#1. Live longer.
#2. More ease.
#3. Greater personal satisfaction.

3 ways men benefit from therapy

LIVE LONGER.

No, really, I mean it. The stigmas that keep many men from seeking help
are driving them into the grave at at faster rate. There is enough evidence from the last
ten years of studies to suggest that some of the reasons men’s lifespans are shorter are

• due to a lack of connected relationships
• less attention to stress management
• not enough time spent on mental health.

We need more people around us as we get older,
and men with a greater number of connected relationships have more people looking
out for their well being, sharing in their ups and downs, and giving them a greater
sense of community. Men who attend to their inner turmoil, ( anger, anxiety, sadness,
etc. ) are more likely to have better health benefits

• lower blood pressure
• less risk of cardiovascular disease.

We live longer with a nervous system that is
cared for as opposed to ignored. Though therapy can occasionally be tough, it is
always a great way to learn to care for yourself.

MORE EASE.

Most of us do not grow up with a ready made bag of tactics for stress
management and/or tools for great communication, nor do most of us develop sure fire
ways to manage our expectations for our lives, but the way most men are raised in our
western culture leaves them at a greater disadvantage. Being in any relationship has
it’s challenges, be it with a spouse, a sibling, a parent, co-worker, or a child.

Men who actively learn better ways to communicate and manage stress find their relationships
more enjoyable and fruitful. Not to mention what it can do for the daily tasks of living.

Responsibilities and pressures mount, but they do not have to rule the day. Life should
feel less like punching at the ocean, and a little more like adapting to the ebb and flow
of the changes.

Therapy is great for learning how to do this, and more.

GREATER PERSONAL SATISFACTION.

Socrate’s gave us a great quote in “The unexamined
life is not worth living.”

Our world moves much faster and louder than his, still taking
the time and effort to reflect on your life is always worth it. Many men are trying to
engage with their lives within a set of values and beliefs they have had no time to stop
and examine.

All men have been affected by the idea of an “ideal” man. Mythologies
and legacies of “manhood” pervade every culture and family. Without examination,
without occasional reflection and reorganization of our perspectives, men can easily
loose sight of what might bring them more enjoyment, fulfillment, and meaning.

Often when this happens men can be left with a sense of shame, of not “measuring up”.
Simply sitting with someone who’s task it is to help you sort through it all, can be of
great benefit.

If you are looking for support and would like to experience some of these benefits, we are here to help.

The post 3 Ways Men Benefit from Therapy 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.

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.

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.

• 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.

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.

Here are some small things you can do to recognize your small steppingstones in recovery, because THEY DO MATTER:

1. Write down your small accomplishments: This will help you see your progress and recognize as you excel in your recovery process. Keep a journal or a list of accomplishments you are proud of. Every win, every step matters no matter how big or how small.
2. Celebrate your recovery with self-care: This should be a priority no matter how you intend to reward yourself. You pick how to reward yourself for accomplishments you make in recovery!
3. Practice mindfulness: Don’t worry about the past or the future, work on living in the moment. This will help you focus on what you are doing now and bettering yourself now. Focus on one step at a time! When you think about thoughts from the past and future, this will promote anxiety and it will contribute to relapse because only you think about bad things.
4. Tell a friend: Telling a friend about your small accomplishments in recovery is a way to celebrate success, no matter how small it is to the closest friend who always celebrates my wins with me.

Doing all these small things to recognize your small accomplishments can help brighten your day and push you further in recovery.

So, in conclusion, it might not feel like it right now, but it’s all going to work out. You just have to believe and DO THE WORK! Then you will see results.

The post Every Step Matters in Recovery appeared first on BCA Therapy.

The post Great Medical Practice: Making the Most of Therapy appeared first on BCA Therapy.

