mental health
While the connection between nature and mental health may not be entirely shocking, just how strong the connection is, and how much of an impact nature has on emotional well-being can be enlightening to many individuals. While this concept may seem simple, there’s actually more to this process of connection than simply standing outside and staring at a tree. Today’s fast paced world where many things are easily accessible to us leaves few things to be awed…
Jessica Pontis, LCSW Humans are innately social creatures, we depend on one another for interaction, support, and community. We live in intricate social structures that we must navigate day in and day out. Our relationships with one another, while rewarding, can also be complex. As a result of these complexities, we can feel hurt by the words or actions of others, sometimes ever our own. Others may make us feel disappointed, unheard, unvalidated. All these things can…
Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR certified What is a work-life balance? Think of it this way: you have one gallon of water per day. You have to invest some of this water to work obligations and some to your life outside of work. How much would you invest in each? 50/50? 60/40? Everyone has to decide how to balance their work with other aspects of their lives. A 50/50 balance, for example, doesn’t work for everyone. The…
Hannah Hopper, LPC, NCC One of the most common things I’ve heard from my clients during the pandemic is that it’s been extremely difficult to manage anger and overwhelming emotions. What I keep hearing is that anger is coming up in more unexpected places; it’s harder than ever before to manage anger with co-workers, in relationships, and with family members. Many of us have a shorter fuse these days, and that’s why I’m covering anger management strategies…
By: Danielle Bertini, LPC With the upcoming presidential election right around the corner as well as the holiday season, I have found that many people are anxious with not knowing how to potentially discuss politics with their families. Although not every family structure talks about politics, some families enjoy talking about politics the same way some families talk about their favorite sports teams: with a one-sided passion that they expect everyone else to share. However, talking about…
Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified If you need to decrease your screen time, try these additional methods. Decrease Triggers A trigger is anything that causes you to want to engage in screen time. Triggers can be a time of the day, an activity, an emotion, a visual cue, or anything else. You may not have a thought or desire to check your phone until your phone lights up with a new notification, and then you have…
Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Phones, TVs, and computers are a large part of your life, and that’s unlikely to change. Yet, spending too much time on these devices can have a negative impact on your mental health. They may cause anxiety, loneliness, fatigue, insomnia, and stress. Screen time is defined as any activity that involves a screen, such as watching TV/movies, playing video games, searching the internet/scrolling, or connecting with social media. Do you need…
Megan Mulroy, LPC, NCC It’s no secret that body image and low self-esteem is an issue that many people struggle with every single day. It’s also no secret that we are plagued by unrealistic images in the media that portray thin models or photoshopped celebrities as the norm. It can be really easy to compare yourself with these unrealistic images, and in turn feel pretty crummy about your body. Often times, when we feel bad about our…
By Eric Dean JD MBA MA MA LPC CADC In the first blog post of this series, I focused on topics such as: relative vs. absolute wealth, spending money on experiences vs. products, income vs. net worth, and financial insecurity during COVID. This blog post will focus on one prominent emotional driver of spending: fear. Fear is a powerful and universal human emotion that relates to worry, stress, anticipatory anxiety, catastrophizing, and negativity bias. According to Amy…
Ashlee Stumpf, LPC Sobriety is hard in the best of times; add a global pandemic in the mix and it can almost seem as if the world is wanting you to relapse. However, for many with substance use history, COVID-19 is not the most difficult time of their lives. They have and/or continue to battle against a more personal foe. And many people have adapted before to achieve a healthier, sober lifestyle, here are five ways to…