Educational Blogs from Our Mental Health Therapists

Learn about common challenges, including depression, anxiety, relationships,
trauma, and more, written by Maryland therapists!

Ways That You Can Make New, Healthy Friends as an Adult in Baltimore City, MD

Many young adults fall into the trap of hanging out at the bars with their friends when they’d actually really like to be engaging in healthy activities like yoga, hiking, kayaking, and book clubs. Other adults tell us that their children are too busy for them or that they’re struggle to rediscover who they are now that their children are out of the home. If you’re in Baltimore City, know that we’ve created a small list of activities and organizations we love where you can engage in healthy activities and build a group of new friends too! 

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Depression, Anxiety, Motivation, Online Counseling Melissa Wesner Depression, Anxiety, Motivation, Online Counseling Melissa Wesner

Things Our Maryland Therapists Want You to Know If You’ve Been Avoiding Starting Therapy

Have you been dreading the idea of starting therapy? Perhaps you’ve been dragging your feet, even though you know that it’s a good idea. Or perhaps you don’t really want to do therapy, but everyone around you is encouraging you to go.  If that’s the case, here are some things that our Maryland therapists want you to know!

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Ways That You Can Make New (& Healthy) Friends as an Adult in Baltimore County, MD

As therapists, we regularly hear clients (and friends) talk about how difficult it is to make friends as an adult. Not only that, but many of our clients tell us just how hard it is to make friends while engaging in activities that are healthy.  If you live in Baltimore County, and you’re tired of the bar scene, know that there are plenty of options out there. We asked some of our therapists to share some of their favorite Baltimore County resources where you can meet new people, and this is their list. 

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5 Tips to Prevent and Manage Conflicts with College Roommates

For many people, college is an exciting opportunity to move away from home, find and explore your passions, and have a little bit of fun. For many people, college is also a time to explore what it is like to have roommates, and typically, they live, sleep, and eat only about six feet away from you. Living with anyone can be hard, and it is especially difficult to live with someone during one of the most stressful, exciting, and transitional times of your life. Conflicts, especially with roommates, are inevitable, so it is important to know how to navigate (and maybe even prevent some of) these uncomfortable situations. 

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College Students, Resources, Anxiety Melissa Wesner College Students, Resources, Anxiety Melissa Wesner

Mastering the Art of Time Management: Helpful Tips for Busy College Students

Are you the type of college student that LOVES to be busy? You’re probably taking a full academic course load, working an on-campus job, and involved in several clubs and organizations. Combine all of your obligations with your desire to have a social life (which is so important for your well-being!), you’re probably exhausted and looking for a way to navigate the busy college years and make time for it all. Trust me, I’ve been there too! Here are a few of my favorite tried and true ways to master the art of time management.

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Internships, College Students, Resources Melissa Wesner Internships, College Students, Resources Melissa Wesner

Top Reasons to Do Your Internship at LifeSpring Counseling Services

Choosing an internship site is an important decision. The experience you get and the site you choose have the potential to significantly impact your future directions, career opportunities, and skills. You want to choose a site that will give you opportunities that are in alignment with your interests and areas of desired growth. Here’s hoping that this will provide you with the guidance you need to make thoughtful decisions about internship opportunities that have the potential to greatly impact your future.

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College Students Melissa Wesner College Students Melissa Wesner

Adjusting to Life After Competitive Sports

Sports tend to be a long-term commitment and a significant commitment of time. Being dedicated to sports can become something that feels like a lifestyle and can shape the way you live your life even outside of practices and competitions. Therefore, adjusting to life after sports can be a significant change and a tough adjustment for many people.

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Anxiety, College Students, Resources Melissa Wesner Anxiety, College Students, Resources Melissa Wesner

How to Effectively Prepare For Final Exams as a Stressed College Student

College finals are an extremely stressful period of time. Final exams can be daunting, given the culmination of a semester’s worth of information. Multiple exams can add to the stress of finishing a semester. How you prepare for finals can have an impact on how you make it through them. Having a game plan and strategy for your finals can make a difference in how they go. If you are looking for some guidance to approach your finals exams, then keep reading!

