IHCG – Teri Claassen's Blog
Imagine Hope Counselor
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Are you a “Wisher”? Do you dream big dreams and sit around “hoping” they will come true?
What do you do with those wishes and dreams? Do you make adjustments in your life to create a way for them to happen? Or do you hope a genie in a lamp will poof them into your life?
It is foolish to just “hope so” and not make change. You have to DO SO if things are going to be different!
In a Proverbs 31 devotional, Lysa Terkeurst said, “The space between my reality and my expectations will only change if I do.” This is so true…I have to change if my reality is going to change.
Are you willing to make change? Maybe it’s too scary? Maybe you don’t know where to start so you just don’t.
I encourage you to start small and take one step at a time towards your goals and dreams. Having all or nothing thinking will get you in trouble and end in self-sabotage.
If you want things to change…the change has to start with you. Take steps on a journey of change today!
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Depression, Healthy Living | No Comments »
I came across a quote by Renee Swope that hit the nail on the head about emotional hurts:
“Any time we bury a hurt alive, it will keep rising up from the dead to disturb us.”
Isn’t this true? How many times do we think we have gotten over a wound by ignoring it? Nature has a crazy way of healing itself doesn’t it?
Our wounds will haunt us if we do not process the pain, forgive the offender, and learn the lesson/ take away from the wound.
This process is painful and often times scary for most people. But if we ignore the pain of a hurt, it will keep coming back over and over until the pain is healed.
Healing is a difficult process. It means facing issues and often more pain before relief comes. But the freedom of being able to heal and forgive is amazing. Healing and forgiveness does not mean that you are okay with the offense or the offender. It also doesn’t mean that you have to continue putting yourself in harms way to be re-wounded by the same person.
Healing is about you and for you to experience freedom from the wound instead of it being a strong hold in your life.
If you need help getting rid of the “ghosts” of your past, contact one of our therapists. We will guide you down the path of healing and put the wound to rest!
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Tags: Renee Swope
Posted in Abuse, Affairs, Family Issues, Healthy Living | No Comments »
Do you compare yourself to others? Does it help or hurt you?
Most of the time when people are comparing their lives to someone else, they feel worse about their own life.
When talking with clients who compare a lot, we often look at the reality that we only see what others show us. We might not see the moments when he or she comes unglued. Or the times when he or she cries because life gets too hard.
Maybe the person you are idolizing has a horrid past. They might be close to financial ruin. His or her marriage might be disconnected and lacking fulfillment. Maybe he or she has a secret addiction that you can’t see on the surface.
You never know what a person’s life looks like when you get really close. So be careful about comparing your life with someone’s that you don’t even know about under the surface.
Life is hard no matter who you are. Wishing your life was like someone else’s might leave you feeling caught up in negative self talk. Remember that they might seem like they have it all together, but reality is that no one has a life without struggles.
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Healthy Living, Perfectionism | No Comments »
I talk to a lot of people who have a “Prove it” mentality…
Prove that you love me.
Prove that I won’t get hurt.
Prove that you won’t cheat again.
Prove that we will be safe.
Prove to me that this is the right decision.
Prove that the road won’t be hard this time.
Do you ever get actual proof that lessens your anxiety? Or do you just have to take a leap of faith in some life situations? I hear many clients asking for “proof” in life that just doesn’t exist. So they sit and wait to make a move until they have enough proof. Problem is…many times the opportunity passed by and it’s too late.
Are you waiting for proof? Maybe you should look at how you are waiting on proof as an excuse to just sit back and do nothing. There is nothing that’s for sure in life. So if we keep waiting for a sure thing, we will allow life to pass us by.
I encourage you to look for opportunities to take a leap of faith. Even if it ends up negative, you will learn a valuable life lesson to carry with you on life’s journey.
Where do you need to stop looking for proof and start looking to jump?
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Fear, Goals, Healthy Living | No Comments »
EVERY moment can have a lesson for our lives.
We can learn more about ourselves. What we like and don’t like. What we need or don’t need. Who we are. What we believe. What makes us feel loved. What pushes our buttons. What we fear….etc. We can also learn about others and the world we live in.
In each moment in life we can be a sponge to learn and grow. Lessons are all around us.
Kids are our best examples of this. If you are around kids often, how many times a day do you get asked, “What’s that?” or “How come ____?”. They absorb everything….good, bad, and ugly. They are ALWAYS learning.
Just because we reach adulthood does not mean we all of a sudden know it all and get to stop learning. It is quite the opposite. We learn more and deeper. We seek life changing knowledge and answers to hard questions. Adults develop insight and can use it like “x-ray vision” to better understand themselves, experiences, and relationships.
Are you still learning? Do you look around at every moment and embrace it as beneficial in your life? Sometimes these lessons come from happy moments, while others bring us to our knees in pain.
Regardless of the emotional experience that hits us, a lesson lives in the moment. You just have to be open and look for it. I challenge you to look around and keep learning. Applying these lessons can change your life!
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Tags: depth, Insight
Posted in Healthy Living | No Comments »
Food addiction is a common issue these days. It is overtaking our society as obesity is becoming more common in adults and kids. Many don’t see that we have a huge “acceptable” addiction in our society…. FOOD!
