosing a counselor…
Benefits and Limitations of Medications for Treatment of Sexual Dysfunctions
When you're dealing with a sexual dysfunction, the thing that you want to change is…
Coping with Your Life and Relationship When Your Partner is Living with a Sex Addiction
How to deal with a partner's sex addiction The journey of healing from realizing that…
How to Overcome Criticism and Defensiveness in Your Relationship: Communication Tips
How to Overcome Criticism and Defensiveness in Your Relationship: Communication Tips Criticism and defensiveness can…
Recognizing and Addressing Toxic Relationship Patterns
Recognizing and Addressing Toxic Relationship Patterns All relationships have their struggles and all long-term relationships…
Rebuilding Trust: 5 Steps to Recover from Cheating in Relationships
Rebuilding Trust: 5 Steps to Recover from Cheating in Relationships Cheating is one of the…
Revising Your Relationship’s History to Cope with Betrayal
Discovering a betrayal can lead to extreme ways of coping. Finding out that your partner…
Navigating New Realities: When Your Son Comes Out
Navigating New Realities: When Your Son Comes Out Although gay and lesbian folks continue to…
Improving Your Sleep to Help Your Relationship Connect on a Deeper Emotional Level
Improving Your Sleep to Help Your Relationship Connect on a Deeper Emotional Level The Importance…
Weight Loss, Health, Mood, and Sexuality
Weight Loss, Health, Mood and Sexuality Updated 10/31/23 People can embrace connective sex at any…
Four Reasons Latinx’s Don’t Seek Addiction, Relationship, and Trauma Therapy
Four Reasons Latinx’s Don’t Seek Addiction, Relationship, and Trauma Therapy Hispanic Heritage month identifies and…
When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed/Activated During an Argument
When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed/Activated During an Argument Personally, and professionally, I’ve noticed that seldomly do…
Overcoming Avoidance to Heal Your Sexual Problems
Overcoming Avoidance to Heal Your Sexual ProblemsWhen medication fails to treat sexual problems, people often…
How Sex Addiction Can Affect Your Partner
How Sex Addiction Can Affect Your Partner Sex addiction can cause relationship, career, and personal…
Porn Addiction Information
Porn Addiction Information With the rise in popularity of the internet, behavioral addictions have become…
Gay and Lesbian Dating: Why It Can Feel Difficult
Gay and Lesbian Dating: Why It Can Feel Difficult When you're gay or lesbian, dating…
When Porn is a Compulsive Numbing Tool
When Porn is a Compulsive Numbing Tool If you read about compulsive porn use, there's…
The Treatment of Loneliness
The Treatment of Loneliness It's so important for us to find connections in our lives.…
Support for Partners of Porn Addicts
Support for Partners of Porn Addicts Addiction is linked to both internal and external factors,…
What Is Self-Compassion, and Why Is It Important?
The word “compassion” is not a rare one. In fact, I’m sure you’ve heard this…
Treatment for Sex Addiction
Treatment For Sex Addiction The relapse potential for this problem is considered to be "high".…
Recovering after the Holidays
Recovering after the Holidays Holidays can leave you feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and drained. You get…
Why Partners of Sex Addicts Often Need Therapy
Why Partners of Sex Addicts Often Need Therapy A Life Turned Upside Down Being the…
What to Look for When Looking for a Relationship Therapy for Non-Monogamous Relationships
What to Look for When Looking for a Relationship Therapy for Non-Monogamous Relationships For those…
Couples Therapy Styles that Work
Couples Therapy Styles that Work If you're in a relationship that is struggling, you want…
5 Different Types of Sex Addiction Therapy
5 Different Types of Sex Addiction Therapy Sex addiction is defined as a compulsive participation…
Common Questions About Psychotherapy and Counseling
Common Questions About Psychotherapy and Counseling Do therapists ever provide online Counseling? Online therapy and…
Why You Should Avoid Gay Conversion Therapy
Why You Should Avoid Gay Conversion Therapy For people who are coming to accept that…
Dealing with an Affair
Dealing with an Affair According to a recent poll commissioned by The Journal of Marital…
What to Talk About Before Getting Married
What to Talk About Before Getting Married: Congratulations! You and your partner have made a…
What is Sex Addiction?
What is Sex Addiction? Sex addiction or compulsive sexual behavior is a sexual behavior that…
How Can Couples Counseling Help?
How Can Couples Counseling Help? Couples therapy is a style of therapy where the therapist…
When is the Best Time to Choose Couples Counseling?
When is the Best Time to Choose Couples Counseling? In every relationship, you will come…
Choosing A Transgender Affirming Therapist
Choosing A Transgender Affirming Therapist What Makes A Therapist “Trans-Affirming”? For transgender individuals, finding a…
8 Sex Addiction Symptoms to Expect While in Recovery
8 Sex Addiction Symptoms to Expect While in Recovery If you struggle with sex addiction…
Treat Low Sexual Desire by Improving Your Quality of Life
Treat Low Sexual Desire by Improving Your Quality of Life When sexual desire evaporates, it's…
Guided By Your Values
Guided By Your Values Updated 11/3/2023 A Therapist's Guide for Establishing Goals in Your Relationships,…
Real Sex Therapy
Real Sex Therapy Sex Therapy can be confusing! Sex therapy is quite a broad term…
Navigating Sex Addiction Requires Looking Inward
Navigating Sex Addiction Requires Looking Inward Some common questions people have when they come to…
What to do after the Affair
[two_third] What to do after the Affair [two_third] Cheating and Infidelity Recovery Cheating and infidelity…
Secrets and Privacy
Secrets and Privacy One of biggest issues in relationships involves one particular division in boundaries.…
Loops and Patterns… How We Get Stuck and How to Get Out of Our Own Way
Loops and Patterns... How We Get Stuck and How to Get Out of Our Own…
22 Psychotherapy Influences and Influential Books
22 Psychotherapy Influences and Influential Books We love our work. There are so many people who've…
Overfunctioning and Realigning Yourself
Overfunctioning and Realigning Yourself Overfunctioning is a term that relates to the intensity and energy…
Is It Possible to Recover After an Affair?
