Mental Health Topics

The coming of the new year elicits a wide range of emotions: excitement, anxiety, relief, apprehension, happiness, and even fear. Some of us are ready to embark on a new journey and leave the past behind, while others aren’t so sure about what lies ahead. Whatever the case, we could…

Music is an incredible force of nature. It has the power to relieve us of stress, boost our mood, and calm us down when we need it most. Furthermore, it is the backbone of an effective form of therapy: simply called music therapy. Music therapy is an established health profession,…

Think back to when you were a kid: what’s the one thing your parents demanded time and time again? The phrase that haunts you to this day? You can probably still hear them yelling, “Clean your room!” or “Get to bed!” but that’s not the answer we’re looking for here….

Everybody can benefit from some time spent alone—most even desire some peace and quiet to themselves. Too much alone time, however, can result in feelings of loneliness and negatively impact our mental health, as a healthy and happy life demands we maintain loving interpersonal relationships: with friends, old and new;…

An abundance of research has shown that spending time in nature—even just 5 minutes—can yield amazing benefits, such as: stress reduction, mood improvement, increased concentration, and a boost in overall wellbeing. And you don’t have to go to any extremes to reap said benefits either, you can simply go for…

Depression Portrait: Seasonal Affective Disorder Emily’s mood darkened. She lost touch with her closest friends. She mixed up the names of the kids she worked with. And at home, she found herself watching way too much television: not her old favorite smart dramas and Comedy Central programs, but reality shows…

Some of my favorite memories from grade school wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for P.E. class: tackling Holiday-themed obstacle courses, learning how to play my soon-to-be favorite sport (soccer), and crab-crawling across the floor in a fit of laughter alongside friends. I had a blast in gym class and looked…

When people go off to college, they’re essentially “leaving the nest.” For the last 18 years they’ve lived in arm’s length of their parents, and then suddenly… it’s time to fly solo. This rang mostly true for me: upon moving into my dorm, I embraced a newfound independence. But I…

If you live in the city—or even a slightly urban area—you can probably look to the sky and point out a cloud of smog: funneling from factories or just hanging out on the rooftops. This is the most obvious and familiar form of air pollution… but it’s not the only…

Therapy—whether it be a more traditional approach like psychotherapy or an abstract approach like art therapy—is designed to help individuals work through their problems and adapt healthier behaviors. Here at Thriveworks, we believe that everyone can benefit from counseling or coaching: a woman whose just been diagnosed with OCD; a…

Journaling has always been a favorite pastime of mine. When I was a kid, I wrote in this rainbow paneled notebook every single night before bed—sure to jot down every little detail of my day. And a few years later, in the heart of my teenage years, I picked up…

We are just about halfway through December, which means winter is in full effect! Some delight in this snowy season, while others spend these cold months counting down the days until the warmth returns. Either way, it’s smart to protect yourself from the potentially harmful effects winter can have on…