Anxiety, Mental Health Topics, Self-Improvement AITA (Am I the A**hole?): Our online quest to extinguish moral anxiety by Wistar Murray on Jan 10, 2022 In case you missed it, there’s a place on the internet called r/AmItheA**hole (AITA) which aims to determine which party should be blamed in ethical disputes. For example, someone posts the following (paraphrased) moral quandary on Reddit’s AITA forum: “My friend’s baby was crying, so I gave her a sip…
Mental Health Topics, Self-Care What to do when the power goes out: Mental health edition by Taylor Bennett on Jan 7, 2022 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,…
Media Use, Mental Health Topics, Psychology, Relationships What is character bonding? Exploring the connection we feel with fictional characters by Jason Crosby on Jan 7, 2022 Ask anyone headed to watch the next Marvel flick: It’s hard not to idolize the heroines and heroes within the realms of popular fiction. Whether they’re on the silver screen, in books, TV series, or even video games, many of us admire these depictions of larger-than-life characters. But, even though…
Mental Health Topics, Self-Improvement What you read in 2021: Our most popular mental health articles of the year by Wistar Murray on Dec 30, 2021 This was supposed to be the year when we collectively recovered from our pandemic trauma, found greater happiness in the workplace, and renewed loving relationships with our friends, our family, and ourselves. Did it all happen the way we mapped it out last New Year’s Eve? Probably not. But based…
Mental Health Topics, Work & Careers Mental health in the workplace: Understanding the importance of mental health at work by Jason Crosby on Dec 27, 2021 Workplace conversations and goals are often centered on productivity and team building. These are beneficial to building the right company culture, but it’s essential to address the mental health needs of the modern employee. Many businesses are doing more than ever to support employee mental health, and they’re finding that…
Coping Skills, Mental Health Topics, Relationships How to cope with a holiday breakup: Action-oriented activities that will help you heal by Jason Crosby on Dec 23, 2021 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…
Mental Health Topics, Relationships How to deal with toxic friends: Tips for identifying friendship red flags and maintaining boundaries by Jason Crosby on Dec 20, 2021 Toxic relationships are everywhere: We can have an unhealthy attachment to our parents, our partners, even our phones— anything that we interact with, really. Yet rarely do we take a look at our friends. This might be important, considering they’re the people we often vent to about everything (and everyone)…
Coping Skills, Mental Health Topics Holiday on-ramps and off-ramps: Diving into and easing out of vacation with zero regrets by Wistar Murray on Dec 16, 2021 There seems to be this idea floating around that on your last day of work or school before the holidays you tear off your business casual wear to reveal the snowflake flannel pajamas underneath, grab an overflowing mug of eggnog, and seamlessly launch winter vacation. At least this is my…
Feelings & Emotions, Mental Health Topics, Relationships Exploring the deep bonds between humans and their companion animals by Wistar Murray on Dec 15, 2021 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…
Feelings & Emotions, Mental Health Topics How to regulate your emotions using the Internal Emotion Thermometer, a therapist’s tried and true technique by Shannon Kersey, LPA on Dec 13, 2021 I’m about to put myself out of a job. Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit, but I do think the following idea could decrease a lot of arguments and lead to better relationships. Introducing: The Internal Emotion Thermometer Let’s first think about the concept of having an internal emotion…
Beginning Therapy, Family, Mental Health Topics A comprehensive guide to family therapy: Different approaches, how it can help, and when to schedule a session by Wistar Murray on Dec 13, 2021 Family bonds are rich, complex, profound – and sometimes painful. Family can both build us up and break us down. But in its ideal state, a family is the crucible in which we can become our best and truest selves. That’s where family therapy can help. Licensed family therapists at…
Mental Health Topics, Psychology, Work & Careers How psychologists can assist in criminal investigations using offender profiling by Wistar Murray on Dec 10, 2021 Psychology is applied in law enforcement and the justice system in a variety of ways, some with more mass appeal than others. For example, most people are familiar with the concept of criminal profiling through television shows like “Criminal Minds” and “Mindhunter” as well as books like “The Silence of…