Mental Health Topics

Welcome to Thriveworks Counseling Grand Rapids! Take a tour of our fabulous building space, which is currently undergoing construction. We are so excited to be opening soon in Grand Rapids — stay tuned for more details!

The Princess Culture Effect As the parent of two girls, I have had my share of princess things in my house. The movies, the dress- up clothes, the dolls, the books, the shoes, pink, pink and more pink, plus countless things with glitter! I was faced with the challenge of…

“How can you stand all this traffic!” My close friend, Lisa, visits Austin frequently for her job. And with every visit she notices the increasingly more difficult traffic patterns. We have all heard about the 110+ net arrivals moving to Austin every day, per the Austin Business Journal. Our roads…

Have a Picnic, not a Panic Develop your own style, embrace your quirks and laugh at the people around you who stress out trying to be perfect. They (not you) are missing out on the fun of life.” Have more fun. It sounds so reckless. So childish. So irresponsible. But…

Let it Be As humans, many of us like to be in control. We find comfort in knowing what to expect and being able to structure our thoughts and reactions. Rarely are we ever truly in control, however. Learning to accept life as it comes and letting go of control…

… the reality isn’t so much about a diagnosable condition as it is about the thoughts I am thinking, words I am speaking, behaviors I am exhibiting … “ Be Careful with Your Thoughts Have you ever had a friend or family member who seemed to really live a life…

Overcoming the Effects of Bias Discrimination, as a byproduct of both implicit and overt bias, produces a myriad of unfavorable and difficult results. Race-related stress can cause intense emotional reactions such as: anxiety, frustration, paranoia, resentment, self-doubt, depression and anger. When searching for ways to cope, people often find themselves…

1. Model inclusive behavior. Until age 7, what kids hear and see from their caretakers is more important to children than what they personally experience. Be careful with your words, even with seemingly innocent jokes or stereotypical references. Let your children see you interact positively with people from a variety…

The Three Most Important Things You Need To Know 1. Start Young — Don’t Underestimate Your Child Raising a child in an environment that consistently models respectful communication is essential. From the moment you bring your precious cherub home from the hospital, it is important to continue to practice and/or…

What Exactly is Unconscious Prejudice? Unconscious prejudice, also known as implicit bias, is an automatic, natural bias that is hidden from our cognizant thoughts. Because it resides outside of our awareness, this type of bias remains easy to deny. In primitive days, our ancestors relied on implicit bias for survival….

How to Find Help A version of this article first appeared on Therapy for Black Girls. Perhaps the hardest part about deciding to participate in therapy is choosing who would be a good fit as your therapist. After all, you will likely be sharing some of your most intimate thoughts…

Under Attack More than most years, it feels like Blackness has been especially under attack this year. The collective feeling of trauma feels palpable in my office, on my campus, and throughout my social networks. It feels like every time there is another major verdict to be delivered, a new…