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It takes courage to take first steps.
Oftentimes we are reluctant to be the one to go first but it is that by taking the first step that we can learn to walk and build up momentum to run. Most babies start taking their initial steps by the first year of life, typically around 9 to 12 months to where they are walking by roughly six months later. Before a baby even takes that first step, they will show signs of readiness. Examples include crawling, pulling up to stand, and getting around by holding onto furniture. While some steps might feel like instinct, for others even the most simple steps such as getting out of bed, doing household tasks, or making a phone call may take a significant amount of effort. Seeking help for mental health concerns can be especially hard. It takes courage to reach out for help and hard work to build up strength to move forward.
Depression can impact the motivation to initiate reaching out for help and anxiety can create anxious apprehension. Misinformation, fear, and stigma are common factors that prevent us from seeking help. I am encouraged by stories from first time clients who took the initiative to care for their mental health. I am a strong advocate for preventative care, taking a proactive approach to overall health and wellness. Providing information about mental health through education and community outreach is one way that CARE Counseling is working to reduce stigma. The power of personal testimony to family and friends who may benefit from mental health treatment is so powerful that it may save a life. Suggesting therapy is a practical way in which we can help support out loved ones.
Prior to COVID19, Americans were reporting levels of stress, anger and worry that were at their highest levels in decades, according to a survey in 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/us/americans-stressful.html Of those polled, 55% of adults were reporting stress a lot of the day while 45% were reporting a lot of worry. Overall baselines of stress, anger, and worry have only been exacerbated. Did you know that 4 in 5 Americans’ mental health has been impacted by COVID-19? That is 80% of the population! Since there is a strong connection to physical and mental health, it is important to take care of both. Now is a great time to take charge of your mental health.
Listen to your body’s signals that indicate readiness that it is time for change such as changes in sleep, appetite, and energy levels. Also pay attention to changes in thinking that contribute to feeling overwhelmed, irritable, lonely, or unfocused such as racing thoughts, negative or suicidal thinking, and constant worry. Help is just a phone call or a click away.
We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need. We’re Here for You. The post Baby Steps appeared first on Care Counseling : Minneapolis Therapists. from https://care-clinics.com/baby-steps/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/baby-steps
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Mother’s Day, When Grief Gets in the Way![]()
Mother’s Day is a celebration of mothers and motherhood. It is a time that I look forward to each year as a mother and daughter; however, I recognize that Mother’s Day can bring mixed emotions to both children and mothers impacted by social distancing and other challenging circumstances related to trauma, grief and loss.
Children who have experienced abuse or neglect at the hands of their mother or mother-figure often struggle as Mother’s Day may trigger painful emotions. For children whose maternal bonds have been disrupted within the early years of life, foster mothers, autines, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, step-mothers may take the role of mother. Adoptive, foster, and kinship mothers play such an important, yet difficult job to help children who may be experiencing grief or displaying emotional dysregulation or behavioral issues.
Mother’s Day can be a painful reminder to women who struggle with infertility or who have lost children for various reason including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy, loss of parental rights, or custody issues. Rather than experiencing joy, mothers who have lost children may struggle with grief, anger, and loneliness. According to the American Pregnancy Association, Infertility often creates one of the most distressing life crises for couples.
For children who have experienced the death of a mother, grandmother or mother-figure, it can be difficult to just get through the day with emotions that may come. Loss of significant people in our lives is difficult, especially when the loss is of a parent or child. Caring for someone with chronic illness can also trigger grief reactions (https://www.caregiver.org/grief-and-loss) due to ambiguous loss which is common when a parent is displaying cognitive impairments or anticipatory grief.
While it it normal to experience a variety of emotions with loss, symptoms that indicate that mental health counseling would be beneficial include the following–
This Mother’s Day I encourage you to reach out to someone who may need some extra love and support. Express love and appreciation for the mother in your life. Remind her of your love. Show appreciation in a meaningful way. Continue to carry out traditions, while being creative to make accommodations during a time of social distancing. While this year, you may not be taking mom out to her favorite restaurant, there are still great options with takeout and carry out. We can encourage mom with words of affirmation, express our love and encouragement or send a token of appreciation with a heartfelt gift. We can also still stay connected to mothers and women who symbolize motherhood with phone calls and video chat.
