So… You are ready to talk about your sexuality but are not sure HOW. You may be questioning your sexuality, wanting to talk to someone about your physical, emotional, and spiritual attraction (or lack of attraction). You may be wondering about your sexual orientation, curious about how you might label (or choose not to label) your sexuality. Consider the following:WHENWhen do I talk about my sexuality? Timing is important and so it is pacing. You have the right to choose when, and how much to disclose at a time. Talking about sexuality can be naturally incorporated into parenting; there are awesome age-appropriate resources available across the life-span. Talking about sexuality sooner rather than later is also encouraged when entering new relationships. Overall, the decision of when to talk about sexuality is a personal choice. WHEREWhat setting is going to feel the most safe and comfortable? Where will I most likely feel accepted? Taking these factors into consideration can be very helpful. For students, going to a gay-straight alliance can be a great setting as well as LGBTQIA+ community spaces. A space where supportive friends, family, or community allies are present is another option. WHATWhat do I say? It can be difficult to know exactly what to say. Naming what you are feeling can be a good way to start. Here is an example of how one might start a conversation:
It can be helpful to prepare for situations in which conversations do not go as planned. There are coming out resources such as the following that can provide additional guidance: https://www.hrc.org/resources/coming-out https://www.thetrevorproject.org/trvr_support_center/coming-out/ WHOWho do I talk to? Consider starting with someone you trust. You might start off by talking to one person or a select few who will be accepting of whatever sexuality you disclose. Consider talking to an LGBTQ+ friendly therapist or chatting with someone on a free chatline, text, or phone hotline https://pflag.org/hotlines. You may also consider joining a support group. Here are a few options to get started: https://www.outfront.org/support-counseling-organizations https://www.reclaim.care/ (ages 13-25) https://www.tcmc.org/programs-support-groups-twin-cities-mens-center.html (men). WHYWhy talk about my sexuality? Sexuality is an important part of who you are; therefore, being able to have conversations about sexuality can be incredibly powerful. Sexuality is an integral aspect of identity. Remember that talking about sexuality is a process, not a one-time event. It is my hope that through supportive, affirming, healing, and empowering, conversations, one can fully embrace sexuality. Being comfortable to talk about sexuality is a great place to start. 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. from https://care-clinics.com/how-to-talk-about-your-sexuality/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/how-to-talk-about-your-sexuality
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WEEKLY INTERVENTION IDEAS: JUNE 28TH EDITIONTheme: Fostering Safety Kid Strategy of the Week: Calm/Safe Place- Kid version: Help your client imagine a place where they feel calm, safe, and/or peaceful. This can be an actual physical space (a corner of their room, a favorite couch in their house), a place where the client has traveled, or an imaginary place. Engage the client in an art activity to help make their calm/safe space more tangible. Some ideas include: o Drawing or painting a picture of their calm/safe space Sample Progress Note: The focus of the session was to (tailor based on tx plan). The therapist engaged the client in an art therapy activity (Calm/Safe space) to help the Ct identify and create a safe space for Ct to use for self-soothing. The Ct was (engaged/not engaged) in the activity. Adult Strategy of the Week • This could be a room, or even a closet, corner, or a spot outside Sample Progress Note: The focus of this session was… The therapist helped the client create a calm safe place in their home to help them feel more grounded and regulated when their mental health symptoms increase in intensity. Client reported that creating a calm and safe place in their home (seems helpful/seems challenging/etc), and they explored (situations when a calm and safe place could be helpful/barriers to creating a calm and safe place/etc). Trauma Strategy of the Week: Safe Approaches: Asking for help can be one way of fostering in one’s life. It is very natural to experience difficulty asking for help, so starting with something “small” and with a safe person can facilitate one’s sense of ability and mastery. During a session, explore with the client what it could look like to approach someone for help: • Who could/will they talk to? Source: Najavits, L. M. (2007). Seeking safety: An evidence-based model for substance abuse and trauma/PTSD. Sample Progress Note: The focus of this session was to… The therapist explored with the Ct. ways to ask for help amid difficult emotions and experiences. Ct. was able to identify different strategies to approach others, and they were (able/not able) to identify safe people to reach out to for help. Mindfulness/Meditation of the Week: Safe/Calm Space Guided Imagery: Clients can use guided imagery to visualize and visit their own personal safe place in their mind’s eye. Join the client in session, walking through this guided imagery and explore how they can experience the calmness and security felt in this place. The client can then visit this safe place and returning to those calm, safe feelings whenever it may be helpful outside of session. 