The Gift Of Service
Giving our time, talents, or resources can bring a profound sense of meaning and purpose to our lives. It can help us to feel connected to each other and our community. Giving of ourselves can help us to change our perspective and our mood. It is also a way to build friendships, increase our self-esteem, and feel like part of something bigger than ourselves.
Author: Colleen Llacsa, LSW
Date: December 15th, 2021
Understanding Trauma Bonding
This is a common question when someone sees a loved one in, what they perceive, is an unhealthy or abusive relationship. Regardless of your attempts at supporting, acknowledging the unhealthy relationship, potentially even advocating to the perpetrating partner, your loved one remains entangled in the relationship.
Author: Joy Walsh, LCSW, PMH-C | She/her
Date: October 21st, 2021
Stress - We’ve all got it; how can we manage it?
Stress - a feeling of being overwhelmed or struggling to cope with mental and emotional pressure in our lives. Stress is an evolutionary response that has helped us survive in threatening situations (i.e., being confronted by a tiger creates a stress response that signals to our brain, “it’s time to run!”) It is also an unavoidable part of life and that doesn’t mean that it should go ignored.
Author: Madison Hosier, LCPC, (she/her)
Date: October 21st, 2021
What You Need to Know About Suicide
Suicidal thoughts can impact anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. National Suicide Prevention Week (September 5th-11th) is a week to raise awareness around suicide prevention, warning signs of suicide as well as de-stigmatize conversations around suicide in order to save lives.
Author: Madison Hosier, LCPC, (she/her)
Date: September 13th, 2021
What is Romance?
After a year and a half of close living quarters and high stress levels amid the COVID pandemic, it can feel really challenging to conjure up feelings of love and romance for our partners.
Author: Samantha Lach, LCPC (she/her)
Date: August 23rd, 2021
Self Care is a Radical Act
Self-care is a term most folks have heard but rarely do we delve into the gender, race, and socioeconomic aspects that have been the foundation of this concept. Self-Care is a radical act of protection of ourselves and our emotional, physical, and community resources.
Author: Jenni Ford (She/Her)
Date: July 27th, 2021
Self-Care Matters!
Self-care awareness day is right around the corner on July 24th. We all know the saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup!” and self care awareness day is a time to remind us to slow down to take care of ourselves.
Author: Madison Hosier, LCPC
Date: July 6th, 2021
Supporting the mental health of LGBTQIA+ youth
Each June, we celebrate Pride month in the US and throughout the world. As we do so I thought it would be good to touch on LGBTQIA+ children and teens mental health.
Author: Jenni Ford (She/Her)
Date: June 12th, 2021
How Montessori Saved Me as a Mother
As a first time mom, I wanted to be sure to do right by my baby. I surrounded us with the “best” toys and gadgets, researched the perfect amount of stimulation, provided the most secure, nurturing, connected attention, attempted to get him the proper amount of sleep, fed him the cleanest foods at precisely the right time - basically I tried to do EVERYTHING RIGHT! Sound familiar?
Author: Leslie Bradley
Date: May 13th, 2021
Borderline Personality Disorder
The month of May marks Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Awareness Month. The suicide rate for those who suffer from BPD greatly exceeds that of the of the general population. Emotional dysregulation is often critical for the individual suffering from BPD.
Author: Michelle Wilkes
Date: May 5th, 2021
April is Occupational Therapy Month!
“What matters to you?” is the question occupational therapists (OTs) have been asking clients since the profession was formally founded in 1917.
Throughout the past 105 years, occupational therapy has expanded into several settings including skilled nursing facilities, home health, schools, and more.
Author: Nicole Remblos
Date: April 1st, 2021
Sleep and Your Mental Health
Sleep, Zzzzzs, slumber….when we are little we resist it, when we are older we wish we had more of it! We all need it but how often do we think about why it is so important for our health and emotional wellbeing?
