Andrea Anderson Polk

Andrea Anderson Polk’s Blog

Clinically Practiced, Biblically Informed

Most Recent Blog Post

Oct 268 min read

Overthinking + Perfectionism

Wearing Men's Boxers + My Worry Brain

I wear men’s boxers as pjs. When I got married, I confiscated Dan’s boxers. I’ve never been the cute matching pajama set kinda girl....

70 views

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Boundaries

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Loss

Things I'm
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Church Hurt

Overthinking
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Perfectionism

Fantasy Friend
Series

Oct 268 min read

Wearing Men's Boxers + My Worry Brain

I wear men’s boxers as pjs. When I got married, I confiscated Dan’s boxers. I’ve never been the cute matching pajama set kinda girl....

70 views

Oct 512 min read

My Rage Meltdown + My Beet Juice Breakdown

Helpful tools from a therapist on dealing with rage. Mom rage. Marriage rage. God rage. Career rage. PMS Rage.

60 views

Aug 115 min read

My Experience + Therapy Thoughts on Sleep Anxiety

Helpful tools from a therapist on overcoming sleep anxiety.

24 views

Jul 1011 min read

A Day Date With My Husband + Balancing Priorities

Everything for me these days is about energy. What things drain me and what things excite me...

73 views

Jun 156 min read

What I Learned About Feeling Embarrassed

Take some time to think about who you are and what you really want for yourself without feeling embarrassed.

69 views

Jun 155 min read

When Jesus Had a Firm Boundary + So Can You

Sometimes when I’m feeling overwhelmed with the demands of the day or I need a word of encouragement, I pull out my Bible and randomly...

33 views

May 57 min read

My Hidden Season

Helping you embrace seasons of quiet, rest, and reflection when you're an ambitious woman who wants to write and create.

106 views

Dec 9, 20237 min read

Helpful Boundaries for the Holidays and Beyond

Are you dealing with the stress of navigating difficult family members this holiday season? You are not alone. Here are some helpful...

49 views

Sep 10, 20232 min read

The Need-To-Know-Syndrome

Do you need to know, right NOW? I call this the Need-To-Know-Syndrome. When a solution to a problem is not obvious or knowing the answer...

44 views

Aug 14, 20232 min read

Do You Have an Egyptian Mindset?

God answered your prayer: You got that promotion, new opportunity, new home, new business endeavor, new baby, or new relationship… But...

55 views

Jul 23, 20236 min read

How Anger Helped Julie Overcome Anxiety

This is the final post in the series on anger. Read the first three posts here: When Anger is a Gift, Ways You Avoid Anger and Why, How...

110 views

Jul 9, 202315 min read

How to Deal with Anger and Set Boundaries

Learn practical ways to from an experienced therapist on how set boundaries and stick with it! Including how to practice self-care.

201 views

Jun 13, 202315 min read

Ways You Avoid Anger and Why

Did you know anger is a gift and serves to protect you? In the last post, we looked at Kate’s story and how avoiding anger can cause you...

155 views

May 16, 20238 min read

When Anger is a Gift

Did you know that anger is a gift and serves to protect you? Kate has been consumed by her work as the CEO of an organization she is very...

180 views

May 1, 202310 min read

5 Things I'm Loving Right Now

For those of you who have been with me for a while know that my blog posts are about the integration of mental health and faith where I...

173 views

Apr 11, 20239 min read

My Gratitude Journal Changed My Life

When I first started my gratitude journal, I felt silly because what made me grateful seemed insignificant, frivolous, and maybe even weird.

164 views

Mar 27, 20237 min read

Overcoming Your Fantasy Friend

When you feel hurt, lonely, rejected, abandoned, ashamed, anxious, jealous, inadequate, or like an imposter, your Fantasy Friend makes you

98 views

Mar 13, 20235 min read

Rachel and Her Fantasy Friend

We all have a Fantasy Friend we turn to that keeps us feeling safe, needed, loved, special, and important. Your "Fantasy Friend" can look...

87 views

Feb 21, 20237 min read

Who's Your Fantasy Friend?

We’ve all been hurt and we’ve all experienced painful situations and relationships such as heartbreak, the loss of a dream or a loved...

112 views

Feb 6, 20236 min read

Sadness to Joy: The Paradox of Grief, Part 2

In the previous blog post, I shared my story of loss. As a young girl, when my home life became unstable, I sought refuge at my...

97 views

Jan 30, 20237 min read

My Story: The Paradox of Grief, Part 1

We all experience loss. Loss of a loved one. Loss of a career. Loss of a dream. Loss of a relationship. Loss of ourselves. Grief is a...

132 views

Jan 16, 20237 min read

Struggling With the Winter Blues or Feeling Down and Dreary?

The holiday season has come to a close and the Christmas decorations are put away. The house seems bare which has a somberness that...

87 views

Jan 3, 20236 min read

Do You Have a Toxic Relationship with Yourself? 10 Ways We Self-Sabotage

In a previous post, I created 10 questions designed to help you identify if you are in a toxic relationship. The toxic relationship in...

115 views

Dec 4, 20226 min read

Christine's Story of Setting Boundaries with a Difficult Family Member

So far in this series on toxic relationships, I created 10 questions designed to help you identify if you are in a toxic relationship in...

