By In elementary school, kids are often taught to write about their problems and deepest secrets in journals. As we grow older, though, these diaries get discarded in piles of “childish” things, along with hordes of Beanie Babies, LEGO blocks, and Pokemon cards. It’s a real shame. As a licensed clinical
The Nightly Routine: Why It’s Important for Adults, Not Just Kids
Ah, sleep. Essential for everyone, but elusive for so many people. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in three American adults don’t get the rest that they need. This chronic exhaustion wreaks havoc on a person– not just physically, but mentally as well. Over the years, there’s been
Five Remarkable Examples of Art Depicting Mental Illness
Some of the Most Important Pieces of Art Show Mental Illness One of the best ways to express living with mental illness is through art. In this article, I share a few pieces that offer a window into another person’s life. Conceptualizing how depression, obsessive compulsions, or psychosis might shape
Mindful Eating: The Beauty in Being Present with Your Food
If you’ve been paying attention to different relaxation trends, you’ve probably heard a lot about mindfulness. That is, the practice of staying present in this moment and taking note of one’s thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations. Mindful breathing is one way to do this– it’s an excellent, evidence-backed coping skill
Beware the Burnout Epidemic: How to Prevent and Overcome Exhaustion
Ask anybody working in a difficult or thankless job: burnout is real. This phenomenon is extraordinarily difficult to cope with. It can set on suddenly or over time. Sometimes we see it coming. Other times, it seemingly comes out of nowhere. Burnout exhausts our resources, leaving us feeling like a
Teletherapy: Is It Awesome or Awful? The Ultimate Guide
When you look on a therapy directory these days, the chances are pretty good that you’ll see clinicians saying they provide teletherapy services. So what does that mean exactly? Think about teletherapy as an extension of telehealth, only instead of speaking with a doctor, you’re talking with a therapist. We
Life as a Crisis Counselor on the Suicide Prevention Lifeline
This post is all about my experience volunteering at the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. While I’m going to refrain from getting into too many details, I will be talking at least tangentially about suicide throughout this post. There’s a chance that something may come off as triggering for certain individuals. Please
Want Better Workers? Protect Employees’ Mental Health in the Workplace
A century ago, workers’ rights were front and center in national discussions. Facing relentless work hours, dangerous and inhumane conditions, and minuscule wages, the people were getting ground to dust by their jobs. Advocates began speak up and push for change. Even if they didn’t use these words exactly, reformers
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): What You Need to Know
When people hear the words “therapy” or “psychology,” they might think of laying on a couch and speaking to a quiet man in a tweed jacket and bow tie. Over the last couple decades, though, another form of therapy has risen to the forefront. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is
Light and Sleep: Unlocking a Good Night’s Rest
Sleep and mental health are two peas in a pod. You can’t have one without the other. Entire industries have popped up in trying to help improve our sleep hygiene. Many different factors determine how well we are resting, not the least of which is the complicated relationship between light
