The statistics on teen suicide are staggering. According to the Centers for Disease Control, each year, an average of 8% of American teens will attempt suicide. This makes suicide the second leading cause of death for kids aged 10 to 24. In fact, it is believed that more teenagers die from suicide than from cancer, pneumonia, birth defects, AIDS, influenza and heart...[ read more ]
Have you ever stayed up all night stressing about something that never ended up happening? Maybe you’ve assumed that someone doesn’t like you, only to find out they’d like to be your friend. Or, does it seem like everyone else has their lives together except for you? These are examples of thinking mistakes. Unfortunately, no one is immune to them,...[ read more ]
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans reported having an unmet mental health need (MHA, 2018). So, why aren’t more people getting help? Mental Health America states that the largest obstacles American's face to obtaining mental health services are finances, education and awareness, and social stigma. (See the facts, stats, and data on Mental Health America's website. Although these barriers exist for...[ read more ]
Learn how to recognize subtle signs of trauma. When you think about trauma, incidents such as violent assaults or terrible car accidents may come to mind. But there are other, more subtle forms of trauma that can negatively affect our lives and hinder our relationships. Less noticeable emotional trauma is often overlooked and minimized. We may be expected to “get...[ read more ]
Pets seem to have the ability to calm us, center us, and just make us feel all-around better about being on the planet. Recently, many mental health benefits of having a pet have been discovered. Here are some reasons to dote on your furry friend: Petting Reduces Stress Your pet may love when you pet them, but it turns out...[ read more ]
In the therapy world, we teach clients to use their five senses to reduce anxiety and relax. We recommend finding items from each of your five senses to create your own space to Zen out. If you don’t have space to dedicate, a box or bin of these items that you can access will do as well. Creating your space...[ read more ]
What can you expect in a course of therapy? During the first session with a client, I like to really get an understanding for why you sought out therapy. We'll discuss a particular incident or a series of events that led you here, then move towards your goals. I also like to discuss any previous experiences in therapy. Generally, I...[ read more ]
Few things zap your energy the way a stressful day can. Stress is known to reduce our levels of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that play an important role in our mood, energy and motivation. After a difficult day, you might be tempted to lounge on the couch watching TV until it’s time to go to bed. Although it might feel...[ read more ]
No parent likes hearing that their child is acting out in class. At first, most of us want to blame ourselves and figure out what we’ve done wrong. When we come up empty, we tend to put the blame on our child, and sometimes we even get angry. The truth is, parents do the best they can and so do...[ read more ]