84 views

Nov 20, 20228 min read

5 Steps to Dealing with Toxic Relationships

So far in this series on toxic relationships, I created 10 questions designed to help you identify if you are in a toxic relationship. I...

78 views

Nov 14, 20223 min read

7 Warning Signs of Your Partner’s Toxic Behavior in Therapy

In the previous post, I identified 13 warning signs of toxic therapy designed to help you know when a therapist is displaying harmful...

65 views

Nov 7, 20225 min read

What is the Purpose of Therapy and Do You Need It?

The previous post, identified 13 warning signs of toxic therapy designed to help you know when a therapist is displaying harmful behavior...

62 views

Oct 10, 20224 min read

What Makes a Therapist a Good Therapist?

In the previous post, we identified 13 warning signs of toxic therapy designed to help you know when a therapist is displaying harmful...

62 views

Oct 3, 20223 min read

13 Warning Signs of Toxic Therapy

As a licensed therapist, with over fifteen years of clinical experience counseling people, it saddens my heart to state the reality that...

148 views

Sep 26, 20225 min read

Should I Stay or Leave the Relationship? Part two.

In the previous post, we began to address the question: Should I stay or leave the relationship? The answer is neither straightforward...

78 views

Sep 10, 20225 min read

Should I Stay or Leave the Relationship? Part one.

You might be wondering, Should I stay or leave the relationship? The answer is neither straightforward nor black and white. It is complex...

136 views

Sep 8, 20221 min read

TV Interview on 100 Huntley Street

In a recent interview on the tv show, 100 Huntley Street, Andrea has an inspiring, deep, and meaningful conversation with Cheryl Weber...

23 views

Sep 1, 20222 min read

Andrea Published in The Science of Personality Magazine

In a recent interview with Karen Asp and published by Centennial Media, "The Highest Bar: If striving for perfection is making you...

73 views

Aug 29, 20227 min read

My Migraine Miracle: The Defense of Projectizing, Part 5

Thus far in this series about projectizing , a deeper form of perfectionism, showing up in a tendency to anxiously fix ourselves, we...

189 views

Aug 10, 20225 min read

Do you want to be fixed or be free? The Defense of Projectizing, Part 4

Thus far in this series about projectizing, a deeper form of perfectionism, showing up in a tendency to anxiously fix ourselves, we...

82 views

Aug 4, 20224 min read

Are You a Chronic Overthinker? The Defense of Projectizing, Part 3

Thus far in this series about projectizing, a deeper form of perfectionism, showing up in a tendency to anxiously fix ourselves, we...

117 views

Jul 28, 20221 min read

Andrea's Interview on 700 Club Interactive

Break Away from Self-Sabotaging Patterns and Mindsets In a recent interview on the tv show, the 700 Club Interactive, Andrea has a...

21 views

Jul 20, 20222 min read

The 700 Club Interviews Andrea

A Mission to Free People from Toxic Relationships In a recent interview on the tv show, The 700 Club," Andrea has a compelling...

36 views

Jul 9, 20226 min read

A Single Woman’s Story of Shame: The Defense of Projectizing, Part 2

Last week we discussed a common defense mechanism, projectizing, a deeper form of perfectionism, by making ourselves a project to be...

120 views

Jul 5, 20221 min read

Andrea's TV Interview on The Perspective

In a recent interview on the tv show, The Perspective with Mike Sherbino and Julie Stautland, Andrea discusses her new book, The Cuckoo...

33 views

Jul 5, 20225 min read

Are You Trying to Fix Yourself? The Defense of Projectizing, Part 1

Fix Me! Fix Me! Many of my clients seek counseling after having been in therapy for years and suffering without any significant symptom...

171 views

Jul 1, 20221 min read

USA Today Interviews Andrea on Successful Travel Coping Strategies

Everyone knows that although summer vacations are fun, they are not always restful and relaxing. Sometimes we return home needing a...

15 views

Jun 28, 20222 min read

Andrea’s Interview in Authority Magazine on Her Story, New Book, and Self-Acceptance

In a recent interview by Authority Magazine, “How To Learn To Finally Love Yourself,” Andrea Anderson Polk is quoted in these excerpts...

21 views

Jun 3, 20221 min read

Andrea Publishes Article in Church Growth Magazine on How to Deal with Toxic Relationships

I had the privilege of being published in Church Growth Magazine with my article 5 Steps to Dealing With Toxic Relationships: Guarding...

30 views

May 26, 20221 min read

Andrea Publishes Article in The Christian Post on Couples Counseling and Mental Health

I had the privilege of being published in The Christian Post, “How the Church can best help struggling couples,” below is an excerpt from...

27 views

May 23, 20221 min read

Money Magazine Interviews Andrea on How to Prioritize Mental Health During the Homebuying Process

Everyone knows that homebuying can be stressful, especially in the current climate. While how-to guides on everything from the mechanics...

33 views

May 21, 20223 min read

Are You Vulnerable & Susceptible to Attracting Toxic Relationships?

In all my years of working with different people as a professional counselor, I’ve observed that there are some who are more susceptible...

41 views