Mental Health Topics

From elementary school through high school, many children experience bullying from their classmates every year. Bullying is harmful to all parties and can cause lingering emotional trauma that affects children well into adulthood.  In an effort to protect kids and limit bullying’s damaging effects, October has been recognized as National…

Though we might not often think about it, sleep is a very important part of functioning. Without sleep, our bodies struggle to think, act, and keep functioning. Over time, a lack of sleep can even cause health problems like heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and many other…

The only constant in life is change. Have you heard that one before? It’s a popular adage – but it doesn’t make navigating life transitions any easier.  What does make navigating life transitions easier is having an arsenal of coping strategies handy as well as a mental health professional who…

Depression refers to a cluster of symptoms which might include low mood, lack of enjoyment and motivation, sleep and appetite changes, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, and even thoughts of death. These interfere with functioning and are likely to cause physical, cognitive, and behavioral changes. As such, it’s important to seek…

Stress is a daily part of life, for better or for worse. We all face challenges in our daily lives from figuring out how we get to our favorite coffee shop to completing daily tasks and maintaining our home.  How we manage our stress levels can impact our relationships, the…

As cliche as it sounds, life is a roller coaster, with frequent ups and downs. And when we hit the lows of the ride, our self-esteem (among other things) can suffer. For example, when we’re ghosted after a couple of promising first dates; or when we don’t get that callback…

The transition from the laidback days of summer back to the structured environment of school can often be a challenging one for children. Just as adults might take a while to readjust to work after a vacation, children also require time to settle into their school routine.  Dive into these…

EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and it is a psychotherapy approach that is primarily used to treat trauma-related disorders and emotional distress. Developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR has gained recognition as an effective treatment for various mental health issues, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder…

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a staple in modern therapeutic treatment, being one of the more common therapy approaches used today. It even shares many similarities with cognitive behavioral therapy, another of the most common therapeutic approaches. DBT can be very effective in treating borderline personality disorder (BPD), as well…

Antidepressants can help people effectively manage symptoms of depression as well as other mental health conditions. However, these individuals may, at some point, stop taking their antidepressant – for a wide variety of reasons – and if they do so abruptly, they’re at risk of developing a condition called antidepressant…

Anxiety is a common and natural human response that can sometimes become overwhelming—impacting our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It’s that flutter of unease before a big event or the cautious concern for a loved one’s well-being.  However, for some, anxiety takes on a life of its own, leading to persistent…

Jealousy is an emotional state in which an individual desires something that someone else has and they do not. It’s rooted in comparison — it most commonly occurs when someone is comparing themselves and their life situation to another. People can experience jealousy in a variety of areas of their…