Author: Leslie Bradley
Date: March 13th, 2021
The Truth That Is Rarely Sought Out
Happy national self-injury awareness month! Self-injurious behavior (which I will call SIB in this post) is a term associated with a lot of misunderstanding and often elicits a “freeze” response for those who hear about someone they care about engaging in SIB. Through reading this post, you will gain a clearer understanding of the underlying causes for SIB, as well as some tips for how to respond if someone you know confides in you.
Author: Leslie Bradley
Date: March 13th, 2021
Don’t Hesitate to Validate
Validation is the first step in getting our needs met. It sounds simple, right? I can’t take the steps to eat dinner if I have not first identified my hunger cues and validated my need to eat. Validation prior to action is true across the board for almost all of our needs and wants.
Author: Leslie Bradley
Date: February 13th, 2021
Where do we go from here? Self-Compassion in the New Year
A new year, a fresh start, an opportunity to refocus. January brings with it hope for things new, different, and better. But what happens when January is really just more of the same...or worse?
Author: Leslie Bradley
Date: January 21st, 2021
Gratitude: A Powerful Tool to Manage Your Baditude, Maditude, or Saditude
I am sitting here in my living room/pandemic office surrounded by bottles of hand sanitizer, masks, wipes, and sprays. My formerly fun and silly social media platforms are now inundated with videos, images, and articles highlighting any number of scenarios that read like possible plot lines in a dystopian novel.
Author: Casey Natalino
Date: November 3, 2020
Taking care of YOU when life is stressful
There is no denying that 2020 has been quite a year. To top it off, we’re in the thick of an election season that is causing substantial stress and polarization. According to the American Psychological Association1, 68% of Americans identified election-related stress as having a significant impact on their lives.
Author: Leslie Bradley
Date: November 2, 2020
Love, Loss, and Life Thereafter
When I'm out and about with my son, he gets a lot of attention. He has red hair and a very engaging smile. I'm lucky. When strangers interact with him, I often get questions like "is he your first?" or "how many others do you have?" I struggle with this question each time, unsure of how to answer.
Author: Gillian Taylor
Date: October 13, 2020
Wellness Coaching and YOU!
An interview with Maggie Rooney, APN, our resident Wellness Coach. Maggie is passionate about providing her clients with an alternative approach to self-care and wellness that affords them the opportunity to live their lives in an authentic, joyful way. Read on for more information about Maggie and her amazing practice!
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: October 13, 2020
Recovery Is So Much More Than Sobriety
There’s a major difference between sobriety and recovery. Sobriety is abstinence, not doing something. This might take the form of not doing a drug, not drinking, not gambling, not shopping, not having sex. It’s the opposite of the famous Nike slogan, “Just do it.” In this case “Just don’t do it.”
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: September 3, 2020
September is National Suicide Prevention Month
Suicide is a growing public health issue in the United States. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, clinicians answered approximately 2.2 million calls via the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and over 100K online chats in 2018 alone. It’s safe to say the demand and need for mental health care is dire and tangible.
Author: Katie Susik, Clinical Intern
Date: September 1, 2020
Getting Real about Breastfeeding
Every August, we celebrate Breastfeeding Awareness Month, with the first week of the month denoted as Worldwide Breastfeeding Week. As we celebrate this year, we acknowledge that a feeding journey is an incredibly personal experience, and how one chooses to feed their child is a decision to be made uniquely by each parent.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: July 31, 2020
July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month
In 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives proclaimed July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, now commonly referred to as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Mental Health Month. An NYT best-selling author and educator.
Author: Katie Susik, Clinical Intern
Date: July 8, 2020
A letter to those impacted by PTSD
The aftereffects of trauma are often invisible to the naked eye, but very much the new reality for someone experiencing it day in and day out. This letter acknowledges what I have heard firsthand from some of the bravest souls I have had the privilege to work with.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: May 26, 2020
Yoga Nidra and Helping Clients Heal
In honor of International Yoga Day on June 21, we want to carve out intentional time to treat our minds and nervous systems to some much needed rest and quietude! Cue yoga nidra (“yogic sleep”), a stress-relieving practice that guides us into a state of consciousness between our waking and sleeping selves.
