Join us for the New Year Men’s Group, commencing on January 15th, 2025! Over the course of eight sessions, we will explore profound questions within a supportive community. Together, we will address the burdens of harmful narratives, uncover the truths surrounding masculinity, and identify actionable steps towards personal growth. Let this be the year you transform your relationships and redefine your values.

We encourage you to register soon to secure your spot!

Eligibility: Participants must be 21 years or older.

Location:
BCA Therapy
994 Old Eagle School Road, Suite 1000
Wayne, PA 19087
(Office 1 or the Conference Room – to be determined)

For further information or to register, please contact us at hello@bcatherapy.com or call 610-255-7180.

We look forward to welcoming you!

The post New Year Men’s Circle appeared first on BCA Therapy.

By: Veronica Jeffers, MS, NCC

You may not believe it, but anxiety isn’t always bad. It acts as a warning system and sends alerts when there is danger. It helps us identify risks and react to emergencies. Anxiety helps us prepare, navigate uncertainty, anticipate obstacles, and identify possible solutions.

This all sounds great – but then why does it also make us feel so bad?

Anxiety is part of a fight-or-flight response, preparing our bodies to react to danger. If you were being chased by a tiger, your anxious fight-or-flight response would kick in to keep you safe. The problem lies when our brain perceives danger that is not life threatening, such as a job interview, the first day of school, or being in a new environment.

The good news is you can learn to respond to anxiety in a way that is more supportive and productive, while decreasing your anxious thoughts and feelings, and developing strategies to cope.

Here are 3 specific tools to help you work through anxiety when it’s not working for you:

Anxiety challenging skills

When you’re not being chased by a tiger

Engaging in balanced thinking, considering multiple outcomes, and staying connected to your body using progressive muscle relaxation are just some of the tools you can use to work through anxiety when it’s not working for you.

Engage in balanced thinking

Anxiety often propels us into all-or-nothing thinking. This extreme position leaves us feeling hopeless and stuck, unable to create change. We’ve all been there.

“There is no solution to this problem.”

“If I don’t get this right, I’m a failure.”

“They didn’t agree with me. They are against me.”

Next time these thoughts pop up, take back control by reframing them in a more balanced way:

“There are multiple answers to this situation. If I choose to try something new it does not mean it is wrong.”

“I can make mistakes and still succeed.”

“Just because I disagree with someone and we have differences, doesn’t mean they do not like me as a person.”

Consider multiple outcomes

Another way to get unstuck is to think:

“What’s the best case, worst case, and most realistic case scenario?”

With school approaching, lets talk about the possibilities for the first day.

BEST case: Today is going to be the best day ever. I’ll see all my friends, we will have all the same classes, and my teachers will be super cool, creative, and funny.

WORST case: Today is going to be the worst day of my life. No one will talk to me, my teachers will assign tons of homework the first day, and I’ll get lost in this new building.

REALISTIC case: I have teachers who care about my learning, although they may have different teaching styles. I might know someone in my class or I’ll meet new people and make new friends. I might not know where to go, but I can ask for help from a teacher or student and make it to class without getting lost.

Considering all 3 options slows down our thinking, gets all parts of our brain working together, and helps us gain control over anxiety and not stay stuck.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Using our bodies is an effective way to reduce anxious feelings and get unstuck.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a structured exercise where you tense then release certain areas of the body, one at a time, starting from the top of your head and moving down. Being mindful of the release and noticing the changes in your body increases your closeness to calmness and relaxation.

PMR increases your mind-body connection, slows down the strong emotional and reactive parts of the brain, and slows down breathing. All of these outcomes are effective and proven in gaining control over anxiety.

In addition to these three skills, Veronica works with clients to utilize logic to identify unhelpful thoughts and work to disprove them and practice in-the-moment strategies to cope with anxiety that you can use outside of sessions.

Veronica is available now to support you and help you take control over your anxiety when it’s not working for you.

Connect with Veronica

We LOVE our clients!

Immediate help is always available

All new clients receive a return call or email (double check your spam folder) in less than 24 hours.

BCA Therapy does not maintain a waitlist and we never will.  There shouldn’t be any roadblocks when you are asking for help.

