Educational Blogs from Our Mental Health Therapists

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

Anxiety, Burnout, COVID-19, Trauma and PTSD Melissa Wesner Anxiety, Burnout, COVID-19, Trauma and PTSD Melissa Wesner

Trauma and How it Has Affected Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Teaching students under normal circumstances is challenging. Teachers juggle many roles as they motivate, engage and develop personal connections with their students to keep their students’ minds open to learning and developing. But what happens when the students and teachers alike are going through an overwhelming stressor as with the current pandemic? How does the situation affect student behavior, motivation and academic achievement? Here is a brief explanation of the mechanisms of stressors leading to trauma, as well as strategies to navigate the road ahead.

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Anxiety, Burnout, COVID-19, Trauma and PTSD Melissa Wesner Anxiety, Burnout, COVID-19, Trauma and PTSD Melissa Wesner

An Ode to Teachers and School Staff

To my dear teachers and school staff,

There are so many things about this school year that are different. Dealing with rampant behavioral issues among your students. Dealing with administrators who may be short fused as they deal with a plethora of Covid related issues. Dealing with expectations from staff and parents that are not realistically achievable. These are some of the issues that have been arising. In all of this, you have received minimal training and have no previous experience with this. This is not what you signed up for!

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Online Counseling, COVID-19 Melissa Wesner Online Counseling, COVID-19 Melissa Wesner

Benefits of Online Counseling You Might Not’ve Thought Of

Prior to the pandemic, online counseling services were much harder to find than they are now. When the pandemic hit, there was a lot of reluctance to try telehealth. Now that so much time has passed, mental health therapists and clients alike have discovered the many benefits and conveniences of online counseling services. Interestingly enough, we still see some hesitation to give telehealth a try (especially in people who have never experienced it), so we wanted to share about the many telehealth benefits that our clients have shared with us.

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Resources, College Students Melissa Wesner Resources, College Students Melissa Wesner

Organization Strategies for College Students to Help Time Management

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!

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Resources Melissa Wesner Resources Melissa Wesner

Ways to Improve Your Time Management Skills to Reduce Stress

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.

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Resources Melissa Wesner Resources Melissa Wesner

How to Care for Yourself When Someone in Your Life Will Not Seek Therapy

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.

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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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College Students, Anxiety, Depression Melissa Wesner College Students, Anxiety, Depression Melissa Wesner

Managing Your Mental Health and Taking Care of Yourself as a College Student

Taking care of yourself and your mental health is always important, but it is extra important while in college. Making sure that your mental health is stable is beneficial to you while in college because it will help you better balance all of your responsibilities. Conversely, if you are struggling with your mental health, it can contribute to issues such as reducing productivity, focus, and overall performance in school. Here are some ways that you can try to take care of your mental health while pursuing your degree.

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College Students, Burnout, Anxiety Melissa Wesner College Students, Burnout, Anxiety Melissa Wesner

Common College Stressors and How Mental Health Therapy Can Help Manage Your Anxiety

While it’s not uncommon to hear people talk about college as the best years of their lives, the reality is that college can be an incredibly stressful time for young adults. Because of the many positive things we hear about others’ college experiences, college students may experience surprise at the actual number of stressors involved in college life. Here, you’ll find a list of common college stressors faced by students and ways that mental health therapy can help.

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Art in Therapy, Resources Melissa Wesner Art in Therapy, Resources Melissa Wesner

How to Creatively and Effectively Address Stressful Issues Using Art in Therapy

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.

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Communication Skills, Boundary Setting Melissa Wesner Communication Skills, Boundary Setting Melissa Wesner

Recognizing Both When and How to Set Boundaries with Those Around You

Ever find yourself in a situation where a person asks something of you, and against your better judgment, you agree to it? For example, a friend asks you to go out to a late-night dinner, but you know you have an important meeting in the morning. You find it difficult to refuse, so you agree to meet with this friend anyway. This could be because you find it difficult to set healthy boundaries with those around you.

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Communication Skills, Boundary Setting Melissa Wesner Communication Skills, Boundary Setting Melissa Wesner

What Are Personal Boundaries, and How Do You Set Them for Yourself?

Boundaries are the rules or guidelines that we identify to keep ourselves safe and healthy. They help us create order and allow us to be responsible for our own actions, even if they are not always enjoyable. They allow us to identify those limits that are acceptable for ourselves as a way of engaging in self-love and respect.

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Online Counseling, International Clients Melissa Wesner Online Counseling, International Clients Melissa Wesner

Why Working with a BIPOC Therapist May Be Right For You

When getting ready to start a journey in therapy, we think about our positions at the beginning. That includes: what type of counselor we are looking for, what kind of therapy style we would want to receive, and what kind of perspective we might gain from our therapist. There are many elements to consider when finding a therapist that best fits you. Here are some reasons why working with a BIPOC therapist may be suitable for you.

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Resources, Mindfulness Melissa Wesner Resources, Mindfulness Melissa Wesner

Quick Everyday Mindfulness Activities

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.

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COVID-19 Melissa Wesner COVID-19 Melissa Wesner

Eat. Gain. Wait.

What are the odds? The world is facing a pandemic, the likes of which have not been seen since the 1918 influenza pandemic. And as we slowly re-enter the world, so are trillions of Brood X cicadas emerging from the ground after 17 years. The irony is that as the cicadas emerge and leave their exoskeletons and future brood everywhere, we, too, are going through a metamorphosis as we re-enter the world post-pandemic.

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