On January 3rd, a snowstorm pummelled the East Coast, and Fredericksburg, Virginia (my home) got the brunt of it. The first couple hours of snowfall were idyllic. I enjoyed the white, winter backdrop in the window behind me, as I sipped my coffee and completed the day’s journal entry (hello,…
It sounds like a bad dream, but experiencing a breakup during the holiday season is common. The holidays are one of the most stressful times of the year, as we scramble to arrange our travel plans, find the perfect gifts, and try not to clash with all the different personalities…
For tens of thousands of years humans have been passionate about their fur babies. The deep bonds between Homo sapiens and other animal species seem so common and obvious that they’ve only recently been studied scientifically. So how did we get from throwing food scraps to wolves at the outskirts…
A new Australian study indicates that adolescents can benefit from daily screen time, but only in limited doses: under 75 minutes for girls and under 105 minutes for boys. The researcher attributes the gender divide to a lower “active contribution” from girls during media use. Boys tend to play more…
Throughout a raging pandemic, the world embraced the immense importance of wellbeing and healthy lifestyle choices. We’ve all been going above and beyond to fight our cravings, introduce more vitamin-rich snacks into our days, and somehow, keep stress at a minimum in order to protect our health and sanity. We…
Q: I was wondering if you all had any tips for studying with ADHD? A: This is a common and excellent question and I’m happy to share a few tips that many of my clients with ADHD have found to be helpful over the years! First thing’s first, there is…
Election season is—and always has been—stressful. So stressful, in fact, that Couples Therapist Steven Stosny created the term “election stress disorder,” which describes a state of complete and utter stress caused by the election. Think: Smear campaigns on both sides of the political aisle, nonstop news alerts, social media feuds,…
Today, new moms understand that they may experience “the baby blues” and maybe even postpartum depression. These are two very real possibilities that they prepare for. But there’s another common condition that new moms develop after having a baby that is less talked about: postpartum anxiety. While it’s normal to…
Imagine: It is winter of 2019, and you’re patiently waiting for the warm summer air to start swirling around again. You can practically feel the sunshine beating down on your face. You have vacations coming up with your family and a trip with your friends, too. Then, COVID-19 hits and…
There are many benefits to regularly riding a bike. For many people, bicycling is a nostalgic thing. For others, bike riding may be one of the best ways to get in imperative exercise. However, one of the most commonly overlooked rewards to bicycling is its ability to help us improve…
Click here to schedule online counseling at Thriveworks. Hi, my name is Stephanie Carlyle and I’m a Licensed Clinician at Thriveworks Silver Spring, Maryland. The question that I was asked was what can we do to stay busy during COVID-19? So when we’re stuck at home it can definitely feel…
Intense feelings of despair. Anxiety. Hopelessness, Loss of interest. Mood swings. Irritability. Social isolation. What do all of these things have in common? They’re symptoms of depression—and well-known symptoms, at that. As we grow more comfortable talking about mental health and mental illness, depression is often a topic of interest…