We can’t wait to meet you!

BCA Therapy:

Mental Health Champion

BCA Therapy has been awarded a LOVE Award as a Mental Health Champion for both our Bucks County and Main Line locations. We are so grateful and couldn’t be more proud of our clients and how they show up for themselves every week!

The post Overcome Anxiety with These Specific Skills appeared first on BCA Therapy.

The impact on you. The impact on your relationship. 

By: Charlotte Nadler, MA, LMFT, CCSP-ADHD

It’s one of those days where you feel like you can’t even be honest with anyone about the level of intensity of your children and their needs. Maybe you have all the tools in the world and you know what to do, or maybe you don’t, but the feeling is the same—it’s beyond hard, you’re tired, and you are plain burnout. The summer can be confusing because it seems like the perfect time to step back, relax, and enjoy the slower pace that we crave. But sometimes it highlights the basic things that just don’t come natural to your family or kids. Raising neurodivergent children can be hard. It can feel overwhelming. There can be countless parenting conversations that leave you feeling like you’re in a hamster wheel with your partner about how to tackle your situation, and then after all the back and forth, it ends in an avalanche of conflict with no solution. It can take it’s toll on your relationship leaving you to feel alone and unsupported or maybe on the other hand, you feel like you can never do anything right as a parent and your partner is constantly on your back. And not to mention, how can you even take care of your own needs when you are feeling tapped out from the intensity of this type of parenting? 

There are many times you feel you’re at an impasse and for a whole host of complicated reasons that might not make it easy to apply the wealth of information you have been scouring all night online. You just want a real plan to make real progress based on your unique situation that takes into account the nuances of your situation—how your own wellness is impacted, how your child is developing, how your relationships are impacted, and how you find adequate support through schools and other outside activities. You want hope that things are going to move forward and you’re not always going to feel stuck. You might not even believe that’s a possibility anymore. Will anyone ever be able to understand all the moving pieces and put it together? Deep down you know there is a unique and beautiful child under all the challenging behaviors and you desperately want to see that shine through. You want to be able to weather the storms with your partner. You want to feel rock solid in how you connect, be able to support each other’s needs, and have fun again. The smallest little cracks seems to grow deeper and deeper, which disrupts your entire life. 

There is a different way! We can build a deeper understanding of our kids and the way they are naturally wired, our own unique neurobiology as a parent and what messages we received growing up, and ultimately what we want in our partner relationship and how to actually get on the same page. There are many levels of care that are not always integrated and working together. 

Neurodivergent parenting: 4 quick tips to help get you back on track and begin the movement forward to finding deeper and sustainable answers.

• Set your kids up for success. As author Dr. Ross Greene says, “Kids do well when they can.” Lagging skills may be at the core of issues that keep coming up. We might assume that based on our child’s chronological age that they should be able to do something, when in fact, certain skills are not developed and it’s taking longer to acquire these skills naturally. Something that seems simple to us, such as flexibility, adaptability, frustration tolerance, communication, or problem solving can be extremely difficult. As a parent, try to think proactively about what skills need to be explicitly taught and developed before turning to useless punishments. That’s not to say consequences and ways to clean-up behaviors should be dismissed, but there is a need for skill development to be done ahead of time instead of being reactionary. It’s also important to notice that some environments produce more difficult behavior. Find activities that you know work for you. For example, maybe hiking in the woods has a slower pace, room for exploration, and in turn limits sibling fighting, as opposed to a family bowling outing. Pay attention to what works for your family and do more of those activities to build upon little successes.
• Think about basic needs and sensory dysregulation. One internal sensory system called interoception (one of your senses that helps you feel what’s going on inside you and can be under-responsive for some neurodivergent children) can make it harder for some kids to stop when they are tired and take a break, feel temperature changes when it gets too hot/cold, grab a drink, or a snack. In general, the ability for some children to understand when they need down time, or connection time, or how they can get their energy out, doesn’t always come easy. Slowing down the pace when you need to transition from activity to activity, investigating how/when to integrate a “sensory diet” to better balance regulating or stimulating activities can be helpful. You can also remember the acronym H.A.L.T. (hungry, angry, lonely, tired) to problem solve when your child is having difficulty articulating their needs. Hopefully there will be less of a chance for a meltdown when you take some of these factors into consideration for your sensitive child. 
• Develop affective calmness and use less words. Dr. Russell Barkley (neuropsychologist and ADHD guru) succinctly explains, “Act, don’t yak.” Using less words and remaining grounded, calm, and assertive will go a long way versus speaking from a place of your own emotional dysregulation, which typically increases the volatility of the moment. Barkley goes on to say, “The more you blather, the more you natter, the more you nag, the less influence you have. So stop thinking that one more sentence will be enough to tip the scales in favor of obedience.” 
• Make communication a priority with your partner when you are both calm. Talking about how both you and your partner are experiencing the demands of parenting is beneficial. Many times communication comes in the heat of the moment, which is not productive. Each of you might have different bandwidths of what you can withstand emotionally or physically. Understand each of your strengths and then capitalize on those strengths, versus focusing on your deficits and then falling into the trap of placing blame on one person. Also, enlisting your natural supports, those people who are trusted and have your best interests in mind, can give you needed respite when you feel you’re in a difficult cycle with your child.

