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.

How do we destigmatize mental wellness and self-care in the workplace? This is a hot topic in the Human Resources world today. For a long time, mental health was not prioritized in the workplace. In fact, it can often be ignored or go unrecognized. Workplaces across the nation are pushing to reform mental health care and improve employee’s overall well-being.

Work related stress can trickle into home life, relationships, and overall well-being. Vice versa, stress at home, relationships, personal matters, etc. can affect your job performance. If you feel like any of these resonate with your current situation, I encourage you to reach out and speak to your Human Resources department!

Pride month may be coming to a close, but we continue to encourage everyone to stay informed, connected, and spread resources to those close to them!

If you, or someone you know, is looking to learn more, or is in need of additional support or services, here are some local and national LGBTQIA+ resources we want to share with you!

This blog will dive into non-verbal communication, or, body language, and the way this can enhance or detract from communication with your child. Awareness around the different elements of non-verbal communication can help set a conversation up for success and build a sense of closeness in a relationship. Strategic use of non-verbals can also enhance the effectiveness of communication and support memory and comprehension.

The phrase “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it'' has become a cliche at this point, but for good reason! There are many factors outside of the actual words being spoken that affect how communication is received. This blog will focus on paraverbal communication.

When you are engaged in communication with someone, you are either receiving information or sharing information. Different situations call for different balancing of these roles. Parenting often focuses on the sending, or speaking, role. In the course of giving directions and reminders, and sharing information we can unconsciously dominate the conversational space. Children are often relegated to the receiving, or listening, role. It is incredibly impactful when you create opportunities for your child to express themselves while offering yourself as an active listener.

How often are you met with a blank stare after asking your child how their day was? Are you tired of getting shrugged off when you ask questions, or knowing you’ve lost their attention when you’re trying to check-in? A desire for connection is at the heart of parent/child relationships, but dysfunctional communication can make us feel further apart than ever. To help close that gap and make you feel more empowered as parents, we’re going to share different strategies to help you build your communication toolkit.

There are a variety of things that can influence how motivated someone is feeling such as being overwhelmed, burned out, anxious, depressed, perfectionistic, rigid, fearful, and many more. One’s motivation (or lack thereof)  may depend on a number of factors. Here are some tips that you can use to help you increase motivation. 

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!

If you are suffering from anxiety and/or depression, you may be relieved to know that there are many effective treatments that do not involve pharmaceutical medications. A combination of lifestyle changes and therapies can help alleviate these conditions and improve overall health and well-being.

A client once said to me…
Maybe the purpose of life is finding your purpose
Otherwise you’re not really living, just waking up.
Those lines have always resonated with me
Because maybe life really is that simple
Simply living so that eventually I could find me…

An original poem by Dereka Ross, LCPC

In a world where technology has taken over and everything is so readily accessible in the palm of our hand, it comes as no surprise that there are endless tasks we can manage by simply unlocking our smartphones. Banking, messaging, tweeting, and emailing. The list goes on!  But did you know that you can work on your mental health by downloading a simple app?

In this post, I’ll be going over some of my favorite, free mental health apps I like to use on a daily basis! Feel free to give them a try and see whether they’re the right ones for you!

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!

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.

In the field of counseling there are an endless number of approaches that are used for working with clients and various mental health concerns. Of these approaches, one of the most commonly used and talked about is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

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.

Sometimes the people closest to you struggle with their mental health, and it can be difficult to see them struggle. It can be equally difficult to initiate a conversation about what you’re observing. If you really want your friend or family member to get the help they need, however, this conversation is an important step.

When incorporating art into therapy, the emphasis is on the artmaking process. It’s not about how well you can draw or how talented you are. Instead, we focus on the thoughts and emotions that surface during the activity. For a better understanding of how this works, let’s look at a common art activity, also known as an art directive.

Having a panic attack can be really unsettling. Sometimes people have a sense of impending doom or think they’re having a heart attack. They may also find themselves going to the emergency room as a result. This article will help you identify symptoms of panic attacks as well as some strategies you can use to help.

Mindfulness is about working to be present in your current activities and moments. Additionally, it has been shown to help alleviate the intensity of anxiety symptoms. Sometimes mindfulness activities can seem daunting to fit into your schedule, or complicated to execute. Here are some quick ways that you can incorporate more mindfulness into your day.