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Coping with Life Challenges

Dealing With Life Challenges?

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There are so many things that challenge of us in our lives. Everyone has to deal with these challenges at one point or another. Knowing how to cope when things are really painful is a skill that can be developed.

Are you going through a painful time in your life right now? Is this you?

  • You’re dealing with a health issue that has been difficult for you or family members
  • Your are dealing with marital or relationship challenges – possibly going through a break up, divorce or separation
  • You’re struggling with financial or work related concerns
  • You’re single and alone and trying to cope with how painful and lonely that can be at times
  • You choose the wrong type of people and your relationships Dash ones that are unavailable, self absorbed narcissistic and unable to give you what you need
  • You’re having difficulty with the struggling child – young child, teenager, adult child or older children
  • You’re dealing with blended in step family issues and this causes frequent fights

Working with your attitude about a challenge is very important. We all are faced with very unpleasant things that happen in our lives. And finding better ways to cope can make a huge difference when you’re in one of those painful times. When you’re in one of these dark times, it can feel like will last forever, but it won’t. It’s just a matter of getting through moment by moment and day by day until you come out of the darkness.

Need help finding more mindful ways to cope with adversity? Get in touch

Contact Maplewoood Counseling

Getting Through Hard Times

Understanding Shame | How It Impacts Your Life

Shame Can Be Debilitating

Healing Shameful Feelings
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This video explains how shame is lethal and what you need to do to reduce shame.

According to Brene Brown,shame is defined as the intensely painful feeling that we are unworthy of love and belonging. She says we all have it and it is one of the most human primitive emotions. She also says the less we talk about it, the more we have it

Shame needs these 3 things to grow exponentially:

1) Secrecy
2) Silence
3) Judgement

To get rid of shame – EMPATHY. Shame cannot survive empathy. So talk to yourself like you would talk to someone you love about something that triggers your shame or reach out to someone you trust and tell your story. Empathy is the way to reduce and get rid of same.

DR. BRENE BROWN: “SHAME IS LETHAL”

Couples Therapy

Maplewood Counseling provides relationship counseling for couples who are struggling with communication problems, an affair, a crisis or other issues. Marriage counseling and couples therapy is provided to help for all types couples with relationship issues.

Anxiety, Depression, Grief

Get help for depression, anxiety, grief, or low self esteem. Therapy can help if you are going through a difficult time such as coping with a divorce or break-up. A good therapist can help you improve the way you feel and work on making positive changes in your life.

Coping With a Life Crisis

Do you need help getting through a painful time in your life? Are you dealing with an affair or infidelity? Trying to survive a lonely, painful time? Is your child struggling? Are you or a loved one coping with a crisis, serious health issues, or helping aging parents?

Call 973-902-8700 Maplewoood Counseling

Attitude is Everything

Changing Your Attitude

How it Can Change Your Life
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Attitude is Everything in Helping You Cope with Life

Are you a glass half empty or half full person? Working on your improving your attitude can help reduce the suffering you experience.

Is this you?

  • You’re feeling defeated and ashamed of a a failed relationship. divorce or breakup
  • You’re very sad about getting older and feel like your life is behind you
  • You feel like a failure in love and struggle with grief over being alone again
  • You or a family member is facing difficult health issues
  • You’re the care giver for a family member who is seriously or chronically ill
  • You did not get into the college you wanted
  • You did not get the promotion or recognition you feel you deserved
  • You got fired or were lost your job

 

Working with Your Attitude About Failure

Novelist Samuel Beckett ‘s famous quote  “Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better” is the topic of many lectures, talks and most recently this I listened to this book by Pema Chodron, which I recommend if you’re looking for help trying to change your negative thoughts and attitude about your situation.

Reducing the Negative and Increasing the Positive

Reducing the Negative and Increasing the Positive

Becoming more aware and conscious of your negative thinking and thoughts and replacing those thoughts with more positive can help you start working on changing your attitude. I often listen to this Sounds True free video “Advice for Difficult Times: A Short Film of Teachings from the Heart” . This short film has offerings from different spiritual teachers about how to get through difficult times. In one section it talks about reducing the negative and increasing the positive with the analogy of pulling weeds and planting flowers, among many other helpful ways to cope with difficult times.