1. Find a comfortable position where you can relax and breathe easily. 2. Start by noticing your breathing. Focus on filling the belly when you inhale and notice it empty on your exhale. Scan your body. While continuing to focus on your breathing, allow any tension or discomfort to dissolve with your next few exhales. 3. While you continue to breathe, allow your mind to take you to a safe, comfortable, place. Just allow this to happen. The place may be familiar or new. If you see or hear something that makes you uncomfortable, just go ahead and change the image. 4. When you find this special place, take a few moments to notice what you see. Look around, are you inside or out? What surrounds you? 5. Also notice what you hear. If you’re outside, notice if you hear water or animals. If you’re inside, notice what sounds are in this place. 6. Now, take a moment and notice how this place feels. Is it warm or cool? What kind of surface are you sitting or lying on? What are the textures of the clothes you are wearing? How does your body feel in this place? 7. Take a moment to notice if there are any tastes and smells in this place. Perhaps there is the smell of grass if you’re outdoors or something cooking if you’re indoors. 8. Now, take a few moments and just be totally present in this safe place, noticing all of your senses. Just be in whatever way is comfortable for you. As you are in this place, notice that something that was hidden before catches your attention. It could be a sound, image, object or feeling. This is a special gift that you use whenever you need to feel relaxed and safe. 9. Remember that this is a place you can visit whenever you need to feel safe. All you need to do is take a few deep breaths and think about this place. 10. Begin to become aware of the surface you are sitting or lying on, notice your breathing returning to normal, and open your eyes whenever you are ready. Source: https://changetochill.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Special-Place-Guided-Imagery.pdf Sample Progress Note: The focus of the session was to (tailor based on tx plan). The therapist led the client in a guided mindfulness activity to create a safe/calm space. The client that they found this activity to be (helpful/thought-provoking/boring/calming). 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. from https://care-clinics.com/weekly-intervention-ideas-june-28th-edition/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/weekly-intervention-ideas-june-28th-edition The Importance of Trans Youth AlliesThe Importance of Trans Youth Allies Did you know… • 1 in 3 transgender-youth reported attempting suicide? Allies are so important to adolescent psychosocial identity development and mental health well-being. Adolescence is a key developmental period where youth are exploring and forming identity. Having family support makes a huge difference and can significantly alter the course of a young person’s life. Unfortunately, many trans youth are lacking family acceptance. • Only 27% of trans youth report that their families are very supportive. As you can see, there is a lot of work to be done to help create inclusive spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals, especially trans youth can feel supported and accepted! How Can I Become an Ally? Provide a Safe Place Having inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ youth can help build on self-esteem and a sense of belonging. Examples include a safe home environment, LGBTQIA+ advocacy and support organization spaces (including school and work spaces), and community or mentor spaces. A safe place is where one can come to be their authentic self where they can also feel physically and emotionally safe. Provide Acceptance & Support Use the name and pronouns that aligns with one’s gender identity to help support, respect, and validate one’s gender identity and gender expression. Be available to listen to youth without judgment. Nurture & Encourage Transgender youth need the support of family and community allies to help nurture their journey with gender identity and gender expression. Unconditional love/ acceptance are important to affirm youth and show you care about them. Seeking out a LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist can also be beneficial. Take Action Educate yourself about the needs of trans youth and the LGBTQ+ community. Resources: Family Acceptance Project– https://familyproject.sfsu.edu/ For further reading check out the Trans Youth Family Allies reading recommendations here. To schedule an appointment with one of our professional counselors, click here. Written By: Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC 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. from https://care-clinics.com/the-importance-of-trans-youth-allies/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/the-importance-of-trans-youth-allies Trauma Awareness and Treatment OptionsThe American Psychological Association (APA) defines trauma as a “an emotional response” to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. You may have directly experienced a terrible event, learned about a terrible event happening to a close friend/ family member, or had a frightening experience in which there was actual or threatened death, injury, or violence. • Physical & sexual assault Trauma can overwhelm the body’s response to where the fight-flight-freeze kicks into gear. This is the body’s natural protective response that has prepared us for survival. It an automatic response that takes place in the body, directly impacting physiological