Kim Alberts, LCPC | Online Therapist Bradley, IL

Do You Need Medication to Treat your Depression?

We all know that depression is a mental disorder; thanks to the increasing awareness about mental health issues. But, do you know how prevalent it is? According to the 2018 Depression fact sheet of the World Health Organization, the disorder affects more than 300...

Helping Kids Deal with Bullying

First things first, what is child bullying? Child bullying involves a kid being hurt by the words or actions of another kid on purpose, usually repeatedly, and despite feeling bad about it has a hard time stopping it. Bullying may be physical involving hitting,...

3 Simple Ways to De-Stress

In today's fast-paced world where most of the people are juggling their family, work, studies, and other commitments, it's difficult not to get overwhelmed and stressed. But, excessive stress can take a toll on our health (both mental and physical), work, and...

Depression: How it Eats Away Relationships

Did you know that depression affects about 7% of the adult population in the United States? One of the most common mental disorders in the world, depression is characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, appetite changes, sleep...

Anxiety – The Difference between Normal Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders

Life, whether you are a working mother or a student in high school, has become extremely demanding and stressful. Intense global competition, managing expectations and general environment around us has increased the frequency of moments we feel anxious. This is one...

Workplace Depression – How to Help as a Manager

Workplace depression is one of the most common and overlooked mental health related problems that managers and employers try to avoid dealing with. According to several statistical reports, depression affects more than 8 percent of adults in the US and can cause a...

Stress and Your Health

We all know stress can make us irritable, forgetful, and moody but did you know just how much stress can affect our health? I started having chest tightness and a bit of difficulty in taking deep breath’s. There was no pain, it just felt like I had an ace...

Avoiding Family Feuds

Have you ever wished parenting was easier? Children struggling with classes, forgetting, or refusing to follow household rules and expected behaviors, and open disrespect is frustrating for all parents. We may feel this will never improve but often...

Communicating With Your Kid

I was chauffeuring my kids one day listening to radio news. The newscaster announced the average American parent spends 3 minutes each day communicating with their kids. I was horrified. 3 minutes? I knew I was doing a much better job than “THOSE” parents and decided...

Before the Wedding!

We're Engaged! Holidays bring engagements and all the excitement they offer us, both now and in the future. Initially discussions between fiancées often consists only of details about the wedding, day, venue, wedding party, or type of service. Before beginning these...

Stress Free Holidays

The holidays are approaching and with them comes inevitable stress about gift buying, family celebrations, and the impact on our finances. Many people plan the “perfect” holiday season: gifts purchased and wrapped early, the house decorated perfectly both inside and...

Suggestions For Healthy Arguments

We may not think that arguing is healthy in a marriage or relationship. It can be very valuable if it is done appropriately. You may want to discuss how to improve your communication during an argument before your next argument to improve potential for healthy change....

He Only Hits Me When…

Too many women are willing victims in domestic violence by making and accepting excuses: He only hits me when he is drinking or tired.He always says he is sorry afterwards.I made him angry, it was my fault.Work is getting on him.He thought I was flirting with some...

Saving the Ta-Ta’s

Brad Pitt called Angelina Jolie ’decision and posting about her choice to have a double mastectomy “heroic”. Jolie had the BRCA test done due to a family history of cancer and her own health concerns. She then sought out medical experts, had a double mastectomy which...

To Sleep the Sleep of Kings

So how did you sleep last night? Did you sleep like a log or did you toss and turn, staring at the ceiling for hours and watching the clock ease its way closer to the morning? Maybe you slept for a bit and awakened only to lay there thinking about everything you...

Better Sleep Without Chemicals

It's midnight and you are lying there wondering if you can safely take a sleeping pill. You are listing everything you have to do tomorrow and know you can’t afford to be exhausted. If you take a sleeping pill now, will you wake up with one of those awful sleeping...

Ode to a Solid Man

His name was James and we all called him Jim. But for some reason my son, Brian, called him Mr. James. I tried to correct Brian but Jim said very forcefully to leave him alone and to let Brian call him Mr. James if he wanted to. And so he remained Mr. James, long...

Remember Passion?

When I was working as a substance abuse counselor, relationships often developed something like this: guy meets girl, guy and girl immediately have sex with each other. Week 2: guy moves into girl’s trailer and meets girl’s kids. Week 4 or 5: Guy and girl are fighting...

Don’t Be Afraid of Conflicts

One of the issues I hear repeatedly is people saying they are afraid of conflicts so they avoid dealing with problems. Many people say they are afraid of what will happen if they approach the issue. People seem to believe that they have almost no choice in solving...

The Secret of Shame

I recently had the misfortune to slip and fall, causing a bruised knee, scuffed chin, broken nose, and two black eyes. This of course, became quite a joke for many of my friends and family. Jokes about my inability to stay upright, jokes about my incredibly tolerant...