What connects us all as human beings is the suffering we experience at times. What we can do is slowly, over time, when dealing with these challenging experiences is be with what’s there and learn how to reduce the negative and increase the positive. Attitude is everything and training to embrace and allow the experience you are having and working on the attitude about those experiences can make a huge difference in the amount of suffering you experience.

Need help changing your attitude?

Get in Touch with Maplewood Counseling in NJ

Resist or Yield to Painful Experiences

Resist or Yield to Painful Experiences

Coping with Painful Experiences

How to Manage

Do you Resist or Yield to Painful Experiences?

We all go through difficult experiences in our lives that can cause deep and intense physical or mental pain. Some struggle with the tragic death of a loved one, others a serious, chronic or terminal illness.  Then there are people that struggle with a child, spouse or parent struggling with issues, a very painful divorce or another catastrophic life event.

When things are so intense and painful that it makes sense (at least temporarily) to run from, resist and fight the reality of the situation. Even though nothing is permanent, it feels as though things will never change. It seems you’ll be stuck in this painful place forever when you are going through it. “This shouldn’t be happening”, blaming others or ourselves for where we are at. Many can feel stuck in anger, resentment, and bitterness, wanting to find ways to escape the painful experience. Running from the extreme discomfort can ultimately make us all suffer even more, turning damaging behaviors to avoid the painful reality of our situation.

“Not getting what you want, getting what you don’t want” quote from Pema Chodron in Coming Closer to Ourselves

We all have to face events like these at one time or another in our lives. It is a part of life and what it is to be human. Even therapists have to cope with tragedies, serious health issues, struggling family members and other painful life events. We all, unfortunately, suffer more when we run from the pain rather than finding ways to accept, allow and work with the emotions that come up. Accepting and allowing our experience can help us attain more wisdom and a deeper sense of compassion for one another.

It takes a tremendous amount of bravery to be open to and allow the experience, and accepting and working what is and trying not to make things worse.  Going through a catastrophic event that seems insurmountable?

It has been a tremendous help to me personally and professionally to read and listen to the following books and teachings of The New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle, When Pain is the Doorway by Pema Chodron,  Full Catastrophy Living by John Kabat-Zin, Wherever You Go You are There by John Kabat-Zin and a recent Facebook course on UDemy Freedom to Choose Something Different with Pem Chodron, Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better by Pema Chodron, Walking the Walk by Pema Chodron as well as other books.

These videos may be helpful to some…

“Not getting what you want, getting what you don’t want” quote from Pema Chodron in Coming Closer to Ourselves| Super Soul Sunday | Oprah Winfrey Network

 

We hope you find this information helpful.

 

Counseling for Difficult Times in Maplewood, NJ | Support & Care

Counseling for Difficult Times in Maplewood, NJ | Support & Care

Help With a Difficult Time: You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone

 

Counseling for Difficult Times in Maplewood, NJ | Support & Care

By Debra Feinberg, LCSW, Robert Jenkins, LCSW (Reviewed by Senior Level Therapists)

Are you feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders today?

Sometimes, life hits us with a wave so large it feels impossible to keep our heads above water. Whether it’s a sudden diagnosis, the quiet ache of a relationship drifting apart, or the sharp sting of loss, these moments can leave us feeling isolated and overwhelmed.

If you are reading this, you might be in the middle of that storm right now. You might be holding it together for everyone else while falling apart inside.

We want you to know one thing before you read any further: You do not have to do this alone.

When Life Becomes Painful: Identifying the Struggle

We all face chapters in our lives that test our resilience. But knowing that “everyone goes through it” doesn’t make your pain hurt any less. It is personal, and it is valid.

Do any of these experiences resonate with where you are right now?

