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.
How Grounding Techniques Can Help You with Trauma
How Grounding Techniques Can Help You with Trauma Those who’ve experienced a traumatic event are…
Good Communication Everywhere Else, but With Sex
Good Communication Everywhere Else, but With Sex "We Have Great Communication (But We Don't Talk…
How to Get in Touch with Your Emotions When You Feel Numb
How to Get in Touch with Your Emotions When You Feel Numb Do you ever…
What is Somatic Sex Therapy?
What is Somatic Sex Therapy? It's common for several of my clients to have had…
How to Identify Shame and Successfully Move Past It
How to Identify Shame and Successfully Move Past It Shame doesn’t always get the “credit”…
7 Subtle Signs of a Toxic Relationship
7 Subtle Signs of a Toxic Relationship It’s usually easy to spot major red flags…
How to Re-establish Your Sexual Relationship While Dealing with Sex Addiction
How to Re-establish Your Sexual Relationship While Dealing with Sex Addiction Sex addiction can cause…
After an Affair: 3 Tips on How to Increase Trust
After an Affair: 3 Tips on How to Increase Trust Finding out your partner has…
3 Keys on How to Discuss Your Low Sex Drive with Your Partner
3 Keys on How to Discuss Your Low Sex Drive with Your Partner When you…
Porn in Your Relationship: Here’s How to Set Boundaries
Porn in Your Relationship: Here’s How to Set Boundaries Porn plays different roles in people’s…
5 Ways to Respectfully Negotiate Sexual Boundaries
Updated 11/4/23 5 Ways to Respectfully Negotiate Sexual Boundaries Respecting Your Boundaries and Your Partners'…
Is Your Child Transgender? – How to Cope with It
Is Your Child Transgender? – How to Cope with It When a child comes out…
How to Cope When You’re Afraid of Relationships
How to Cope When You’re Afraid of Relationships There are plenty of old stereotypes about…
Sexual Trauma Defined
Sexual Trauma Defined Sexual trauma is a complex concept that describes the lasting impact of…
How to Focus on Small Victories When You Feel Stuck
How to Focus on Small Victories When You Feel Stuck It’s not uncommon to feel…
When They Refuse to Change: How to Know When to Get Out
When They Refuse to Change: How to Know When to Get Out No one wants…
Sexual Boundaries and Resentment
Sexual Boundaries and Resentment What are sexual boundaries? Boundaries describe the limits of what we…
Leaving a Toxic Partner? – 3 Things You Should Know
Leaving a Toxic Partner? – 3 Things You Should Know Leaving a partner that has…
Finding the Right Therapist: How Similarities Can Affect Growth
Finding the Right Therapist: How Similarities Can Affect Growth Recently, Vantage Point had a staff…
How to Cope When Sexual Dysfunction Creates Fear of Having Sex
How to Cope When Sexual Dysfunction Creates Fear of Having Sex Sexual dysfunction affects people…
Sexual Trauma: How to Know You’re Ready to Tell Your Story
Sexual Trauma: How to Know You’re Ready to Tell Your Story Opening up to share…
How to Cope with Valentine’s Day After Discovering an Affair
How to Cope with Valentine’s Day After Discovering an Affair Most people consider Valentine’s Day…
The Myth of Good Sex vs. Bad Sex
The Myth of Good Sex vs. Bad Sex I know that some of the sex…
Delayed Ejaculation: Here’s What It Is and How to Treat It
Delayed Ejaculation: Here’s What It Is and How to Treat It Delayed ejaculation is a…
Premature Ejaculation and Slowing Down
Premature Ejaculation and Slowing Down Early ejaculation can be extremely distressing for men, and it…
Is My Partner a Sex Addict? – How to Spot the Symptoms
Is My Partner a Sex Addict? – How to Spot the Symptoms People dealing with…
Is Porn Guilty? – How to Understand the Complicated Causes of ED
Is Porn Guilty? – How to Understand the Complicated Causes of ED Does pornography cause…
Seeking Safety: How to Jumpstart Your Trauma Journey
Seeking Safety: How to Jumpstart Your Trauma Journey When you’ve been through a traumatic experience,…
Providing Space for Yourself Through the Holidays
Providing Space for Yourself Through the Holidays What does it mean to provide space for…
Sexual Trauma: How to Navigate the Challenges in a Relationship with a Survivor
Sexual Trauma: How to Navigate the Challenges in a Relationship with a Survivor The statistics…
How to Deal with Getting Ghosted in a Serious Relationship
How to Deal with Getting Ghosted in a Serious Relationship Last Updated 10/29/23 Getting ghosted…
Covert Abuse: Recognizing and Understanding its Impact
Covert Abuse: Recognizing and Understanding its Impact When someone hears the word “abuse”, typically their…
Spending a Holiday Alone
Spending a Holiday Alone The holidays are portrayed as a time for family, joy, fun,…
What Is Vaginismus? – 5 Common Causes and Treatments
What Is Vaginismus? – 5 Common Causes and Treatments Vaginismus is a condition affecting women…
Passive Aggressiveness and Belligerence… The Dangerous Pair
Passive Aggressiveness and Belligerence... The Dangerous Pair Several years back, I wrote an article on…
The Toll of Trauma: How to Heal Your Relationship
The Toll of Trauma: How to Heal Your Relationship When you’re in a relationship with…
#wontbeerased, Grieve, Advocate, Take Care of Yourselves
#wontbeerased, Grieve, Advocate, Take Care of Yourselves I want to first say that I identify…
5 Special Challenges You’ll Face as the Partner of a Sex Addict
5 Special Challenges You’ll Face as the Partner of a Sex Addict As a partner…
The Hidden Harm of Covert Sexual Abuse
The Hidden Harm of Covert Sexual Abuse Whether it's in trauma therapy or sex addiction…
When Is Sex Addiction an Addiction?