responses when there is exposure to a trauma-triggering event. Emotional reactions to trauma can include fear, anger, feelings of helplessness, and numbing of emotions. Anxiety and sadness are sadness common, along with guilt and shame. Mental Health Crisis Services: Metro Area Mental Health Crisis Response There are a variety of options available to help treat trauma with typically includes a “talk” therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Therapy for trauma typically focuses on safety and stabilization and developing coping skills before processing the trauma. Many common modalities of treatment include psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral strategies for cognitive processing of one’s trauma story, exposure for avoidance, and body-centered techniques. Did you know that CARE Counseling has therapists who have been training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Prolonged-Exposure (PE) Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)? To schedule an appointment with one of our professional counselors, click here. Written By: Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC 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. from https://care-clinics.com/trauma-awareness-and-treatment-options/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/trauma-awareness-and-treatment-options WEEKLY INTERVENTION IDEAS: JUNE 21ST EDITIONTheme: Supportive Relationships Kid Strategy of the Week: The Rabbit Listened: This is a powerful story about a child feeling supported by the rabbit, who just listened to them. Watch the video with your client, and then talk to them about what they need when they are upset, scared, or sad. Do they want someone to help them fix it, to make them laugh, to just listen? Who are the people in their life that provide them with what they need when they are upset? Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHPoj53dy8o Sample Progress Note: The focus of the session was to (tailor based on tx plan). The therapist and Ct. listened to the book “The Rabbit Listened” together and processed different forms of support that the Ct. needs. The Ct. identified that (fixing things, listening, laughing, validating mad feelings, etc.) feels good to them, and they identified people in their life who provide this support for them. Adult Strategy of the Week: Supportive Strategies: A way of supporting oneself and/or another with a challenging emotion/experience can be thinking of different strategies to use in the moment. The DBT ACCEPTS is an acronym to help us remember various ways to distract when there isn’t anything one can do about stressors at the moment. Clients can start by creating a list of things to do in each of the categories (see link for more details). A – Activities Source: https://dbt.tools/distress_tolerance/accepts.php Sample Progress Note: The focus of this session was to… The therapist used psycho-education about DBT skills (i.e., ACCEPTS) to help Ct. identify ways to cope with difficult emotions and experiences. Ct. was able to identify different strategies to help them cope with difficult emotions, and they were (able/not able) to integrate the psycho-education into their narrative. Trauma Strategy of the Week: Support Network: Supportive relationships can foster a feeling of closeness and belongingness with others. With trauma healing and recovery, we need to feel connected to significant others whom we can trust and with whom we can growth together and thrive. During a session, spend time with the client creating a list of people they can include in their social support network by considering: • Who are friends, family, and colleagues? List anyone you enjoy talking to, even if you haven’t talked in a while. Some ways to build a support network include (but are not limited to): With the list of potential people, the client can try to reach out to at least one person. Sample progress note: The focus of this session was… The therapist helped Ct. create an inventory of the supportive people in their life and make a plan to reach out to at least one person. Ct. reported that listing the supportive people in their life was (e.g., nice/difficult/sad/etc.), and they discussed (ways they can reach out/barriers to reaching out). Mindfulness/Meditation of the Week: Supportive Containment: Learning the artful skill of containment can be helpful when navigating challenging experiences and emotions. The skill involves fostering our brain’s natural ability to hold and “contain” material. The guided activity below supports clients in developing a container that is meaningful for their experience. Container Activity: • Begin by closing your eyes and imagine a container. It can be any container. What does it look like? How big is it? What color is it? Is it something special to you or something you’ve seen before? Where is your container? Pick something that has a lid or would have the ability to hold “stuff” securely. Some people have imagined armoires, unique wooden containers with small and big drawers, tool boxes, mason jars, rubber-maids, cookie jars, etc. There is no right or wrong. This will be your very own container. Now just take a moment to imagine it. • Now, do you have anything that is bothering you? Identify something mildly to moderately; something you can’t do anything about right now. Perhaps you’re at work and keep getting a thought and feeling about organizing a closet of yours that you just can’t seem to get around to lately. Or perhaps you feel a little uncomfortable about a recent interaction you had with a friend and