I encourage any women reading this to reach out and seek support if you are struggling. There is hope and healing. Listed is just a sample of some of the excellent support resources available. Know that you are not alone and that other mothers and professionals are there to help.
Infant & Pregnancy Loss Supports:
Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Inc. http://nationalshare.org/
Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Minnesota https://ppsupportmn.org/loss/
Postpartum Support International https://www.postpartum.net
Exhale After-Abortion Hotline https://exhaleprovoice.org/ 1-866-439-4253
Outpatient Clinic (telehealth) Counseling Support for Grief & LossHospital | Clinic Based Grief & Loss ResourcesSupport group for adoptive, foster or kinship parentsThe post Mother’s Day, When Grief Gets in the Way appeared first on Care Counseling : Minneapolis Therapists. from https://care-clinics.com/mothers-day-when-grief-gets-in-the-way/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/mothers-day-when-grief-gets-in-the-way Click Here to Access : NUWAY Presentation The post Stigmas and Confidentiality appeared first on Care Counseling : Minneapolis Therapists. from https://care-clinics.com/counseling-stigmas-and-confidentiality/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/stigmas-and-confidentiality MASH PresentationThe post MASH Presentation appeared first on Care Counseling : Minneapolis Therapists. from https://care-clinics.com/mash-presentation/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/mash-presentation Anxiety in Youth with T1DAre you a parent of a youth with T1D? It can be difficult to manage symptoms of T1D without the added stress of mental health, however studies prove that it is 33-42% more likely that a youth with T1D will also have a mental health diagnosis. Specifically, 13-21.3% of this youth population are affected by anxiety (source)! These symptoms can be caused by stressors and underdeveloped coping strategies, which impact self-care and the ability to manage T1D. What exactly is anxiety? According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety presents itself as excessive worry, apprehension, or dread that is difficult to control. Anxiety can also cause irritability and feelings of lost energy or fatigue throughout your day. There are physical symptoms and effects such as disturbances in your sleeping patterns, restlessness, feeling on-edge, or even having tension in your body that can result from anxiety. Do these things seem familiar to you? The good news is that there are wonderful resources that you can reach out to for support! Depending on the level of anxiety you have, there are a lot of great options for treatment. Outpatient Therapy can be a great resource to get some coping and stress management skills, healthy boundaries and relationship management, and self-compassion in overwhelming or self-critical situations. Check out the services offered at these highly accessible locations: CARE Counseling – focused on 1-hour weekly sessions for low acuity Rogers Behavioral Health – focused on higher levels of care PrairieCare – offers a variety of care levels based on your needs We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need. We’re Here for You. The post Anxiety in Youth with T1D appeared first on Care Counseling : Minneapolis Therapists. from https://care-clinics.com/anxiety-in-youth-with-t1d/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/anxiety-in-youth-with-t1d Relationships as an AttorneyMaintaining relationships as an attorney can be tricky. The demands of a working schedule, meetings, travel, and company requirements can cause strain on the quality and quantity of time you have with a partner, family, or friends! Where is the balance? Here are some tips on how to foster the relationships that matter most to you in the midst of a high demand career.
Taking time to make relationships a priority can be challenging with seemingly no instant gratification. Take time to reflect on how fostering relationships can lead to a long-term reward that will benefit you in the future! Need help understanding why relationships are so powerful for our support network? Outpatient therapy can help! In therapy you can process current relationships, past relationships, and hopes for future relationships in your life. Here are some great resources! CARE Counseling – focused on 1-hour weekly sessions for low acuity; CARE now offers Telehealth, which is very convenient for lunch breaks and busy schedules! 2000 Aldrich Ave We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need. We’re Here for You. The post Relationships as an Attorney appeared first on Care Counseling : Minneapolis Therapists. from https://care-clinics.com/relationships-as-an-attorney/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/relationships-as-an-attorney Being a Mother with a Demanding JobFinding a work-life balance as an attorney can be extremely difficult. Add being a mother into the mix, and it can feel almost impossible! Many moms feel working mom guilt – “I’m a bad mother because I am choosing a career over my child.” Is this true? No! Here are some truths to hold onto when the mom guilt digs in.