For more information and immediate support, connect with Charlotte now.

The post Big Feelings and Big Hearts: Parenting High Needs Children. appeared first on BCA Therapy.

Both our Wayne and Yardley location have been selected to be honored among the 2024 Best for Families! We have been selected for the “Main Line Parent 2024 LOVE Award Winner – Mental Health Champion” and “Bucks County Parent 2024 LOVE Award Winner – Mental Health Champion”!

We love and care for our clients deeply. This only reinforces that we are providing quality care every single time and it’s making a difference!

The post We Have Been Honored Among the 2024 Best for Families! appeared first on BCA Therapy.

After being honored as a Main Line Parent and Bucks County Parent Woman of Influence in 2023, Ivory Tree Portraits’ Founder and Owner, Lara Mattey, has invited several fellow Women of Influence into the photo studio for a chat and a Headshot Session. It’s been a wonderful way to get to know a diverse and driven group of local women doing amazing things in our local community!

Meet Brynn Cicippio, Founder and Owner of BCA Therapy, a private therapy practice comprised of a group of compassionate, ethical, and experienced therapists offering individual, couples, and family therapy. With two practices, one in Yardley and the other in Wayne, Brynn’s supportive work has helped many and has earned her a Main Line Parent and a Bucks County Parent Women of Influence Award in 2023.

The post Bucks County Parent Woman of Influence in 2023 Chat! appeared first on BCA Therapy.

• Want to be a better leader, father, partner or friend.
• Have lost track of your goals or purpose.
• Are curious about what it means to be a man in today’s world.
• Struggle to express your joy, passion, and pain with those you love.
• Eager to connect with like-minded men.

Our wonderful therapist Steven has created a safe and supportive place for men to really connect and take a deep exploration at what they want for themselves and how to make it happen. For $25 you can register for the new 5-week therapy group for men!

Group details–

• Date and Time:
  • April 2nd – April 30th
  • Tuesdays, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
• Location:
  • Wayne, PA
• Men, 21 years+
• Sign up at hello@bcatherapy.com

The post New Therapy Group for Men! appeared first on BCA Therapy.

We have no control over others behavior, even those we love and care for. We can’t make people be nicer to us, kinder to us, care for us, or love us in the way we envision. What we can do is take care of ourselves, be clear with our needs, and then choose what relationships are healthy for us to maintain and what ones we need to let go.

The post Can We Control How Others Show Up in Our Relationship? appeared first on BCA Therapy.

The effects alcohol has on your overall fitness include weight gain, fatigue, dehydration, negative effects on your sleep, negative effects on your muscle growth, and it slows down your metabolism.

Advice: Don’t drink if you want to increase your overall fitness!

The post What Effects Do Alcohol Have on Our Fitness Goals? appeared first on BCA Therapy.

While BCA Therapy has always been a safe and affirming group, we are excited to have Samantha’s experience and specialization to further enhance our inclusivity and support of all those seeking therapy.

