Have you ever seen the memes on social media talking about how you signed up for therapy because of the people who won’t sign up for therapy in your life? This is a real thing!! We’ve been asked on more than one occasion, what people can do when someone they love needs therapy but won’t seek it. To answer this question, we’ve compiled tips from 5 LifeSpring therapists. 

Many mental health agencies and group practices offer their provisionally licensed counselors and social workers free supervision as part of their benefits package.  When something is offered for free, however, we can sometimes take it for granted.  In this article, we’ll talk with you about the ways that you can truly appreciate and maximize your experience in supervision. We’ll be talking about this from the perspective of a supervisor and supervisee. 

First responders – police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) – are the cornerstones of our communities. You bravely step into the face of danger to help others, making a real difference every single day.

However, constant exposure to traumatic events can leave lasting emotional scars. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common challenge faced by first responders, significantly impacting your well-being and ability to function. This blog aims to equip you with knowledge about PTSD in first responders.

Here at LifeSpring Counseling, we believe therapy can play a powerful role in helping first responders find balance and peace in their lives.

What are the key mental health challenges teachers face during the school year?

Teachers are like jugglers in a mental circus, keeping countless balls in the air – curriculum expectations, student behavior, individualized needs, parent communication, and the ever-present pressure to perform. While the rewards of teaching are immense, the emotional toll can be significant.

Here at LifeSpring Counseling, we believe therapy can play a powerful role in helping teachers find balance and peace in their lives.

How can teachers create a balanced schedule to prevent burnout?

Juggling lesson plans, student needs, and the ever-growing demands of the education system can leave your personal life feeling like a forgotten melody.

But creating a healthy work-life balance is essential to prevent burnout and keep the joy alive in your teaching career.

Here at LifeSpring Counseling, we believe therapy can play a powerful role in helping teachers find balance and peace in their lives.

At LifeSpring, we foster a welcoming and positive work environment for the providers who choose us as their place of employment. Our office has several LGPCs, LCPCs, and LCSW-Cs who have come to us grow their expertise, and we are happy to be able to provide them several workplace benefits, such as paid time off/holidays, health insurance, 401k plans with matching, life insurance, short-term disability, CEU and training opportunities, and more.

While these workplace benefits are part of what makes LifeSpring a great place to work, we also provide other perks to providers who choose to work with us, some you might not have even thought about!

How Do Night Shifts Affect a Nurse's Mental and Physical Health?Our bodies are like finely tuned machines, and they crave routine. Enter night shifts – the ultimate schedule disrupter. They throw a wrench into our natural circadian rhythm, that internal clock that governs our sleep-wake cycles. Think of it like constantly resetting your alarm – confusing, right?  This disruption has a domino effect on your overall health, leading to a cascade of issues.

Here at LifeSpring Counseling, we believe therapy can play a powerful role in heling nurses find balance and peace in their lives.

As a licensed counselor, social worker, or psychologist, you’ve had to undergo supervision in order to obtain your license. Once the required supervision hours have been met, however, our only requirements for continued growth are through continued education.  Fortunately, many licensing Boards allow attendance at peer consultation meetings to count towards the continuing education requirements. In this article, we’ll be talking about peer consultation and the benefits of it, even after you’ve become fully licensed. 

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to achieve your goals and build strong relationships. While some people seem to be naturally gifted with high EQ, the good news is, EQ can be learned and developed.

Here at LifeSpring Counseling, we believe therapy can play a powerful role in fostering emotional intelligence.

If you think about it, your doctor probably has a doctor and that doctor probably also has a doctor. Your teacher had a teacher who was taught by another teacher. Your mailman has a mailman who has a mailman and your dentist has a dentist…who has a dentist!

So, why is it harder for therapists to see or talk about their own therapists?

The world of work is constantly evolving, and with it comes the reality of career changes. Whether it's a planned shift, an unexpected layoff, or the pursuit of a long-held dream, career transitions can be emotionally charged.

Here at LifeSpring Counseling, we understand the challenges that come with changing careers, and we want to assure you that therapy can be a valuable source of support.

As a therapist in private group practice, I’ve spent several years developing my professional identity. I look back on the first year of my work fondly and with a lot of empathy, because I learned a lot of valuable insight about myself, others, and the world of therapy. If you’re a new therapist, perhaps these ideas could be valuable to you as you begin your job search and hopefully help you get a great start to your career!

As a clinician with several years of experience in private group practice, I’ve gotten to know a lot about the signs of a workplace environment that supports therapists. When thinking about what to look for in a healthy workplace, some things that come to mind might include PTO, directors & supervisors who are accessible, or regularly receiving positive feedback. I’ve found these things to be true at LifeSpring, AND I’ve noticed in my time several other ways that I’ve felt personally supported and encouraged as an employee of this group. So I’ve decided to explore those a bit here! 

Life throws curveballs. Sometimes, it feels like these curveballs come one after another, leaving us feeling lost, overwhelmed, and unsure how to move forward. Whether you're facing a job loss, a health scare, a relationship breakup, or any other major life challenge, you're not alone.

While these challenges can be incredibly difficult, they also present opportunities for growth and self-discovery. Therapy can be a powerful tool in helping you not just survive these challenges, but to truly thrive in the aftermath.

You’ve heard of speed dating, but have you ever considered how nice it would be if you could speed interview a bunch of therapists at the same time, so you could quickly decide who’s the best fit for you? You can always schedule consultation calls with various therapists to ask them some questions and see which person feels like the best fit.

If you spend time on the mental health side of the internet or talk with people who do, you may be familiar with the term neurodivergent. However, if you are not and want to know more about it, you have come to the right place!

Neurodivergent refers to brains that work or develop differently from the average development or thinking pattern of the neurotypical brain and occurs due to a variety of reasons, such as mental or medical disorders.

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. 

Depression and anxiety often go hand in hand. They’re like two good friends who like to hang out!  Depression and anxiety show up so frequently, that our therapists are regularly providing support and coping strategies to people who are looking to manage their symptoms.  We’ve asked 4 of our therapists to share some of their favorite strategies for managing depression and anxiety.  See what they had to say.

As therapists, we are regularly talking with people about boundary setting. While boundaries are often necessary, the idea of setting them can create a lot of anxiety for people. To support you in your boundary setting, we’ve asked several of our Baltimore County therapists to share some of their favorite tips for setting healthy boundaries.

Have you ever participated in therapy before? You might not realize this, but there are a number of things that therapists want you to know. We asked four of our mental health therapists in Maryland to share the key things they’d like their clients to know.