Grief Is Messy
Another black man dies. Let’s pause to acknowledge his name, George Floyd. George mattered as a human being. So did Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and many others that have died before them. Grief is messy. What is different, or…
The Pandemic Pivot: An Essential Element in Our Story
If I were the gambling type, I bet that the word of the year for 2020 will be “pivot”. And rightfully so! This 5-letter gem encapsulates what has been required of each and every one of us as we endure…
Stay-at-Home Orders Increase the Need for Creative Self-Care Strategies
“An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” This old adage refers to tending to one’s physical health as an effective way to avoid the need for medical intervention. Our body has clear ways for letting us know that we…
Finding Social Connection in the Midst of a Pandemic
We are in the midst of a public health crisis with one of the most highly contagious viruses any of us will experience in our lifetimes. COVID-19 isn’t like anything we have experienced before. Our government officials, medical professionals, and…
Counseling During a Public Health Crisis: The Rise of Telemental Health
Mental health services are needed now, perhaps more than ever. Research indicates that telemental health services are just as effective as in-person, traditional counseling. The biggest advantage of telemental health services is access to care. During a time like the…
How I see you, how you see me: Incorporating Dominant View into our Relationships
Relationships are complex and fun. They take work, attention, time, patience and a positive view. By “positive view” I am not referring to optimism; instead, I want to uncover a super important concept that will change how you act, react,…
“That must be so hard”: Using Relational Validation
Although it seems like it should be a verb, the word “validation” comes up as a noun when looking for the definition. Perhaps I can refer to it as an “interactional noun” to feel better about it. As a marriage…
Social Media as Part of Your Self-Care Plan
Mental health care is an individualized, multi-faceted process that each of us employs (hopefully intentionally). Social media and self-care plan can work together and be apart of your overall plan. Your mental health care plan may include a vast variety…
Resetting as a Core Skill to Improve Mental Health
Taking internal action to reset is a super useful life management skill to master. Those in the meditation world refer to this process as “grounding” or “centering”. For me, I keep things simple and refer to it as “resetting”. As…
Manage Versus Control
So many of us crave more control in our lives. In fact, the perception of being out of control is often linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression. We believe that with control comes predictability and being ready for any…
Life Without Regret
Regret is defined as a feeling of sadness or disappointment over something that has happened or been done. Perhaps one of the most difficult experiences I encounter is that of regret. Having no control to go back in time and…
Setting Effective Boundaries: The Practice of Saying “No”
In a room full of women, if the question were to be asked how many of you have difficulty saying no, my assumption is that that majority of hands would raise. As a mental health practitioner, it has been my…