Record numbers of voters came out to vote this election cycle from both sides of the aisle. Tension and anxiety is running high as the continuity of people's values and beliefs are coming into play. If this cycle proves to be anything like the election of 2000, we may be in for the long haul as recounts and court decisions are made before deciding on the outcome of our next presidential election. In the meantime, millions of people are left with a feeling of anxiety and fear. Some of the anxiety is what we call “anticipatory anxiety,” meaning that we worry about what may happen or play out as things progress. The problem is that there is no way to know what will result, and the best we can do is to keep ourselves emotionally healthy during the process.

The church can be an important place for supporting people’s spiritual and social needs.  Whether or not the church is a positive place for supporting mental health just depends on the church you’re attending and the messages they’re conveying, verbally or nonverbally.  There are church communities that send messages that discourage people from seeking the mental health treatment they need, and there are others who actively support it. 

I’m including two lists for you to review.  One highlights the unhealthy messages often received about mental health in the church, and the other shows a more positive approach to addressing mental health in the church. These lists have been compiled through my own experiences and those of my clients. 

Growing up in the church, I heard people talk about “the old days,” when people thought it was a lack of faith if you went to see the doctor. Today, many of us would find a statement like that odd and outdated. Unfortunately, I have come to believe that we have not come so far after all. Although we no longer hear people describe seeing a primary care doctor as showing lack of faith, this message does persist when it comes to mental health care.

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. 

You’ve heard the familiar question, “Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?” Most everyone has experienced what it’s like to not have had a good night's sleep.  Unfortunately, not getting enough sleep can be more challenging for some than others.  This lack of sleep can result in fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and even headaches. On top of that, lack of sleep can result in mood lability. After a serious lack of sleep, have you ever felt the urge to cry, even though the topic at hand is not one that would typically make you cry?  Getting the sleep we need is crucial for our physical and mental health. 

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。

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.

For many therapists, telehealth has historically not been a modality of interest. After all, many therapists love meeting with their clients in person, and there was concern about whether or not the same connection and observations could be made while on a screen. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has forced most everyone to consider the potential benefits of online counseling services.  While therapists and clients alike may have been nervous about using new technologies, the personal accounts below show that there have been some pleasant surprises along the way.  

2020 has been a year unlike any other!  After months of being quarantined at home, you may be craving opportunities for leisure and self-care that won’t take a toll on your physical or emotional well-being. As such, we’ve included a list of our favorite Baltimore area spaces where you can enjoy yourself while also following best practices during this pandemic.

Back in March the pandemic hit us like a tsunami wave.  Within a few weeks our entire world as we knew it abruptly shut down.  Work and schools were closed as we all sheltered in place.  Our world was filled with chaos as we tried to listen to the doctors, scientists, and government officials who knew very little about this new beast.

In our pre-pandemic lives we established a sense of expectation and predictability.  We had our goals and aspirations that we were working towards.  We had a sense of stability and systems in place as we strove towards our goals. When the pandemic hit, many of those plans and aspirations had to be shelved, either temporarily or permanently. 

If you’re receiving counseling services, then you have 45-60 minutes each week to work with your therapist.  If you want to maximize your time, energy, and resources, here are some steps you can take to get the most out of your appointment.

If you haven’t been feeling great, but aren’t sure when it’s time to seek counseling, we hope this article will clarify that question. Firstly, counseling is for everyone, and if you’re questioning if counseling might be beneficial for you, then that’s probably your first indicator that it’s worth looking into.  Before you continue reading, please remember that seeking counseling is a sign of strength and insight. It’s a sign that you care about yourself and want to make sure that you feel better. 

At LifeSpring, the majority of people who contact us about counseling services are looking to use their health insurance.  While some people are familiar with their mental health benefits when they call us, we have found that most are not.  For this reason, we’re providing a step-by-step guide to learning about your personal health plan’s mental health benefits.  

If you are going to look for a therapist, you are naturally going to want to find someone who is a good fit for you.  What you may not realize is that this is actually REALLY important.  Studies show that having a good working relationship with your therapist is one of the most important predictors of success in therapy.  In fact, having a positive therapeutic relationship with your mental health provider has been shown to be even more important than the treatment modality that your provider uses. And, this makes sense. If you don’t feel understood, respected, or cared for, it will be difficult for you to trust your provider and to share with them. 

If you have never had to look for a mental health provider before, you may be at a loss for how to get started. In this short and sweet article, we’ll give you some super easy options for finding a therapist. After all, we want you to be able to access counseling services as quickly and seamlessly as possible. 

Brainspotting is definitely not talk therapy as usual.  For this reason, people are often unsure of what to expect.  I find that it’s helpful to be as clear as possible about what to expect during a Brainspotting session.  For many, knowing what to expect can alleviate any nervousness or uncertainty.  At the same time, it’s important to know that the content that arises in each Brainspotting session will be unique.  

If you’re looking for different coping strategies to add to your tool box, we’ve got options you can try.  Read below for 5 quick and easy coping strategies offered by our Maryland-based counselors.  You can try them all out, or simply make use of the ones that resonate with you the most. Here it goes!

There are many people who are seeing others as their true selves for the first time. As is no surprise, there is a lot of necessary healing to undo the pain caused by not acknowledging, and by not being acknowledged. Where do you start such an intense process? I encourage people to realize that one of the easiest, most natural and genuine ways to begin healing is through stories. When you tell your story, and when you listen to someone’s story, the common threads of humanity are activated in a powerful way.

We live in a fast-paced world and lead very busy lives.  For many of us, when our head hits the pillow, it’s the first time that our brain has had time to breathe all day.  At this moment, all of the thoughts come rushing forward, the thoughts that we haven’t had the opportunity to tend to all day long. And then...we try to sleep and find that we just can’t because there are so many thoughts running through our mind. Here are 3 simple strategies that you can try to address racing thoughts and fall asleep easier. 

For some people this might sound like a rather obvious question.  In reality, it is one of the most frequent questions I am asked when people call about services.  People often want to know what sex therapy is and how it can be used to help them with their specific sexual health concerns. People also want to know what a sex therapy session will be like. For this reason, I’ve created a Q and A style article to help answer these most frequently asked questions.