its not the right time to resolve it with them because they are out of town or unavailable. Maybe you’re nervous about an upcoming event you need to attend or trip you need to take. Something like that. On a scale of zero to 10 (with 10 being the most distress you can imagine and zero being completely neutral) think of something that is a two or a three. • Notice how you feel when you think about it. Notice what you see in your mind’s eye when you think about it. Notice your thoughts. Be with this for a moment. Now imagine sending your feelings, the images, and thoughts to your container. You can do this by imagining them (one at a time or as a single combined unit) flowing from your body into the container. Or you can imagine walking up to your container and placing these items in, followed by placing the lid on it, and then walking away. Whatever works for you. Take a moment to try this. • Now, check in with yourself again. What do you notice in your body… in your mind? Has the distress reduced? How would you rate it on a scale of zero to 10? If you noticed that your distress reduced, this may be a very useful tool for you to engage regularly to help manage emotions and mental difficulty. Source:https://www.resilientlifetherapy.net/new-blog/2018/8/16/the-container-exercise Sample Progress Note: The focus of this session was… The therapist lead a mindfulness activity (i.e., Container) to help Ct. practice mindfulness and containment. Ct. (engaged/did not engage in the activity), and they reported that the activity was (helpful/difficult/not helpful). 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. from https://care-clinics.com/weekly-intervention-ideas-june-21st-edition/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/weekly-intervention-ideas-june-21st-edition Supporting Someone with PTSD
A Few Tips:Educate yourself on PTSD. Provide non-judgmental connectedness and social support Learn about their triggers. Encourage treatment Practice Self-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. from https://care-clinics.com/supporting-someone-with-ptsd/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/supporting-someone-with-ptsd Men’s Mental Health Week 2021Awareness, prevention, education, and treatment are key aspects for mental health wellness. For men, factors such as social norms, reluctance to seek help, stigma, lack of culturally-competent care, or minimization of symptoms can make it difficult to get treatment for these common mental health problems that are prevalent among men. Depression Did you know that over 6 million men struggle with depression each year? Depressive symptoms in men often appear as fatigue, irritability and loss or interest or pleasure on work or hobbies rather than sadness and feelings of worthlessness. Adjusting to major life events such as unemployment, relational distress, death/ loss, and health related conditions that affect men such also prostrate and testicular cancer can also contribute to depression. Here are resources that are specifically focused on men’s health and depression. Men die by suicide more than 4X’s the rate of women, with 79% of suicides completed by men. Gay men (especially those under age 25) and elderly men (especially Caucasian men over the age of 85) are at increased risk. Genetic predisposition, social isolation, substance abuse, unemployment, military trauma, and mood disorders are all identified as risk factors for suicide. If you are experiencing distress, there are free and confidential supports that can provide support and connection to resources. Substance Use Alcohol dependency impacts 1 in 5 men, with gay men at higher rates of use and military veterans at nearly 2Xs the rate of women. Men are more likely than women to misuse almost all drugs. It is common to struggle with co-morbid mental health and substance misuse such as marijuana with social anxiety, alcohol with depression, and alcohol/ drug use with trauma. Counseling can help address both. If you are struggling with substance misuse, there are resources available at every stage. Anxiety Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorder among adults 18+ in the United States. More than 40 million adults struggle with an anxiety-related disorder such as generalized-anxiety, social-anxiety, panic-disorder, and phobias . Disorders that equally impact men and women include social anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive-disorder. NAMI has a variety of great support group options, included ones specific to anxiety and panic support. Bipolar Disorder Bipolar-disorder affects both men and women at equal rates, with average onset at 16-25 for men. Bipolar disorder affects around 5.7 million adults 18+ in the United States each year within all ages, races, and socio-economic groups. Treatment options, including medication and psychotherapy can help effectively manage manic-or-hypomanic-episodes and major-depressive-episodes. There are supports available specific to depression and bipolar. Psychosis and Schizophrenia Did you know that 90% of the 3.5 million people in the US diagnosed with schizophrenia by age 30 are men? Schizophrenia is considered a serious mental illness that often involves a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and specialty care services to manage symptoms. Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and difficulties impacting thinking and behavior may be present when symptoms are triggered. The Schizophrenia and Psychosis Action Alliance offers resources as well as a free information helpline. Eating Disorders Approximately 10% of patients with anorexia-nervosa or bulimia are men and 35% with binge-eating-disorder. Men are less likely to seek professional help for an eating disorder. In addition to the national resources, there are also local center that specialize in treatment for eating disorders. Finally, The National Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health MN both offer free mental health support and resources. I encourage you to take one step closer to increasing your awareness of men’s mental health, utilizing the online resource, hotlines, and local resources. To schedule an appointment with one of our professional counselors, click here. Written By: Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC 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. from https://care-clinics.com/mens-mental-health-week-202/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/mens-mental-health-week-2021 Father’s Day 2021This Father’s Day, let’s not forget about dad! While mothers play a significant role in a child’s overall wellness, fathers-influence-development-and-well-being too! In fact, research shows that when a child is raised in a father-absent home, they are more likely to experience poverty, abuse and neglect, have behavioral problems, abuse drugs and alcohol, and experience physical and emotional health problems. First of all, let’s start with the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP definition of father as “the male or males identified as most involved in caregiving and committed to the well-being of the child, regardless of living situation, marital status, or biological relation.” There is a big difference in sperm donor and being a dad; therefore, fathers can include biological fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers, and foster fathers. “According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18.3 million children, 1 in 4, live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home. Consequently, there is a father factor in nearly all social ills facing America today.” Dad—we want to take a moment to honor you. Your love, commitment, and involvement in your child’s life is an important shaping foundation. Your child looks to you as a secure base, a stable figure who they can feel safe. You help promote positive development. Your involvement and consistency are so important. We value your role and want to be able to better support you and your mental health. As a therapist and parent, I recognize the need to support and encourage fathers in their child’s care. The AAP has provided recommendations helpful not only to pediatricians but also to mental health providers, educators, and families on how to engage fathers. Fathers are encouraged to become involved in their child’s starting before birth, especially during the first five years, and throughout early childhood and adolescence. It is important to welcome and involve father’s participation in all aspects of their child’s life. Take time to understand the family system, cultural beliefs, and views regarding parenting. While there may be limitations with consent to mental health treatment depending on the circumstances, mental health providers are encouraged to politely explore these areas and obtain the necessary consents and/ or releases of information to involve significant male supports. Tips for Involved Fathers: Perinatal • Be involved in prenatal care such as attending doctor appointments, childbirth/ parenting classes, and being present for the birth/ delivery. Childhood/ Adolescence • Encourage exploration and independence through play. A note to mothers: having these opportunities helps develop the father’s confidence and will complement the child’s psychosocial and behavioral development. If you were fatherless or experienced an abusive childhood, it may be helpful to process these experiences. For more guidance and resources, check these out: 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. from https://care-clinics.com/fathers-day-2021/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/fathers-day-2021 Let’s Talk About PostpartumPostpartum is the magical time when you have your baby and you can finally sleep again and all your dreams are coming true – right? If you are a (new) parent – you probably laughed and / or scoffed at that statement. Postpartum is no joke though – it is a time of restless nights, tears, anxiety, and many other difficult emotions! Mental health can and should remain a priority. I recently delivered two lovely little twin girls at 34 weeks. They are so healthy and so strong – but they still needed time in the NICU. Let’s talk about Mom Guilt. It is REAL! Do I stay in the NICU…or do I go home to my husband and toddler? What happens if I leave? Will the girls remember I wasn’t there – because my son and husband might remember if I’m not there. Do I go back to work on the set date or do I try to give the girls more time at home with me? It was constant for me – I thought the thoughts would never stop. Anxiety, guilt, frustration, and disappointment clouded the joy of the girls getting stronger and healthier. So what do we do when we are overwhelmed by these things that are so our of our control? Be intentional. I had to actively be intentional to not allow guilt to control my decisions. Do I have other priorities that I need to handle before going to the NICU today? Do I need to be home with my family tonight? Do I have time to split later? If i can intentionally prioritize my schedule and time then I do not need tol be guilty about the decisions I am intentionally making. Is