Here are ways to handle a narcissist:

1. Set Boundaries. Make sure to let the narcissist know what you are comfortable with and what you are not comfortable with. Just because they don’t care about their boundaries, doesn’t mean you don’t care about your own boundaries. SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES!
2. Don’t Engage Emotionally. It is easier to protect yourself from a narcissistic rage if you are out of their reach. You just block a narcissist on social media and change your phone number. But unfortunately, it’s not always possible for everyone, such as ex-spouses who are stuck in co-parenting. If you are in a similar situation hold your inner composure. Stay calm and don’t take it personally. Image you are separated by a mental wall from a narcissist and only use dry facts when talking to them. [1]
3. Ignore them. Ignore their rudeness, it gives them no satisfaction, and then they won’t be rude to you and move onto someone else.
4. Protect yourself. It is your right to protect yourself and your happiness. Don’t feel wrong because you blocked a narcissist out of your life. They hurt you and did not care how you feel in the first place. Remind yourself that!
5. Don’t fight them, it will make the situation worse. Don’t fight a narcissist, as there is no win when fighting a narcissist. They enjoy fighting, and their goal is to control you. They won’t let you have an opinion, and they are always right. Fighting a narcissist is a win for them, and a loss for you.
6. Remind yourself that you deserve to be treated with respect. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and kindness. Be an example for your kids, friends and family. [2]

How can therapy help you with narcissistic abuse recovery?

• Therapy can help you address acute symptoms (self-care, boundaries, and cognitive dissonance).
• It can help you with a divorce from a spouse, who was/is a narcissist.
• Therapy can help provide you with tool and homework for your recovery.
• It can also help identify narcissistic behaviors that are causing problems in your life.
• It will help you exercise your mind.
• It also can offer guidance to help you heal.

If you are looking for therapist that treats narcissistic abuse recovery, gaslighting, trauma, and PTSD. BCA Therapy has therapist that specialize and treat this. Visit BCA Therapy, to learn more about our therapist and schedule an appointment today. Let’s DO THE WORK and recover. We are here with you every step of the way during your recovery.

Sources:

[1] How To Protect Yourself From A Narcissist | Arcadian Counseling

[2] 8 Tips to Protect Yourself From a Narcissist | Psychology Today

The post Protect Yourself from a Narcissist! appeared first on BCA Therapy.

Taking care of your physical, spiritual, psychological and social needs will help you feel your best so you can be the best parent you can be. It’s important to set aside a little bit of time for self-care even when you feel like you don’t have a single second to devote to yourself. While there are many different self-care strategies for parents. It’s important to experiment with them to figure out which strategies work best for you.

 1. Spend Time in Nature

Nature and forest therapy is a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forest and other natural environments. You can participate on a guided nature and forest therapy walk.

2. Set Time Out of the Day to Be Alone

It’s important to give yourself a few minutes of alone time. Even if it’s 10 minutes each day that you set aside to relax by yourself, a little solitude can help you unwind. That can mean waiting for your child to take a nap or waiting until a friend or family member is watching your child, give yourself permission to charge your batteries with a little alone time.

3. Schedule Time with Friends or Family

If you schedule a future social activity for yourself, it gives you something to look forward to. Which is a good for your mental health and is a good self-care strategy in itself. Then, actually engage in social activity will give another boost to your psychological well-being.

4. Get Out of the House

That doesn’t mean going out to food shop or commuting to work. We need more than just our office space and our kitchens. Going out for a walk, walking your dug, riding a bike can reduce the feeling of confinement and clear your head. Consider having a parent night out once or every other week.

5. Treat Yourself

From time to time, it’s okay to treat yourself. Our kids get treats but shouldn’t parents sometimes as well. We can treat ourselves by buying a new pair of sneakers, going to a sporting event, going to the movies, or going out to get desert for yourself. Parent need treats too!

There are many ways to practice self-care for parents, we hope these ideas can help you think about how you can bring self-care into your daily life as a parent.

The post Self-Care For Parents Is Crucial! appeared first on BCA Therapy.