To visit Samantha Palmisano’s profile on our website click here.

To request an appointment, click here.

The post LGBTQIA+ Support appeared first on BCA Therapy.

Somatic Therapy is a holistic form of therapy that is grounded in the relationship between mind and body. It can help patients who suffer from a range of ailments which include trauma and PTSD, stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, and sexual frustration.

Somatic therapy combines mindfulness, talk therapy, and what can be considered alternatives of physical therapy. Therapists will help you focus on your body and revive memories or traumatic experiences and pay attention to any physical responses you have once the emotion is experienced or the memory is recovered.

Sara Witkowski, MA, RYT brings in a unique focus to BCA Therapy with that of Somatic Therapy. By bridging the mind and body together. Sara invites connection and transformation for all clients, leading to sustainable healing and change. Sara supports children, teens, and adults.

Sources:

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/somatic-therapy?amp

• https://thesomatictherapycenter.com/what-is-somatic-therapy/

The post What is Somatic Therapy? appeared first on BCA Therapy.

It is important to have something you can look at that will help you know that you are not alone, and you can recover from your addiction. This can be done by knowing the 7 C’s of Addiction.

The 7 C’s of Addiction can help you or others suffering from addiction:

• I didn’t CAUSE it.
• I can’t CONTROL it.
• I can’t CURE it.
• But I can help take CARE of myself.
• By COMMUNICATING my feelings.
• Making healthy CHOICES.
• And CELEBRATING me.

Let us know if the 7 C’s worked for you! Let’s DO THE WORK and celebrate the recovery!

The post Remember the 7 C’s of Addiction appeared first on BCA Therapy.

No thanks. Nah, I’m good. I’m driving. I’m on antibiotics. I have to be up early. I’m leaving soon.  My mom will know.  My husband asked me not to. I don’t feel good. I’m training for a sport. I get drug tested for work. I don’t drink what’s here. I’m still hungover from yesterday.  I’m trying to lose weight. I’m not interested. Alcohol isn’t my thing. I don’t want to.

Saying “No” or quitting alcohol can be harder for others, but there’s is always support if you need help.

If you are having trouble quitting alcohol or need extra help, visit a therapist at BCA Therapy. We are here to help guide you through the process of sobriety.

The post Say NO to Alcohol! appeared first on BCA Therapy.

When we learn how to take care of ourselves first, it will make it easier for us to judge whether we are happy with ourselves. This will also help you see whether those around us are treating us the way we deserve. If you feel you are being treated unfairly when we put ourselves first, you can refrain from speaking or remove yourself from the situation entirely.

Going to counseling can help us build confidence and stay focused on what we can control. Go to therapy can help you take control and help us deal with situations like these we cannot control.

The post We Cannot Control Others Who Show Up in Our Relationship appeared first on BCA Therapy.

• anxiety
• changes in weight
• memory loss and problems concentrating
• difficulty focusing
• family and relationship issues
• insomnia
• difficulty completing tasks.

With all the long-term effects of alcohol, why would you want to drink alcohol.

Most of our social lives revolve around alcohol, which is not healthy but can lead to the risk of addiction.

Choosing to be sober may seem like a hard task, but all you need is to find hobbies and activities that can replace drinking alcohol. Here are things to do without drinking alcohol:

• Movie-night
• Having a cook-out and playing board or yard games
• Playing sports
• Going for a run
• Drinking new nonalcoholic drinks
• Read a book.
• Working Out
• Hanging out with friends.
• Listening to music

When you stop drinking and become sober you will start to see a lot of improvements which include:

• Having more energy.
• Your liver will start to repair itself.
• You will feel happier.
• Your skin may improve.
• You may think more clearly.
• You may have better relationships.
• You may feel more productive.
• Your risk for developing diseases will decrease.

Quitting drinking will be the best think you can do. Do you want to live your best life and become sober? Maybe this will be the reason why.