The Missed Focus of the Media

The media has managed to do it again. It’s no secret that I don’t agree with what is considered “news” or how the “news” is reported, but this time I am astonished at how far wrong the media has gone. While we, the United States, have stood tall and demanded that...

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Respect is an interesting concept. I often hear complaints from parents, teachers and school administrators, and legal officials that today’s teens don’t respect authority. Parents bring adolescents to my office complaining that their teen refuses to listen to rules...

When Recess is My Favorite Subject

Remember recess? The sound of the bell announcing that you could leave for recess and running, RUNNING! out to the playground for 20 minutes of unadulterated play. Pick-up games of touch football, red rover-red rover, tag, jumping rope with taking turns jumping in,...

Random Acts of Kindness

Many years ago while my children were little, my family and I were having breakfast at a hotel buffet. Anyone with young children knows the challenges of helping younger children in a buffet line, their own struggles for independence, the forgotten items needed to...

Econ 101

A national clothing retail chain made news with their new line aimed at teens and tweens; thongs with controversial messages on them “dare you”, “call me” and “feeling lucky”. These messages should not have shocked anyone. Take a look around any clothing store or any...

Times Gone By: Parenting in Retrospect

When you are the parent of babies and toddlers, everyone smiles, sighs, and says, “treasure these days they go too fast.” Being the parent of young adults, I have to agree that’s true. I remember the days when my kids where babies and realize I probably didn’t enjoy...

Protect Our Children

How could a nation that has so much, so very much, end up with the problem of neglect? It isn't that we have too little; we have an overabundance of excess. Some of our children are gifted beyond their years in terms of electronics, clothing, and materialism while...

Continuing the Assessment – Your Home

Our homes not only for shelter, they are a source of pride and an expression of who we are. Our decorating style, color and items used to accentuate reflects our personality, tastes, and interests. Great pieces can be found anywhere from yard sales and estate auctions...

Spiritual Living vs. Material Living

Where does your sense of self and peace come from? What brings you comfort? Do you feel good about having the greatest and newest “stuff” of do you just feel good about life in general? Do you try to match what your family and friends have purchased lately or done in...

An Honest Look at Depression

A friend’s child committed suicide over the weekend. If you have never experienced a clinical depression, thank your lucky stars. People often say they are depressed, but until they have experienced clinical depression there is no real understanding of the severity...

On Loss and Regrowth

There are times in our lives when a loss of someone leaves a hole in our heart that can never be repaired. We feel the loss as acutely as a pulled muscle or stomach ache that will not end. What we fail to realize is the heart is ever changing, and while that space may...

Parenting and Motivation

I told my husband we have failed as parents. Our kids are not motivated to get out there and work hard to improve themselves and to try and find extra jobs to earn an extra dollar. That’s our fault. We made excuses for them, gave them money as them needed it in the...

Brave New World

It's an interesting work environment these days. It seems that half the U.S is out of work and the other half is working in jobs they hate. It’s not so much the work that people hate, it’s the management and the work environment. It’s a brave new world out there....

Tips to Getting Hired

The current economic climate says that too many people still don’t have jobs. College graduates complain they are unable to find work in the fields they majored in and older workers state they can’t find work because of their age. I don’t know how to solve the current...

Never Anyone’s Fault

The news is full of the government shutdown now: the consequences of it, the cost of it, who is affected by it, and why it is happening. Congress is also all over the news now, pointing fingers, explaining why they are not to blame, how their party worked to avoid a...

In Search of a Better Life

I went garage sailing with my daughter this past weekend. The weather was beautiful, and citywide garage sales made it the perfect day! Throughout, I couldn't help but notice how much “stuff” people had for sale: exercise equipment, clothing, books, candles,...

Small Town USA

I live in small town USA. Population under one thousand people, dogs, and cats. It is a predominately rural area supported by agriculture and ag-related industries. There once were factories in towns nearby, but those have all left the area and the state. The closest...

Looking Back

I should have played with my kids more. I read the poem. I vowed to be "that" mom. “That” amazingly wonderful mom who always had energy and time for her kids, who was ready to read the stories, play the games, to have the perfect talks, to be “that” mom. But I wasn't....

It’s time to Start Talking!

I was watching the news, and some dangerous new ways to use substances are occurring. Maybe they aren't really new; humans have found more and more dangerous ways abuse themselves throughout history. Each “new” substance seems to be more damaging and deadly than the...

Parenting the Parents

In the 2000 census, there were 35 million Americans over the age 65! We are living longer, yet are more separated from family than ever before. Baby boomers are caring for both their children and their parents in record numbers. More and more senior living centers,...