28 C's, Family and boogers

This will be the last post with the 28 C's label.
There will be more posts, of course, but under the logo of TherapyFarm.
And as with all of the other posts, I want this one to be just as special as all of the others because they are for YOU.
So, how do you describe the importance of family without using the typical mind-numbing cliches and over-used terms such as 'home is where the heart is', 'you only have one family', or 'blood is thicker than water', etc.? Well, you could use profundity which I will now do. (Authentic profundity needs no explanation, that's why you're receiving one now :)
Family lets you know when you have boogers. There, how profound is that? Family members will let you know when you have boogers hanging out of your nose. Sometimes, if your family has a sense of humor, they might wait awhile to tell you there's something hanging out of your nose. If your family is diplomatic, they may wipe their own noses a few times to give you a hint.
What does this all mean? It means that family is very, very, very important because none of us want to be seen with boogers hanging even though we all have them from time to time. We need someone to trust. We can usually find that trust within our family. We may sometimes wish that they would be humorous when they are tactful and vice versa, but you only have one family and home really is where the heart (and booger) is, and even though boogers are probably thicker than blood I think you know what I'm getting at here.
I hope you will continue to visit TherapyFarm in the future. Everyone in our family has a talent that they may be willing to share with you after we get our boogers all in a row. There will be services and products sure to please everyone. God bless all of you abundantly and your entire family!

Karbowski Counseling & Consulting

Providing life improvement services at prices affordable to anyone.
Anyone can benefit from counseling. Professional human services are available to alleviate emotional pain with compassion and understanding of complex human behavior. You can:

• Overcome anxiety
• Manage depression symptoms
• Understand and conquer addictions
• Resolve relationship issues

Consulting services range from directive executive coaching to supportive collaborations. Karbowski Counseling & Consulting can assist you and your organization to:

• Cut spending
• Boost effective communication
• Establish smart goals
• Manage time effectively

Karbowski Counseling & Consulting
Call 989.892.8130
Email karbowski.counsel@att.net

Internet communications cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. Therefore, KCC does not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions that are present in this message, or any attachment, that have arisen as a result of Internet transmission. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of licensed professional counselors. If verification is required, please request a hard-copy version.

Thank you

Thank you for visiting the Therapy Farm. The answer to anything can be found here so, please, visit weekly, monthly, or never again. I'll be offering experiences from my private practice, sharing entertainment, and promoting accountability in Bay County, Michigan. Please share your questions and concerns. Keep them brief and respectful.

28 C's, Mmmmmmmighty Might

May is a marvelous month. We have occasion to celebrate the might of mothers and those in the military:

May 9th Mother's Day
15th United States Armed Forces Day
31st Memorial Day

May is also National Military Appreciation Month. Visit www.nmam.org/ for additional ways to honor and show appreciation for our mighty military. Let us respect and honor all military personnel and mothers for what they endure every day.

What else can you do?
Not all of these honorees will be celebrating. They all experience stress to varying degrees and often are reluctant to share their thoughts and feelings. Soldiers are expected to protect us --- who is protecting the soldiers? Mothers are expected to comfort their children --- who is comforting the mothers?

Stress is different for each person. It can be defined as the rate of wear and tear on your body. Even positive events can be tiring. Have you ever felt 'worn out' after a wedding celebration or vacation? These are examples of positive stress. One day in the life of a mother at home with children can be a very long day. Serving our country needs no explanation of the negative stress found there.

What else can you do?
Ask someone how they are doing. After they say, "fine", ask them again. They MIGHT just tell you . . .

See Philippians 4:6; it begins, "Have no anxiety at all . . .

Karbowski Counseling & Consulting . . .
providing life improvement services at prices affordable to all . . .
to assist in identifying and managing various stress disorders such as panic attacks, phobias, generalized anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Call 989.892.8130 for more information, or reply to this post.
Karen Karbowski, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Certified Advanced Addictions Counselor (CAAC)

28 C's, Up, down or in between?

These days, many of us are diagnosed with anxiety and depression.
Simply defined, anxiety is a fear of something; depression is a loss of hope.
When anxious you may feel jittery and distressed; your bodily functions are up on high alert. When depressed you may feel tired and sad; your body functioning is down. Both anxiety and depression are signs from your body that it's time for a change.

How do we achieve, and maintain, that in between state of functioning? An effective way is to seek balance in your day to day activities. Being involved in your own treatment is healthy and healing in itself. The human body is amazing in its ability to heal itself. Consider the following even if you are already in professional treatment.

__ Work almost everyday
__ Play everyday
__ Eat something nutritious everyday
__ Get enough sleep everyday
__ Connect with another human being everyday
__ Study the Ten Commandments. They provide hope to conquer depression and comfort to battle anxiety.
__ Go to church once a week. Studies indicate only positive results from attending church.

Karbowski Counseling & Consulting . . .
Care and concern for our community . . .
assisting individuals, groups, and organizations to find balance in this up and down world.

Call 989.892.8130 for more information, or reply to this post.
Karen Karbowski, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Certified Advanced Addictions Counselor (CAAC)

Only three more weeks until the world turns green OR when does too much fun become vomit?

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th. Thousands gather along Center Ave. in Bay City for the popular parade. You can participate as a spectator, a walker or runner in the road race, a float designer or operator, or provide musical entertainment. St. Patrick's Day allows us to un-hibernate and welcome spring, dig out our Kelly green clothing and accessories which are only fashionable three weeks from now, honor the hero Saint Patrick, and, OK, let's be honest, drink lots and lots of green beer!

Bay City has long been known for its bars. A couple of years ago, a beer tent near the parade route attracted more than 10,000 visitors. The parade, local small businesses, and the beer tent contribute to our economy in a positive way. We are doing our part to dig out of this recession.

Go to the parade. Go and have fun. Please understand that some people don't have that connection in their head that says, "Stop drinking now, you've had enough". Most of us drink alcohol responsibly, many of us abuse alcohol, and some of us become addicted to alcohol. Addiction is a process - it takes time. No one ever intends to become an addict. Think about it - do people really like to puke, do people really enjoy the three-step without music?

Contact

Karbowski Counseling & Consulting . . .
care and concern for our community . . .

to assist individuals, families, and organizations to understand the addiction process and make successful changes.
Call 989.892.8130 for more information.
Karen Karbowski, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Certified Advanced Addictions Counselor )CAAC)

28th Amendment of the United States Constitution

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:
Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States

28 C's

We do it every single year, usually with high hopes, then what happens to those New Years resolutions?

Change can be difficult or an exciting challenge. Usually, we hear about how hard it is, that people are resistant to change.

But consider babies. They go through changes rapidly and repeatedly. Have you ever seen a toddler learn to walk? They stand up, fall down. Stand up, fall down. Stand up, take a step, fall down. They keep falling down a whole bunch of times. And they keep standing up again a whole bunch of times and eventually learn to walk. You could call it practice.

Consider the older generation. How often do you hear that so and so is 'set in their ways'? Babies change quickly, older folks change slowly, if at all. What happens in between our toddler and golden years? And how are your New Years resolutions coming along?

God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me (offered from a treatment group member).

P.S. 28 C's were going to be retired at the end of 2009 but due to popular demand this is a change that I am not going to make. Thank you for your support.