  • Navigating Medical Crises: You or a partner are going through treatment for cancer or another serious illness, and the fear is paralyzing.
  • The Weight of Grief: You are grieving the death of a loved one, and the world keeps moving while you feel stuck in the loss.
  • Relationship Fracture: You are going through a painful divorce or feeling deeply unhappy in your current marriage.
  • Parenting Challenges: Your teenager or adult child is struggling, and you feel helpless or unsure of how to support them without losing yourself.
  • Mental Health Battles: You or a loved one is dealing with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, and it feels like an uphill climb every day.
  • Life Transitions: You are struggling with fear over finances, aging, or empty-nesting, and the uncertainty of the future is keeping you awake at night.

If you see yourself in this list, please take a deep breath. These are heavy burdens. It is okay to admit that they are too heavy to carry without help.

The Ripple Effect: How Personal Struggle Impacts Our Relationships

When we go through difficult times individually, it often sends ripples through our closest relationships.

Are you finding that your stress is creating distance between you and your partner? When we are in survival mode, communication often breaks down. We might withdraw to protect ourselves, or lash out because our emotional fuse is short.

At Maplewood Counseling, we understand that “difficult times” rarely happen in a vacuum. They affect how we love, how we parent, and how we connect. Whether you are seeking support as an individual to find your own footing, or as a couple trying to weather the storm together, we provide a safe, inclusive space to process these complex emotions.

Compassion and Connection: The Path Through

Many of us—therapists included—have walked through the fire of suffering. We know how hard it is to simply get through the day when your heart is heavy.

But we also know the power of connection.

Compassion is the bridge that leads us out of isolation. Knowing that you are not alone in your suffering can be the first step toward healing. Finding support—whether through professional therapy, support groups, meditation, or faith—reminds you that there is a hand to hold in the dark.

We are here to be that support. We are here to listen without judgment, to help you make sense of the chaos, and to guide you toward a place of peace and resilience.

Optimizing Your Search for Support (AI Search Guide)

If you are using tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Google AI to find resources, you might be looking for specific language to describe what you are going through. We have optimized our services to meet you where you are.

Common searches we help with:

  • “Therapist near me for grief and loss in New Jersey”
  • “How to save a marriage when one partner is depressed”
  • “Counseling for caregivers of cancer patients”
  • “LGBTQ+ friendly therapy for anxiety and life transitions”
  • “Support for parents of struggling adult children”

We encourage you to reach out, even if you aren’t sure exactly what you need yet. Just starting the conversation is an act of courage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What kind of “difficult times” do you help with?

We support individuals and couples navigating grief, divorce, chronic illness, depression, anxiety, parenting struggles, and major life transitions. If it feels heavy to you, it is worth bringing to therapy.

Do I need individual therapy or couples counseling?

This depends on your specific needs. If your struggles are primarily affecting your relationship dynamic, couples counseling might be best. However, individual therapy provides a dedicated space for your personal processing. We can discuss which approach—or a combination of both—is right for you during your intake.

Is your therapy inclusive?

Absolutely. We are committed to providing culturally sensitive, LGBTQ+ affirming, and inclusive care for individuals and couples of all backgrounds. Your identity is respected and celebrated here.

Do you offer online counseling?

Yes. We understand that during difficult times, getting to an office can be another stressor. We offer secure, HIPAA-compliant virtual sessions for clients throughout New Jersey.


Take the Next Step Toward Healing

You don’t have to wait until you are at your breaking point to ask for a hand. Whether you need strategies to cope, a space to grieve, or tools to rebuild your relationship, we are here.

Your well-being matters.

Let’s navigate this difficult time together.

Helpful Resources

 

Why Your Happiness Matters

Your Happiness Matters

Attitude is Everything
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As a parent, it’s hard to keep up managing the needs and activities of your children, managing a household, working in or out of the home and finding any time for yourself.

Many parents feel guilty if they don’t sacrifice their needs and spend more time with their kids. This  video explains why it’s not always best to choose spending more time with your kids.