When Is Sex Addiction an Addiction? So many people suffer and struggle with different types…
Does Erectile Dysfunction Mean He is Not Into You?
Does Erectile Dysfunction Mean He is Not Into You? Is it a sexual dysfunction or…
Self-Care and the #MeToo Movement
Self-Care and the #MeToo Movement A few weeks ago, I watched a powerful documentary called …
7 Brilliant Ways to Maintain Your Self-Esteem After a Breakup
7 Brilliant Ways to Maintain Your Self-Esteem After a Breakup Maintaining your self-esteem after breaking…
Body Shame and Sexual Dysfunction
Body Shame and Sexual Dysfunction Many of us have experienced body shame at some point…
Why Social Pressure Can Make You Feel Like You Don’t Belong
Why Social Pressure Can Make You Feel Like You Don’t Belong Pressure from others influences…
Help! My Partner Isn’t Sexually Attracted to Me
Help! My Partner Isn’t Sexually Attracted to Me When sex is a problem in a…
Technology Ruining Your Love Life? – The Pros and Cons of Digital Relationships
Technology Ruining Your Love Life? – The Pros and Cons of Digital Relationship In a…
7 Effective Strategies to Help You Fight Less and Love More
7 Effective Strategies to Help You Fight Less and Love More The day has been…
When Your Partner Suffers from Depression—Be Supportive While Keeping Healthy Boundaries
When Your Partner Suffers from Depression—Be Supportive While Keeping Healthy Boundaries Watching someone you love…
Nurturing Intimacy: How to Initiate Sex in a Long-Term Relationship
Nurturing Intimacy: How to Initiate Sex in a Long-Term Relationship The beginning of every relationship…
Coming Out: 5 Practical Ways to Handling Unaccepting Family Members
Coming Out: 5 Practical Ways to Handling Unaccepting Family Members The decision to share your…
Are You Battling Perfectionism? – How to Come Off the Winner
Are You Battling Perfectionism? – How to Come Off the Winner For many of us,…
Should You Get Back Together After Breaking Up? – Ask Yourself These Questions
Should You Get Back Together After Breaking Up? – Ask Yourself These Questions Ending a…
How to Add Kink to Your Relationship Without Destroying It
How to Add Kink to Your Relationship Without Destroying It With Mr. Grey’s debut in…
Relationship Issues: When Does Porn Use Become a Problem?
Relationship Issues: When Does Porn Use Become a Problem? As therapists who work with sex…
What do Emotions Have to do with Sexual Dysfunction?
What do Emotions Have to do with Sexual Dysfunction? If you watch TV for any…
How to Avoid the 5 Most Common Relationship Mistakes
How to Avoid the 5 Most Common Relationship Mistakes We all want to be successful…
Share, Learn, and Support: How Group Therapy Can Benefit Gay Men
Share, Learn, and Support: How Group Therapy Can Benefit Gay Men Do you find yourself…
How You Can Truly Empathize With Those You Don’t Agree With
How You Can Truly Empathize With Those You Don’t Agree With Have you ever been…
Women, How Can You Use Your Voice Effectively With an Intense Partner?
Women, How Can You Use Your Voice Effectively With an Intense Partner? There is a…
What to Expect from Sex Addiction Therapy
What to Expect from Sex Addiction Therapy Entering into sex addiction therapy can be one…
I’ve Just Cheated on My Partner—Should I Tell?