Author: Katie Susik, Clinical Intern
Date: May 26, 2020
What You Need to Know about Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Do you know seven moms? One of them has struggled with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder. Do you know three moms of color? One of them has struggled with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder. Do you know ten dads? One of them has struggled with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder. These statistics should be concerning to you.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: April 28, 2020
Who Am I? Using COVID-19 for Self-Discovery
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided individuals across the world with more time to self-reflect than ever before. Spending more time at home and losing privileges like dining at our favorite restaurants, traveling and getting together with friends, to name a few, our minds and bodies are challenged to acclimate to this brand new, unexpected “lifestyle.”
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: April 6, 2020
What is the HAES® approach?
Living in the New Digital Age, we have learned through advertising, mass media, and non-inclusive marketing ploys that thinness equates to increased desirability. By being skinny, we will finally be able to achieve happiness. What a sad “truth” we have allowed to infiltrate our minds and hearts.
Author: Katie Susik, Clinical Intern
Date: March 1, 2020
3 Reasons to Stay Single (At Least For a While) After a Breakup
When you’ve ended a difficult marriage or relationship, you may feel like putting yourself back out there and start dating again. But here are some reasons why it’s best to stay single for a while.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: December 16, 2019
Getting Through the Holidays as New Parents
You might feel overwhelmed as you anticipate holiday celebrations with your new baby. You have needs, the baby has needs, and your loved ones have needs. How do you balance it all?
Author: Kate Nemchausky
Date: December 13, 2019
How to Practice Self-Compassion
Most of us from a young age are taught how to be kind, considerate and compassionate toward others. But rarely are we told to show the same consideration to ourselves. This becomes even more true for individuals brought up in abusive or unloving homes.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: December 2, 2019
Parenting in the Age of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are serious psychiatric illness, not unlike anxiety and depression. Individuals who suffer from one of these disorders use food in unhealthy ways to cope with difficult emotions and life situations.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: November 25, 2019
10 Signs You’re Addicted to Working
We live in a society that worships the overachiever. Burning the candle at both ends and denying yourself pleasure until the work gets done is seen as honorable. And while having a good work ethic is definitely key to living your best life, it is also important to balance your work life with a sense of play and freedom.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: August 19, 2019
4 Ways to Improve Communication in Your Relationship
If you’re reading this blog post, chances are you and your significant other have hit a snag in the relationship. Maybe you’re spending less time with each other and you’ve grown apart. Or maybe you do little else than argue these days.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: October 14, 2019
How to Cope with PTSD While Pregnant
Pregnancy can be an emotionally overwhelming experience for just about anybody. But for women with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it can be downright scary.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: October 8, 2019
Post-Baby Disconnect? 3 Ways to Stay More Connected After Having a Baby
No matter how many times they were warned, few new parents are prepared for the life-changing event of the birth of their first child. No more sleeping in on Saturday, then heading to your favorite restaurant for brunch with friends.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: October 21, 2019
Does Your Partner Have Postpartum Depression? 5 Signs to Watch
The birth of a new baby brings joy and wonder into our lives. But for many women, the first days and weeks after delivery are mentally and emotionally challenging. This is a result of the massive hormonal changes her body is going through.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: July 24, 2019
The Mental Health Dangers of an Over-Stuffed School Schedule
For their children to succeed as adults, many parents think they’ve got to be involved in numerous extracurricular activities. Perhaps we believe this abundance of activities will foster a sense of pride and accomplishment. But is this excessive involvement in activities doing more harm than good?
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: September 2, 2019
How to Tell if You’re a Highly Sensitive Person
Some people seem to be born with nerves on the outside of their skin. These people tend to be more sensitive than their parents, brothers and sisters, or the kids in their class. They can’t get through a movie (even a comedy!) or a TV commercial without shedding a few tears.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: August 26, 2019
How to Find Friends as an Adult
You may remember growing up, meeting your best friend on the playground or making friends in French class. As adults, we don’t have systems built in to make friends like we did as children. We can’t even reach out to loved ones for help, because while it’s socially acceptable to say “I’m looking for a boyfriend”, its not socially acceptable to say “I’m looking for a best friend.”
