Educational Blogs from Our Mental Health Therapists

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

Resources, Business Owners, Depression, COVID-19 Melissa Wesner Resources, Business Owners, Depression, COVID-19 Melissa Wesner

Social Wellness for Solopreneurs: Confronting Loneliness in Entrepreneurial Ventures

At the start of the pandemic, many remote capable entrepreneurs were forced to begin working from home.  This was great for physical health and safety, but not so great for social and emotional well-being.  During the pandemic, many entrepreneurs (including therapists in private practice) reported increasing feelings of isolation and disconnection.

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Burnout, Resources, Anxiety, Business Owners, Depression Melissa Wesner Burnout, Resources, Anxiety, Business Owners, Depression Melissa Wesner

Mental Health Resources for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are a unique group, and they face distinct work and lifestyle challenges as a result of their work. While there are a wide-range of mental health resources available to the community at large, it can be more challenging to find resources and services designed specifically for entrepreneurs.  We hope you’ll be able to use this list to identify resources that will be helpful to you. 

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Brainspotting, Depression, Online Counseling Melissa Wesner Brainspotting, Depression, Online Counseling Melissa Wesner

Finding Relief Through The Power of Brainspotting: Treating Depression

Depression is a common mental health condition that affects millions of people around the world. It can cause feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of energy and motivation, making it difficult to enjoy life and perform daily activities. While there are many different treatments available for depression, including medication and talk therapy, one newer approach is Brainspotting.

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Anxiety, Depression, Resources Melissa Wesner Anxiety, Depression, Resources Melissa Wesner

How Doctors’ Offices Can Prioritize Patients’ Mental Health and Wellness

In today's world, mental health has become a growing concern and more people are seeking help to manage their mental health issues. Doctors' offices can play a significant role in addressing the mental health needs of their patients by providing support and resources. Here are some ways that doctors' offices can support their patients' mental health.

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Anxiety, Depression, Parenting, Resources Melissa Wesner Anxiety, Depression, Parenting, Resources Melissa Wesner

Post-Weaning Depression and Its Effects on a New Mom's Mental Health

Shortly after I started weaning my toddler, sadness engulfed me. I felt like melted ice cream, honestly. This led me down a rabbit hole of reading. I am sure that you are joining me in my surprise that as a therapist, a former educator, and a mother who reads every parenting article I can get my hands on, I had never heard of post-weaning depression. Well, I think that the answer is two-fold. From what I can gather, there is limited research on post-weaning depression. This blog is centered on raising awareness on post-weaning depression, along with an encouragement for greater societal attention and research.

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Resources, Biases, Oppression, Depression, Recovery Melissa Wesner Resources, Biases, Oppression, Depression, Recovery Melissa Wesner

Important Mental Health Awareness Dates to Add to Your Calendar

Every year, several organizations and programs dedicate time to bring awareness to certain topics, including mental health, substance use, stress management, and more. Over the course of the year, each organization and/or program brings awareness, reduces stigma, offers a variety of shareable resources, and hosts helpful events locally and nationally. If you’re looking to learn more about a particular topic, share helpful resources, and partake in local opportunities, be sure to mark your calendars with these important dates!

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Recognizing and Treating Compassion Fatigue & Burnout with Helping Professions

Our dedication to others makes us well-suited for positions within helping professions; whether you’re a fellow therapist, a medical provider, a first responder, a humanitarian aid worker, the ability to meet humans with unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding is key. Compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout can affect the best of caregivers.

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The Internal Fight Against Anxiety and Depression: a CBT Based Coping Skill

This is a recommendation I provide all my clients experiencing anxiety and depression, to put up a “fight” with their negative thoughts. I do not want this internal dialogue to be in contempt, but rather provide your mind with the alternative perspective- one that a parent may provide a child. You are the parent. You are in charge. Your anxious thoughts are your inner child. Your job- and it takes practice- is to explain to the “child” why their concerns are not actuality or that should they become actualized that they- you- can handle it. This models the value of thought reframing and prevention of catastrophizing. So here are a few examples.

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Depression, Anxiety Melissa Wesner Depression, Anxiety Melissa Wesner

“我怕被诊断出抑郁症!”—理诊断给您造成更大的心理压力吗?

“你对这个诊断怎么看?”我几乎每接待一位新来访者,都要问他们这个问题。尽管心理健康服务者早已对心理障碍的诊断习以为常,但每一位来访者经过初步咨询,得知自己所得的心理障碍是什么的时候,每个人的反应都是不同的,这背后是不同的想法、感受和经历。

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Depression, Anxiety Melissa Wesner Depression, Anxiety Melissa Wesner

Does Receiving a Diagnosis From a Therapist Cause Mental Health Stigma?

“How do you feel about receiving a diagnosis?” That is a question I almost always ask when doing an intake with a new client. Although diagnoses are something therapists deal with on a daily basis, everyone may have different feelings, thoughts, and experiences around diagnoses, especially when they receive one from a professional during the intake meeting.

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Relationships, Depression, Trauma and PTSD Melissa Wesner Relationships, Depression, Trauma and PTSD Melissa Wesner

Repair, Not Re-Traumatize: Beginning to Heal Relationship Wounds

“Can he/she just move on?” People sometimes get frustrated about their partner’s unforgiveness. They have to tiptoe around their partner, trying to avoid their raw spots. “Ever since then, she has become super sensitive about my interactions with other women on social media,” said someone who discussed his wife’s “overaction” after he entered into an affair years ago. 

The truth is, without genuine emotional connection between both parties, without corrective emotional response from the injured person, without actions that met the deep needs that have been ignored for so long,  “moving-on” would be extremely hard, if not impossible.

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Depression, Anxiety, Mindfulness, Resources Melissa Wesner Depression, Anxiety, Mindfulness, Resources Melissa Wesner

Women's Mental Health and Ways to Improve Overall Wellbeing

Women are often raised with messages about being caring, nurturing, thoughtful, and family oriented.  These communicated values, as well as the behaviors that we have observed in the women before us, sometimes result in continued patterns of taking care of others while putting our own wants, needs, and self-care on the back burner.

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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, Depression, Grief and Loss, Trauma and PTSD Melissa Wesner COVID-19, Depression, Grief and Loss, Trauma and PTSD Melissa Wesner

How to Begin to Heal From Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Counseling for anxiety, depression and grief sharply increased since the pandemic, and it has been more common for us to acknowledge that we may be in pain, in sorrow, and in grief. Since the outburst of COVID-19, the pandemic has not only created stress, anxiety and uncertainty about the future, but it has also made us feel some type of loss. The healing process takes time and effort for us to heal globally and individually.

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Depression Melissa Wesner Depression Melissa Wesner

Signs and Symptoms of Depression & What to Look For

Depression is a mood disorder that includes sadness, feelings of emptiness, irritability, and physical and cognitive changes. These symptoms can be distressing and disrupt your day-to-day life. These symptoms can also vary in severity and intensity. Depression sometimes creates difficulty getting out of bed, consistent crying, severe fatigue, and complete social withdrawal. Here are the symptoms of depression that can be both severe and subtle.

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