Sources:

Effects of Alcohol on the Body (healthline.com)

What Happens When You Stop Drinking Alcohol? (verywellmind.com)

The post Alcohol Equals Permanent Consequences appeared first on BCA Therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in the treatment of low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. It helps you recognize the cause and get rid of the negative thoughts and doubts, and anxiety in order to diminish hurtful feeling and enable you to take action.

Ingredients of effective cognitive behavioral therapy for low self-esteem include:

• Replacing self-criticism with self-compassion.
• Developing healthier (more flexible) rules and beliefs.
• It helps recognize the cause of negative beliefs, thoughts, and emotions to modify them into positive beliefs.
• Facing your fears and confronting anxiety provoking situations.

Sources:

Dr Matthew Whalley, Dr Hardeep Kaur. “Low Self-Esteem.” Psychology Tools, 18 May 2022, https://www.psychologytools.com/self-help/low-self-esteem/.

Lancer, Darlene. “Self Esteem Therapy: Counseling for Low Self Esteem.” TherapyTribe, https://www.therapytribe.com/therapy/self-esteem-therapy/.

The post Want to feel confident about yourself? appeared first on BCA Therapy.

• Self-Worth is the level of importance you place on yourself. It is emotional outlook that determines how and what you feel about yourself in comparison to other people.
• Self-Awareness is being aware of your thoughts, how they affect your emotions, and how emotions cause you to act. Having self-awareness helps you understand yourself and is a big part of your personal development and is a key part to achieving success.
• Self-Esteem is a positive or negative orientation towards oneself. To boost your self-esteem, do things you enjoy, spend time with people who make you happy, and take care of yourself.
• Self-Care is the practice of taking action in protecting your own well-being and happiness, especially during times of stress. There are many ways can practice self-care, but it typically looks different for each individual. Start a healthy self-care routine that works for you!

The post Have Self-Love in your Life appeared first on BCA Therapy.

1. No one cares that you aren’t drinking. Sure, they may ask and be curious because they see a change in your routine, but you not drinking has no bearing on them. And if it does, might be time to reconsider the time you invest in that relationship.

2. Mocktails are delicious! Thank God its 2023 and there are many delicious and not super sugary options in the world, along with some great local establishments that have booze free options. Check out Mingle Mocktails (https://www.minglemocktails.com) and Spiritless (https://spiritless.com) for drinks at home and The Volstead (https://volsteadzeroproof.com) is a great hang out in Philly

3. Create a menu of coping skills: Alcohol is the go-to stress reducer for many. It’s also a social lubricant.  Being alcohol free means you have to change your automatic responses to certain stimuli. What’s going to be your new way to unwind after a hard day? How are you going to celebrate a siblings milestone birthday? Get out your menu:

1. Hot bath or shower
2. Mocktails
3. Guided Meditation
4. Get Outside/ Be active
5. Praying/ Spiritual connection
6. Get creative/ Find a hobby

4. Move your body! Moving your body is one of the best responses to stress and coping skill available to you at any time. I specifically use the phrase move your body as opposed to exercise because going to the gym feels like a chore. Moving your body can mean yoga in your living room, snow tubing with friends, dancing in your kitchen, or shooting hoops at the park. Moving your body releases endorphins, makes you feel good, and makes intoxicating drinks less attractive.

5. Remember your WHY: Slap a post it on the bathroom mirror or set reminders on your phone.  Keep your eye on the prize… reasons might include:

1. Sleep better
2. Less anxiety
3. Support heart health
4. Increase focus
5. Clarity with decision making
6. Increase patience
7. Engage in mindfulness (see benefits here: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-corner)
8. Be a trailblazer among your peers

If your use of alcohol feels out of your control, these tips may not be effective for you. Be sure to consult with a therapist or physician.

The post Guide to be Alcohol Free appeared first on BCA Therapy.