The hardest part is that we have to eat food to live. Unlike an alcohol or drug addiction, food is a necessity in life, so you can’t completely cut it out of your life. Therefore, the relapse rate is high.
What makes someone a food addict? You might be a food addict if:
- You notice you are eating when you aren’t hungry
- You turn to food when you are experiencing strong emotions like sad, lonely, boredom, or even celebrating a happy thing. For example: “It’s been a bad day- let’s go get some ice cream” or “Let’s celebrate a good day and go out to eat”.
- You hide evidence of what you have eaten, lie, or keep secrets about your food intake
- You have “eater’s remorse” after eating
- You find yourself planning or obsessing about what you are going to eat next
- You are a “yo-yo” dieter and can never seem to really loose weight or keep it off
There are many other symptoms of food addiction, but if you find yourself relating to any of the above symptoms- you could have a food addiction.
Here at Imagine Hope we help people recover from food addiction all the time. The key thing is you HAVE to work on the underlying psychological issues of the addiction. Figuring out reasons “why” you eat is key. If those go untreated, you will keep the cycle going and food can control your life.
When treating food addiction, I help people start a “new relationship” with food. Changing your relationship with it can have a huge impact on how you think about it. You should eat to live- not live to eat.
Recovery from food addiction is a hard long road, but as you start to love and value yourself and your body, it gets easier. Reach out for help for your food addiction today- it’s time to be free of the power food has over your life!
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Addiction, Healthy Living, Substance Abuse | No Comments »
We recently went on a family vacation which makes it hard to adjust back to the real world. Monday morning hits and it’s back to school and work for all of us.
As I feel the longing to be back on our trip, I realized one of the things I miss the most is the laughter. We laughed a lot! There were so many silly moments where it seemed we all felt “kid like”. We were relaxed, focused on quality time, and found joy in tons of little things.
What about you? When is the last time you laughed? What helps you be able to let loose and embrace the moment to find joy in it? Do you live life too seriously and save the fun for vacations?
One thing I am going to work on in the coming weeks is to bring some of our vacation into our real world. How? By laughing more. Cracking up at the silly, crazy things that find their way into our lives. There are plenty of opportunities.
I challenge you to search for moments of laughter too. Experiencing joy and laughter is great medicine!
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Healthy Living, Stress | No Comments »
My husband and I have a Thanksgiving journal that we write in every Thanksgiving. We list the things each member of our family is thankful for that year. We’ve only done it a couple of years, but it is a fun way to focus on the positives in our lives. I like to think that as our kids get older we can look back and laugh at the years past and reminisce.
It is sad, but many people forget to be thankful. Our society is so critical and negative. Things are almost always never good enough.
This mentality causes us to be discontent and loose sight of all the wonderful blessings we have around us. In order for me to shift this instinct within myself I have an app on my iPhone called “Gratitude Rock” which helps me have Thanksgiving everyday—without the calories of course!! It is a journal of positive thoughts where you can log what you are grateful for. I love it!
As I strive to fight my personal discontent in life, I challenge you to adopt my “AT LEAST” principle. It is where you fill in the blank “At least….” after you complain or experience some discontent. This mentality helps you shift your negative thinking.
Let’s strive to be grateful more than one time a year—it can make life much more positive!
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Tags: Thanksgiving
Posted in Current Events, Healthy Living | No Comments »
Life does not always go your way. Sorry to break it to you, but you can’t control it all.
Many times in life we have to learn to roll with things and be flexible. Life is so much easier when we allow for flexibility. You can lean into life with excitement and anticipation, rather than trying to control and getting derailed when things don’t go as planned.
John Wooden said “An effective leader allows exceptions to the rule for exceptional results or when circumstance demands”. Flexibility is a trait of leaders, not a weakness.
Look at ways you can stretch yourself today and let go of the high expectations you have for things out of your control. Look at life and see where “rolling with the flow” will gain you better life satisfaction. Mastering this will bring much more fulfilling journey!
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Goals, Healthy Living, Perfectionism, Stress | No Comments »
While in college getting my undergraduate degree, I worked as a server at Chi-Chi’s for a year. Chi-Chi’s would put the plates for the entrees in the oven to heat up before putting the food on them. Because of this, we had to serve the food to the tables using hot pads in order to not burn ourselves.
It never failed that when I told a customer to be careful because the plate was hot, that they would immediately try and grab the plate.
As an outsider looking in, we look at those people and think…”Why didn’t they just listen? They wouldn’t have gotten burned if they would have.”
How many times in life do you experience a burn even after someone told you not to walk down that path? Even with a warning, you chose to do it anyways. Was it pride? Curiosity? Disbelief?
Part of the human journey is to experience life’s smooth and rocky moments. We tend to learn powerful lessons in the rocky times, and it can mold us into the people we are today.
Just remember that people ahead of you have life experiences that you can learn from. Ultimately you get to make the choice, but in the end you also have to suffer from and heal your own burns.
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Healthy Living | No Comments »
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