[two_third] Is It Possible to Recover After an Affair? The short answer is "yes". Many…
Compulsive Porn Use and Porn Addiction Symptoms
Compulsive Porn Use and Porn Addiction Symptoms Porn addiction is possibly the contentious and controversial…
When Sexual Health Advice Makes Your Symptoms Worse
When Sexual Health Advice Makes Your Symptoms Worse Believe it or not, but a lot…
For New Years Resolutions–The Importance of How You’re Going to Get There
For New Years Resolutions--The Importance of How You're Going to Get There When you focus…
Help with Vulnerability and Managing Uncertainty
Help with Vulnerability and Managing Uncertainty Shouldn't we be over this all by now? The…
It’s OK to Be Not OK During the Holidays
It's OK to Be Not OK During the Holidays The holiday season is largely based…
Breaking Open Sexual Scripts to Reach Your Sexual Goals
Breaking Open Sexual Scripts to Reach Your Sexual Goals There are countless scripts that we…
Making Goals from the Inside Out
Making Goals from the Inside Out It's pretty common when people come into therapy that…
Contending with Porn Addiction
Contending with Porn Addiction Last year was a remarkably controversial and loaded year as we…
The Messiness of Mistakes
The Messiness of Mistakes Mistakes... we all make them right? They're only human right? So…
Why Is Sex So Difficult to Talk About?
Why Is Sex So Difficult to Talk About? I see it time and again in…
Betrayal and Trauma and Getting Vulnerable Again
Betrayal and Trauma and Getting Vulnerable Again A natural response to trauma is focusing on…
Keys to Coping with Hate Crimes and Trauma
Keys to Coping with Hate Crimes and Trauma We have seen so many different violent…
Wanting a Better Sex Life? Get Out of Your Head
Wanting a Better Sex Life? Get Out of Your Head When you're wanting to make…
What is Sex Therapy?
What is Sex Therapy? Sex therapy can be surprisingly confusing to people. Why exactly would…
Practicing Self Kindness during Chaotic Times
Practicing Self Kindness during Chaotic Times In our therapy practice , we are seeing clients…
Porn Addiction and the Pandemic
Porn Addiction and the Pandemic Porn addiction is one of the most controversial topics in…
Rebuilding Connection after Betrayal
Rebuilding Connection after Betrayal After a betrayal occurs in a relationship, it can feel impossible…
The Porn Addiction “Fix” Illusion
The Porn Addiction "Fix" Illusion Almost every time I am working with a client who…
The Meaning Under the Surface and How it Prevents You from Reaching Your Goals
The Meaning Under the Surface and How it Prevents You from Reaching Your Goals Whether…
Finding Your Calm When You’re Vulnerable
Finding Your Calm When You're Vulnerable There is no doubt about it. The last few…
Emotions and Logic: Getting Them to Work Together
Emotions and Logic: Getting them to Work Together Did you know it's difficult and sometimes…
The Biggest Myth about Sex Therapy
The Biggest Myth about Sex Therapy It can be difficult to identify what actually happens…
Letting Go of Who You Want Someone to Be
Letting Go of Who You Want Someone to Be Whether it's our romantic partners, our…
Navigating Through Sociocultural Trauma and Change
Navigating Through Sociocultural Trauma and Change Sociocultural trauma happens from the impact of being a…
Coping with Pressure to Overcome Sexual Avoidance
Coping with Pressure to Overcome Sexual Avoidance When I'm working with people in sex therapy…
Building Connections by Ending Bullshit
Building Connections by Ending Bullshit Whether you're making up bullshit, or believing it from another…
Snapping Out of Denial and Into Reality
Snapping Out of Denial and Into Reality "Snap" is such a powerful word. And yet…
When Numbing Fear Turns to an Addiction
When Numbing Fear Turns to an Addiction We all numb. Stress, anxiety and fear can…
What is a Solid Relationship Foundation?
What is a Solid Relationship Foundation? It doesn't matter if a relationship is struggling with…
3 Tips for Talking Openly About Sex with Your Partner
3 Tips for Talking Openly About Sex with Your Partner Sex is an integral part…
Depression and Compulsive Behaviors: What’s the Connection?
Depression and Compulsive Behaviors: What’s the Connection? Depression impacts everyone differently. Though it’s the most…
Seeing Body Positivity from Various Angles to Take Care of Yourself
Seeing Body Positivity from Various Angles to Take Care of Yourself There is a common…
3 Reasons Why Traumas Aren’t Always Easy to Identify
3 Reasons Why Traumas Aren’t Always Easy to Identify When many people think about trauma,…