I’ve Just Cheated on My Partner—Should I Tell? Cheating is a hurdle that is difficult…
Avoiding Conflict: 5 Reasons Why It Doesn’t Save But Sabotage Relationships
Avoiding Conflict: 5 Reasons Why It Doesn’t Save But Sabotage Relationships We cherish our relationships…
Having Trouble Accepting Yourself as Transgender or Non-Binary? – What You Can Do
Having Trouble Accepting Yourself as Transgender or Non-Binary? – What You Can Do Society has…
Ways that Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Can Help Gay and Lesbian Couples
Ways that Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Can Help Gay and Lesbian Couples by Ian Hammonds…
Identifying and Overcoming BS to Save Your Relationships
Identifying and Overcoming BS to Save Your Relationships It's almost impossible to avoid letting our…
Unhealthy Habits: How to Recognize When They Prevent You From Being You
Unhealthy Habits: How to Recognize When They Prevent You From Being You Unhealthy habits come…
Overcoming Betrayal and Entering Therapy
Overcoming Betrayal and Entering Therapy For so many partners of addicts , entering into therapy…
Gay, Monogamous Relationships. A Sex Positive Perspective
Gay, Monogamous Relationships. A Sex Positive Perspective Our society generally props up monogamy as the…
Which Is It? Love or Love Addiction? – 6 Ways to Tell the Difference
Which Is It? Love or Love Addiction? – 6 Ways to Tell the Difference Love.…
Shame and Sexual Dysfunction
Shame and Sexual Dysfunction In our sex therapy work with sexual dysfunctions , we find…
The Power of Talk: How to Improve Your Ability to Voice Your Concerns
The Power of Talk: How to Improve Your Ability to Voice Your Concerns You are…
Love and Lust Don’t Have to Be Opposites
Love and Lust Don't Have to Be Opposites It is common to read articles about…
What to Do When You Waited Too Long to See a Therapist
What to Do When You Waited Too Long to See a Therapist Unfortunately, it's common…
Traumatic Shame in Living with HIV
Traumatic Shame in Living with HIV Over the past 2 decades, there have been tremendous…
Is Your Relationship in Trouble? – 7 Signs It’s Time to Seek a Marriage Therapist
Is Your Relationship in Trouble? – 7 Signs It’s Time to Seek a Marriage Therapist…
Sexual Healing: What Are the Secrets to Overcoming Erectile Dysfunction?
Sexual Healing: What Are the Secrets to Overcoming Erectile Dysfunction? Erectile Dysfunction (ED) can be…
Treatment Takes Time… Staying with the Process
Treatment Takes Time... Staying with the Process Therapy can take time. It can be difficult…
Shame Reactivity versus Taking Responsibility
Shame Reactivity versus Taking Responsibility Shame and taking responsibility are not opposites. Whenever we have…
Sex Addiction Groups: How Do They Help With Recovery?
Sex Addiction Groups: How Do They Help With Recovery? Sex addiction is notably isolating for…
5 Ways Childhood Traumas Can Affect Your Adult Relationships
5 Ways Childhood Traumas Can Affect Your Adult Relationships When we think of childhood, we’re…
6 Boundaries and Grounding Tools to Get Through the Holidays
6 Boundaries and Grounding Tools to Get Through the Holidays The holidays can be a…
How EMDR Therapy Can Help Sex Addicts And Their Partners
How EMDR Therapy Can Help Sex Addicts And Their Partners Sex addiction riddles a relationship with secrecy, shame…
Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction… Learning to Relax
Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction... Learning to Relax When working with people who are dealing with…
Therapy for Lesbian Couples: Challenges That Often Get Ignored
Therapy for Lesbian Couples: Challenges That Often Get Ignored Whether you are in a heterosexual…
Should You Share Your Desires for Kink with Your Partner?
Should You Share Your Desires for Kink with Your Partner? Most people have desire that…
6 Ways that Family Therapy Can Help Enhance Your Recovery from an Addiction
6 Ways that Family Therapy Can Help Enhance Your Recovery from an Addiction Addiction is…
Self-Care During the Holidays
Self-Care During the Holidays The holiday season can come with a lot of stress. Perfectionism…
Finding and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem When Transgender
Finding and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem When Transgender Finding authenticity can be a beautiful thing. It…
Holidays and Knowing Your Place in Recovery and In Your Family
Holidays and Knowing Your Place in Recovery and In Your Family For those who are…
Emotional Mindfulness can Lead to Healing
Emotional Mindfulness can Lead to Healing Our emotions can be bound in a way that…
Staying with the Emotional Process… Where Less is More
Staying with the Emotional Process... Where Less is More When working through any problem, many…
Identities versus Authenticity
Identities versus Authenticity Many of us struggle to show who we are, without judging ourselves,…
7 Lost Lessons of the Harvey Weinstein Controversy
7 Lost Lessons of the Harvey Weinstein Controversy As you probably have read, there are…
Titrating Experiences for Emotional Healing
Titrating Experiences for Emotional Healing In Somatic Experiencing , we use a term called "titration."…
Knowing the Root Cause of Your Addiction
Knowing the Root Cause of Your Addiction When focusing on making changes to addictive patterns…
What Leads to Low Sexual Desire?
What Leads to Low Sexual Desire? Low sexual desire can take a relationship that feels…
Rekindling Your Relationship While in Sex and Porn Addiction Recovery
Rekindling Your Relationship While in Sex and Porn Addiction Recovery Whether you're in recovery for…
Why the 5 Love Languages Fail for Many Couples
Why the 5 Love Languages Fail for Many Couples The 5 Love Languages is a…
Feel Like Your Conversations Go Nowhere? Share How You Feel
Feel Like Your Conversations Go Nowhere? Share How You Feel When people are asked how…