Educational Blogs from Our Mental Health Therapists

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

When The Holiday Hurts

I remember growing up and being excited for holidays. My mom was always so careful to make sure my brother and I had everything we wanted, all carefully wrapped in perfect bows under the tree. Holidays growing up were a special time where we could come together as a family and share in the love, joy, hope  and peace the season brings. I look back fondly over the childhood memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas, but recently, I’ve noticed a crack in the rose colored glasses I’ve fought hard to protect. 

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How to Give the Ultimate Holiday Gift Based on Someone’s Love Language

If you’re familiar with Dr. Gary Chapman’s Book on The 5 Love Languages, then you know just how impactful it can be when you show someone love according to their own love language.  You might also be aware of how impactful it can be when someone shows YOU love according to YOUR love language.  As we enter into this gift-giving holiday season, it’s worth keeping our friends and family members’ love languages in mind, so we can give a gift that TRULY hits the spot! 

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Mindfulness, Relationships, Communication Skills Melissa Wesner Mindfulness, Relationships, Communication Skills Melissa Wesner

Holiday Gift Giving Mistakes to Avoid

When we fail to recognize another person’s love language in our gift-giving, we can miss the mark, despite making a genuine effort to show thoughtfulness and care.  When we fail to give a gift according to someone’s love language, the gift recipient can be left feeling overlooked and unappreciated.  In this blog, I’ll be sharing some gift giving mistakes from my own life (or others I know), so you can avoid making them this holiday season! 

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Boundary Setting, Recovery, Business Owners Melissa Wesner Boundary Setting, Recovery, Business Owners Melissa Wesner

Things Your Employees In Substance Use Recovery Want You to Know

“Treating” their employees sometimes means providing alcohol at these gatherings. After all, alcohol is a more expensive offering that many people recognize and appreciate.  Having said that, making alcohol available at these gatherings can present unexpected challenges for your employees who are in recovery.  After 7 years of working in drug and alcohol treatment and years of providing therapy to professionals in recovery, here are some things for companies to know as they plan their company’s events. 

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How Companies Can Be Mindful of Employees in Recovery Around the Holidays

It’s not uncommon for some companies to have alcohol available at their holiday parties or large annual gatherings.  While the company itself might see this as a nice treat for their employees, the availability of alcohol can present unwanted challenges for people who are working really hard to maintain their sobriety.  Additionally, there are a number of other reasons why employees might not be interested in consuming alcohol at their company gatherings (religious beliefs, health reasons, medications, etc.).  Here are 6 strategies companies can use to be mindful of employees who do not drink alcohol when planning their next corporate gathering. 

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Depression Melissa Wesner Depression Melissa Wesner

Loneliness and Valentine's Day: Gaining Insight & Changing Your Perspective

Valentine’s Day can be a mixed bag of emotions. Some people love it, others romanticize it, and others hate it. Loneliness, anxiety, low self-esteem, grief and loss, and trauma are all very real and prevalent feelings individuals have around this time of year.

While Valentine’s Day has come and gone, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone in your feelings, and we’re here to help put things in perspective and find creative ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day in the years to come (and the other days of the year!).

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COVID-19, International Clients Melissa Wesner COVID-19, International Clients Melissa Wesner

疫情下如何缓解想家的情绪

2020年初爆发的疫情,到现在已经持续很长一段时间了。什么时候能彻底结束恢复正常谁也不知道,但大家都希望能早点恢复到以前的样子,我们就可以回国看望父母或者朋友了,大家也可以出国旅行了。疫情期间,在美国境内飞行看望朋友或者家人相对容易很多。但对于那些家人和朋友都在美国境外的人来讲,见面就很难了。国际航班全面取消,各种限制,导致节假日跟家人见面就更加困难了。

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COVID-19, International Clients Melissa Wesner COVID-19, International Clients Melissa Wesner

Ways to Manage Emotions When You Can't Visit International Family During the Holidays

It has been a long journey since the pandemic has spread globally beginning January 2020. How long will it take to be back to normal? No one knows the answer, but we all hope that it will end soon, so that we can travel internationally. It’s relatively easier to fly domestically in the US to see friends, relatives and family if they are in another state. But, it’s not quite the case for those who have families who live outside of the United States. Traveling internationally has prevented many of us from reuniting with families to celebrate any holidays.

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Grief and Loss Melissa Wesner Grief and Loss Melissa Wesner

Facing the Holidays After a Loss

Although “tis the season to be jolly,” the arrival of the holiday season can be poignantly sad and difficult for those who have experienced grief or loss. Holidays are a time rich in memories and rituals, and the contrast of the present to the past can be overwhelming. For many, things just aren’t the same anymore, hearts aren’t into planning all that needs to be done, and there is an overall feeling of wanting to fast-forward through this time period.

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Faith-Based Melissa Wesner Faith-Based Melissa Wesner

“Have a Happy...”

Ever feel like the odd man out? Dancing to the beat of a different drum? That’s how some of us start to feel once fall begins turning into winter. Suddenly it feels like the whole world is busy talking about decking the halls with boughs of holly, jingle bells and open sleighs, and letting it snow when dreaming of a white Christmas. So many folks out there just assume we’re all part of the gift-buying, carol-singing, glitzy- holiday décor collectors in the frenzied countdown to the end of December. Indeed, there’s no way to escape the season, whether looking online, going to a store, or joining in the water-cooler talk at work.

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Mindfulness Melissa Wesner Mindfulness Melissa Wesner

Mindfulness and Thanksgiving

Around this time of year, many of my clients come to me for help with managing the stresses that come along with the Thanksgiving holiday. In the spirit of mindfulness, I encourage my clients to examine and challenge their beliefs (and accompanying behaviors) that may be making the holiday less healthy or more stressful. I have noticed two reoccurring automatic assumptions related to Thanksgiving that I’d like to share, along with mindfulness-based recommendations that I offer my clients to help make this a happier and healthier holiday.

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Resources, Trauma and PTSD Melissa Wesner Resources, Trauma and PTSD Melissa Wesner

Trauma Pot Pie

Sometimes we crave creature comforts, and often this means comfort foods because they provide psychological comfort and are often associated with positive memories from our life. It got me thinking about chicken pot pie. I know you must be wondering “why on earth chicken pot pie?”. Simple....because who among us doesn’t need to feel encapsulated or protected at times by a thick shell? I often use this analogy with my clients when we talk about trauma and grief, anxiety and depression.

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