Here are some ways to practice self-care in a relationship:

• Setting boundaries. Doing this is very crucial in a healthy relationship because it keeps a balance between you and your partner. This also helps reduce conflict, because it sets an example of what you and your partner expect from each other. This will help bring you and your partner closer together because setting boundaries creates open communication.
• Hanging out with a group of your own friends. It is important to have a social life outside of your relationship.
• Maintaining independence is important in a relationship. Don’t rely on or allow your partner to control your judgement or tell you what to do.
• Let your partner know what you like and don’t like. It’s also difficult and may lead to some conflict. But it is important to say how you feel and eliminate anything that is not making you feel good and don’t like. If something is not making you happy you don’t have to do it and that brings the importance of the word “NO” and setting boundaries.
• Having a hobby. This can create a safe space that makes you happy or time set away from your partner that you like. You don’t always have to be doing everything with your partner. Just get a hobby of your own. For example, doing a craft, gardening, collecting coins, going on a hike by yourself. These are examples of self-care.

When you and your partner practice self-care in a relationship you both will be happier in your relationship. It is not selfish in a relationship, and you and your partner will be happier in your relationship

The post Importance of Self-Care in a Relationship appeared first on BCA Therapy.

According to NAMI, “You are not alone”, as a 2021 survey showed that three in five Americans feel the holidays negatively impacted their mental health [1].

So, what are ways that we can care for our self during the holiday seasons?

Here are some tips to prevent holiday stress and depression:

1. Take care of yourself. This can be done through self-care and forming healthy habits. For example, going on a walk, doing yoga, going to the gym, watching a movie, reading a book or something that can help you feel less worried and take your mind off a stressful environment and help you boost your mental health and deal with stressful activities.
2. Ask for help. Talk with a therapist or make plans with a trusted individual, best friend that you can trust, or a trusted family member.  Asking for help is not a weakness, it shows that you are strong and have the courage to do so you matter. If you are sad, anxious, depressed, stresses please don’t be afraid to ask for help. BCA Therapy has therapists in Wayne and Yardley that can help you today!
3. Focus on what you can control. Don’t worry about things that are out of your control. If something is bothering, you that is out of your control quit worrying about it and thinking about it, there is nothing you can do about it. This will help you relieve a lot of stress and help you focus on what is in your control.
4. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Just because everyone around you is drinking doesn’t mean you have too as well. If someone offers you a drink and you don’t want to drink say “NO”. It is important to set boundaries for the holiday season no matter who is around. By avoiding drugs and alcohol you avoid an increase in depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
5. Identify holiday triggers. Triggers could be people, places, and things that remind you of past trauma or upsetting events. Examples of holiday triggers could be traumatic memories, a narcissist family member, a loss of a loved one, stressful family relationships, or emotional breakups. To avoid holiday triggers put a plan in place ahead of the holidays to avoid these emotional holiday triggers. These plans can put a plan in place to avoid those triggers and help you reduce holiday related stress.

Source:

[1] Mental Health During the Holidays: 8 Tips That Can Help | NU

The post Mental Health during the Holiday Season appeared first on BCA Therapy.

When you store up your frustrations and keep them to yourself. This can cause you to feel stressed and anxious. It can also cause negative impacts on your overall health and well-being. Not addressing conflict in a productive manner has impacts on our relationships. We are not being honest with ourselves and the other people in our lives.

Disagreement happens in all relationships, but what matters is how conflict is dealt with. The way you deal with conflict can determine whether a relationship is healthy or unhealthy.

Here are some things to keep in mind when handling your next argument way:

1. Really listen to your partner can help prevent misunderstanding and shows them you are really paying attention and caring about what they are saying. Don’t interrupt your partner, don’t speak over them, don’t act like you know what they are saying.
2. Develop your assertive side by setting boundaries, speaking directly and calmly, keeping message clear and understandable, and believing in your ability to handle the situation.
3. Being calm and respectful during an argument. Be respectful, insult your partner, and don’t cross boundaries. If your partner consistently yells at you, gets heated, gets aggressive, or starts cursing then you most likely are in an unhealthy or abusive relationship.
4. Welcome open conversations where you and your partner sit down and communicate openly about what is bothering them and going well in the relationships. If you and your partner can do this without retaliation and becoming defensive, then you are in a healthy relationship.

Sources

• 7 Tips for Handling Conflict in Your Relationship (joinonelove.org)
• 3 Ways to Deal with Conflict in Relationships | Lyra Health

The post Does No Conflict Equal a Healthy Relationship? appeared first on BCA Therapy.