The struggles of being a working mother in a high demand job can be overwhelming. If it is becoming overwhelming for you – it is a great idea to seek out help! Short-term outpatient therapy can help with gaining insight, learning coping skills, and helping with managing the guilt that comes with being a working mother. Check out the services offered at these highly accessible locations: CARE Counseling – focused on 1-hour weekly sessions for low acuity; CARE now offers Telehealth, which is very convenient for lunch breaks and busy schedules! 2000 Aldrich Ave We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need. We’re Here for You. The post Being a Mother with a Demanding Job appeared first on Care Counseling : Minneapolis Therapists. from https://care-clinics.com/being-a-mother-with-a-demanding-job/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/being-a-mother-with-a-demanding-job Substance Abuse as an AttorneyBeing an attorney can cause high levels of stress with little time to figure out coping strategies. One of the easiest coping traps to fall into is substance use! According to a study, 21% of attorneys consider themselves “problem drinkers” and 9% have difficulty with addiction to prescription medications. Many of these statistics occur “within the first 15 years in the industry” (source)! What are common symptoms and warning signs that I could have a substance use problem? Here is a great list of things to look out for: withdrawal from loved ones; sudden changes in your behavior; using substances under risky conditions; risky behaviors while under the influence of substances; loss of control over your substance use; doing things you normally would not to maintain the habit; spending extraneous amounts of time seeking attainment of the substance; increased tolerance and showing withdrawal symptoms when not using; and feeling like you need the substance to function. Do these sound familiar to you? Outpatient therapy can be a great option to help get back on track. In outpatient therapy you can create healthier coping skills, understand the effects of the substances on your life, and process difficulty with thoughts and feelings that lead to the use. Check out the services offered at these highly accessible locations: CARE Counseling – focused on 1-hour weekly sessions for low acuity NUWAY, Inc – higher levels of care including intensive outpatient and residential chemical dependency treatment Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation – offering a variety of level of care We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need. We’re Here for You. The post Substance Use in Attorneys appeared first on Care Counseling : Minneapolis Therapists. from https://care-clinics.com/substance-use-in-attorneys/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/substance-use-in-attorneys Trauma as an AttorneyMany times when you are working as an attorney you are exposed to the traumatic experiences of others’ lives. This means that you could also experience what is called vicarious trauma. “Being exposed daily to detailed traumatic narratives is extremely demanding and adds an important emotional dimension to legal work” (source). Vicarious, or secondary, trauma is often caused by witnessing details of or repeated exposure to violent or traumatic events. Am I experiencing vicarious trauma? Here are some symptoms to look out for:intrusive and unwanted memories of events; intense distress, marked reactions to cues and reminders of the events; avoidance of stimuli relating to the events; anger/irritability; self-destructive behaviors (can include gambling, fighting, and substance use); hyper-vigilance (being on high alert); sleep disturbances (sleeping too much, too little, frequently waking, difficulty falling asleep); feeling like you are not in your body; or feeling like you are in a dream. Do these sound familiar to you? Outpatient therapy can be a great option to help yourself process through the difficult details under the protection of HIPAA. It is a great way to gain grounding skills, a chance to process distressing emotions and thoughts caused by the events you are exposed to, and an opportunity to grow and make meaning for yourself. Check out the services offered at these highly accessible locations: CARE Counseling – focused on 1-hour weekly sessions for low acuity PrairieCare – offers a variety of care levels based on your needs Lyn-Lake Psychotherapy and Wellness – focuses on outpatient services We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need. We’re Here for You. The post Trauma as an Attorney appeared first on Care Counseling : Minneapolis Therapists. from https://care-clinics.com/trauma-as-an-attorney/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/trauma-as-an-attorney Work-Life Balance as an AttorneyWe are aware that mental illness does not discriminate based on status, race, gender, or occupation. Attorneys have a wonderful opportunity to help those in need, however they also assume a great deal of responsibility in their caseload demands. What does this lead to? Many times it can lead to Anxiety, Depression, or other stressors that can make balancing personal life with occupational life demands. What are some ways to help find the balance? Here are some tips that could be helpful if you are struggling to find middle ground in a world of extremes.
It is easy to get caught up in a world of high demand and expectations. Make sure you save some space for your well-being. We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need. We’re Here for You. The post Work-Life Balance as an Attorney appeared first on Care Counseling : Minneapolis Therapists. from https://care-clinics.com/work-life-balance-as-an-attorney/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/work-life-balance-as-an-attorney |
AuthorHello its me Lisa Johnson i am 32 years old from Mission, TX. I am professional family therapist and i also deals in adult therapy and children’s therapy. Archives
April 2023
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