1. Improve your decision-making skills. Having good decisions making skills can help you avoid procrastinating when you have a difficult problem to deal with.
2. Head off fear that might lead to procrastination. Fears about falling can cause some people to procrastinate. By working on this fear, you may be able to reduce the urge to procrastinate.
3. Break your tasks down. Taking larger tasks and breaking them down into smaller, more manageable actions steps can help you beat your anxiety related to procrastination.
4. Focus on the progress not perfection. Rather than ending up bogged down in not attainable expectations of self-inflicted perfection, continue to build upon the progress that you made moving forward in whatever it is that you are doing. Finish the task at hand, and then, time permitting, go back to make it as close to perfect as possible.
5. Set boundaries for yourself. No matter how much you want to accomplish, sometimes you have to know when to say “when”. If you find yourself taking on the weight of the world, at one point or another you will probably find yourself at the bottom of it. Before you try to take care of anyone else, try taking care of yourself first.

The post Tips For Overcoming Anxiety Related Procrastination appeared first on BCA Therapy.

• Time management– College can be more demanding than high school, plan to devote more time to your studies. Plan out your days and create a routine that you stick to every week. Having an assignment book to mark important assignments and tests can make your experience of college so much easier.
• Socializing– It can be fun to meet your roommate(s) and others on the floor in your building. Just remember that some people thrive on social interaction while others may struggle with that, so be kind to one another.
• Independence– Now that you’re on your own, you may feel the need to test your limits. Don’t make bad decisions based on peer pressure. Say “NO” to things you don’t want to do. Setting boundaries is very important and do not let people step over your boundaries and respect other people’s boundaries.
•  Resources– Be sure to use to familiarize yourself with the resources on college campus. Consider joining a student organization and being involved. There is also learning assistance and resource centers, and student health services and counseling centers that can assist you if needed.
• Stress– Being aware that some amount of stress and anxiety is normal. You are in a setting with new people and new challenges. You can do this!

Sources:

Family Matters: Making the Transition to College – West Chester University (wcupa.edu)

Planning Ahead for Your Mental Health Care as You Transition to College | The Jed Foundation

The post How to Prepare Your Mental Health As You Transition to College appeared first on BCA Therapy.

https://957benfm.com/episodes/brynncicippio/

The post Brynn Cicippio shares Her Story with Kathy Romano appeared first on BCA Therapy.

Things you can do to feel better if you’re grieving is practicing self-care which is critical component of the grieving process. In addition to participating therapy consider things you can do to take care of yourself. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Stop drinking.
• Taking nature walks.
• Practice mediating.
• Spending time with family and friends.
• Having a set schedule.
• Reading books.
• Get physical activity daily

If you are suffering from grief to cope with grief in Wayne or Yardley area, talk to a therapist at BCA Therapy. We are specialized to help you and will help you through these times.

The post How to overcome grieving? appeared first on BCA Therapy.

Things you didn’t know were anxiety:

• Pleasure to be perfect.
• Thinking everyone is judging you.
• Trying to meet everyone’s standard.
• Rethinking your decision.
• Irrational fears.
• Chronic stomach pain.

Anxiety can also grow throughout your body, but you can do the work to calm your nerves. One step is to visit BCA Therapy, because we have therapists who specialize in anxiety and can help look deeper, uncovering additional life factors that lead to out-of-control feelings. We have locations in Bucks County and the Main Line area that you can visit.

The post Living with Anxiety appeared first on BCA Therapy.

How can a narcissist impact your life? Let’s look at the jar here is how:

How much more are you going to take from a narcissist? Don’t you think it’s time to get away from them? The answer is you should take no more from them and get away from them. They are ruining your mental health. The jar can only hold so much just like your emotions! Don’t let it get that full before it overflows. This requires courage and strength to stay away from narcissists. But at BCA Therapy, we believe everyone is capable of doing this if you are willing to put the work in and do so. It will be so worth it, and the extra baggage will be lifted off you mentally.

Visit BCA Therapy we are located in the Bucks County and on the Main Line in Wayne, Pennsylvania! We have therapists that specialize in narcissistic abuse can help support you on your journey to recovery.

The post Narcissists Can Impact Your Life for the Worse! appeared first on BCA Therapy.