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: July 29, 2019
10 Signs You Might Be a “Highly Sensitive Person”
Are you a highly sensitive person (HSP)? If so, you’re not alone. It is estimated that roughly 15 to 20 percent of the population is highly sensitive. In fact, scientists now believe there is a gene behind this trait.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: July 15, 2019
How to Ask for Help in Times of Need
You probably remember a time in school or out shopping when you wanted to ask for help, but stopped yourself. You might have even had a prompt from the teacher: “Does anyone have any questions?” or from an associate “Is there something I can help you with?”. Still, even when it’s their job (or their joy) to help, you might hesitate.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: July 9, 2019
4 Subtle Signs of Trauma: When You’re Dealing with More Than You Think
When you think about someone experiencing trauma, incidents such as a violent or sexual assault or a terrible car accident might come to mind. But there are other, subtler forms of trauma that can negatively affect our lives and hinder our relationships.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: June 24, 2019
5 Empowering Mantra for Women Dealing with Workplace Disenfranchisement
For many women, the workplace continues to be a stressful, complicated arena. Women continue to face discrimination and gender bias. [...] While you may be unable to change your workplace, you can change how you perceive and react to challenging circumstances.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: June 17, 2019
Get Some Sleep! 5 Tips for Busting Through Your Insomnia
If you find yourself struggling to fall or stay asleep, you’re not alone. Insomnia, the chronic inability to get sufficient sleep, is a common problem affecting millions of Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2014 study, more than a third of Americans aren’t getting enough sleep on a daily basis.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: July 1, 2019
How to Fit Romance Back into Your Scheduled Sex Life
It’s the natural course of things in any romantic relationship: as time passes, the “newness” and “butterflies” gives way to routine. You always know what to expect from your partner, and you’ve heard all their stories. While your love for your partner has grown and matured along with you and your relationship, it’s not uncommon for what was once a fiery passion to have fizzled out over the years.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: June 11, 2019
The “Q” in LGBTQA: How Do I Know if I’m Not Straight?
The study of sexual orientation has been quite a controversial area of psychology, and one that continues to raise numerous questions: What makes a person identify as gay, and what percent of the population currently identify as such? Is sexual orientation determined solely by biology, or what role do early learning and other social experiences play?
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: June 8, 2019
5 Benefits of a Weekly Game Night for Your Mental Health
Our daily lives can get so busy. Obligations to work and family, as well as taking time to care for ourselves, can often make us forget to have a little fun. If the hustle and bustle of modern life has caused you to neglect your playful side, a weekly game night may be just what you need.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: June 3, 2019
Breaking the Ice: Tips on Making Female Friends at Work for Women
When we’re school aged, it’s easy to make friends. But as adults, women can sometimes feel on-guard around other women, especially in the workplace, and friendships can be harder to foster. Not only does this lack of friendship make going to work each day feel more challenging, but studies have found friendships, or a lack of friendships, has a big impact on our overall health and well-being.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: May 27, 2019
A Meditation Exercise You Can Do with Your Child
As a busy parent of a young child, you may find it challenging to find the time or space to meditate. One solution is to bring the two together, and have your child meditate with you.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: May 20, 2019
It’s Okay to Take a Break! Tips for New Moms on Asking for Help
As a new mother, you’ve probably noticed that taking care of yourself and a new baby at the same time is next to impossible. How are you supposed to make sure you are getting what you need to thrive when you are on call 24/7, responsible for keeping a new human being alive and happy?
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: May 13, 2019
Do New Moms Struggle with Low Self-Esteem?
Having a child is one of life’s most incredible experiences. It is also one of the most challenging situations that come with mood swings and psychological changes. If you’re a new mother who has been experiencing low self-esteem, you’re not alone.
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: May 6, 2019
New Year’s Resolutions: Why they never last.
It’s that time of year again when everyone affirms their new ways of living. These goals are intended to provide a “better you” and contribute to an exceptional renewed life. Then why do we find the majority of people excel at the goals put into place, only to find these new found behaviors coming to a screeching halt by march?
Author: Dawn Leprich-Graves
Date: January 2, 2018