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Resources, College Students Melissa Wesner Resources, College Students Melissa Wesner

Organization Strategies for College Students to Help Time Management

Strong organization strategies can be extremely helpful for completing everything you need to get done and for maximizing your time. Having strong organizational skills helps maintain and support time management. Organization is very important for many aspects of your life, but particularly college. Keep reading if you are looking for some easy small steps to help with organization!

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Resources Melissa Wesner Resources Melissa Wesner

Ways to Improve Your Time Management Skills to Reduce Stress

Hectic schedules can be quite distressing and intimidating. Sometimes it can feel like we have a million things to do and no time to do it, or it may feel like we have so many things we want to do but are unsure when to fit it in. Having strong and reliable time management skills is very important for reducing the stress associated with situations like this. Time management skills can be beneficial in a variety of settings such as college, graduate school, parenting, careers, social activities, and engaging in self care. Strong time management skills can help to make sure you complete the things you have to do, and find time to do the things you want to do.

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Resources Melissa Wesner Resources Melissa Wesner

How to Care for Yourself When Someone in Your Life Will Not Seek Therapy

Sometimes, the people we care about are struggling with their mental health and are not willing to seek help. If you have already tried talking to them and the conversation did not go well, you may be left feeling frustrated, confused, and unsure of how to proceed. Unfortunately, there are times when other people’s unwillingness to seek counseling causes distress in our own lives. This article will talk about how you can look after yourself when you are feeling the burden or ramifications of someone close to you not seeking therapy.

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College Students, Anxiety, Depression Melissa Wesner College Students, Anxiety, Depression Melissa Wesner

Managing Your Mental Health and Taking Care of Yourself as a College Student

Taking care of yourself and your mental health is always important, but it is extra important while in college. Making sure that your mental health is stable is beneficial to you while in college because it will help you better balance all of your responsibilities. Conversely, if you are struggling with your mental health, it can contribute to issues such as reducing productivity, focus, and overall performance in school. Here are some ways that you can try to take care of your mental health while pursuing your degree.

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College Students, Burnout, Anxiety Melissa Wesner College Students, Burnout, Anxiety Melissa Wesner

Common College Stressors and How Mental Health Therapy Can Help Manage Your Anxiety

While it’s not uncommon to hear people talk about college as the best years of their lives, the reality is that college can be an incredibly stressful time for young adults. Because of the many positive things we hear about others’ college experiences, college students may experience surprise at the actual number of stressors involved in college life. Here, you’ll find a list of common college stressors faced by students and ways that mental health therapy can help.

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Depression, Resources Melissa Wesner Depression, Resources Melissa Wesner

How to Help a Friend Who is Thinking About Suicide

The topic of suicide is one that can make people feel really nervous.  The average person isn’t trained to recognize the warning signs of suicide or how to respond in a way that’s helpful.  As a result, we can feel panicky and helpless when someone we know shares that they’re having these thoughts. Here are some steps you can take to help a friend, family member, or colleague who discloses that they’re thinking about suicide. 

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College Students, International Clients Melissa Wesner College Students, International Clients Melissa Wesner

心理咨询师给留学生的10个建议

留学生活往往比我们当初想象的要难,是否有时候感到远在大洋彼岸的父母无法理解自己?是否有很多压力都无法和身边朋友提及?生活中碰到了各种困难常常感到委屈?俗话说,心病还需心药医,作为华人心理咨询师,在此给你10个非常有效的建议。

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College Students, International Clients Melissa Wesner College Students, International Clients Melissa Wesner

10 Strategies for Helping You Adjust to Life as an International Student

Studying abroad can be harder than we think, sometimes we may think that our family and friends might not understand the situation we are living in, and it’s hard to convey these thoughts and feelings to them accurately. Mental health is as essential as your physical health, and needs to be cared for. When you are feeling sick, you may want to rest. If you  are having any concerns about your health, you consult with a doctor. Perhaps you can’t fall asleep because you’re stressing about an exam, feeling depressed because of homesickness, and experience lowered energy which is keeping you from enjoying life. These are all symptoms to be mindful of, and it’s important to know that there are solutions for those concerns.

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