this easier said than done? You bet. Is it 100%? Absolutely not! Do I have a great support system in my medical team and my therapist that can help with the guilt? Yep. As my wonderful therapist put it, “Sometimes guilt is good because it shows where your priorities are – in this case it is your family unit and making it whole.” Take time to refresh in your way. Do you need to meditate? Do it. Do you need to watch Netflix? Do it. Do you need to bake or cook? Do it. Do you need to walk? Do it. Do you need to lay and be alone? Do it. Do you need to start making plans for getting back to work? DO IT. Refresh and make yourself known to you. Take your time to do things in your time. Whatever that means. We kept our bubble while our girls were in the NICU and will never regret telling people “no” to pictures while our girls were on tubes. Take your time with your body. You probably look like you just had a baby – which is good because you just had a baby. There will be time for your body to recover. There will be time for you to change your body later if desired. You are beautiful, and your body just did something (let’s be honest) ridiculous and amazing. That took nine-ish months…so you can take time getting your body back, too. Ask for help if you need it. Talk to a friend. Talk to family. Talk to your medical care team. Talk to a therapist – me even. Needing help and being willing to ask for it is a true sign of strength. I’ll admit – I am really bad at this one. Asking for help is hard for me, but the more I practice the more I realize the worth in doing it. It is natural to feel hormonal, but postpartum depression and anxiety are real life things, too. If you are feeling them – CARE Counseling can help! Click Here to Schedule an appointment. Written By : Amy Babcock, MS, LPCC 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. from https://care-clinics.com/lets-talk-about-postpartum/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/lets-talk-about-postpartum Practicing Body Neutrality
While many people are familiar with “body positivity” which is the idea of accepting and loving your body regardless of what it looks like, not everyone may be in the position or mental space to experience acceptance and love of their body. There are other ways we can create relationships to our bodies which feel realistic and sustainable during periods of time where distress is higher. It is normal for body image to shift and change throughout the day, and you do not need to feel positively about your body in order to appreciate all it can do. So how else can we experience our bodies in this way? Body Neutrality is the idea that focusing on what your body can do or not do rather than focusing on its physical appearance. Here are a few ways you can begin practicing body neutrality. Reframe your self-talkIt takes time to find ways to shift the way we talk about bodies. To begin this journey, practice acknowledging what your body can DO rather than what it looks like. For example, if you are going to the beach, talk to yourself about ways in which your body supports this activity rather than what it may look like. “My body supports me in swimming in the lake for 30 minutes” is one example of ways in which you can practice this. Body neutrality also acknowledges what our bodies may not be able to do. For example, a statement such as “My arms become easily tired when swimming for extended periods” is an example of ways in which we can remain neutral about the functionality of our bodies. Social Media EngagementCurating your social media feeds to better serve this mindset can be a helpful addition to practicing body image neutrality. Often times people report feeling activated or negative thoughts about the accounts they follow, whether they are people they know in real life or influencers. The people you follow should make you feel fulfilled or neutral- and if they do not, finding ways to filter by unfollowing or muting would be one way to practice body neutrality. Reflection TimeSitting with distress and practicing neutrality is one way we can continue to incorporate this into our lives. Setting intentional time to reflect on all your body allows you to do by making a list can be a great resource on days where practicing neutrality is more challenging than others. ExerciseMany times exercise can feel like punishment or a way to compensate for people who struggle with body image concerns or disordered eating patterns. Creating a mindful and healthy relationship with exercise is one way to practice body neutrality. For example, finding reasons to exercise that relate to social connectedness, challenging yourself to build mastery in new skills, and to connect mindfully with your body are all ways in which you can practice and honor remaining neutral toward your body. Find A BalanceAligning with body neutrality does not mean we are not allowed to enjoy appearance related activities such as getting dressed up, going shopping or experimenting with new styles and makeup. Rather, it means differentiating how this makes us feel about our overall worth or prioritizing it as the key to our happiness. Body neutrality encompasses the idea that appearance is not the most significant part about us and our lives. If you are struggling with body image concerns, there are several clinicians at CARE who can work with you to help achieve a more neutral and/or accepting experience of yourself. Click here to schedule an appointment. Written By : Brooke Boeckmann, MS 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. from https://care-clinics.com/practicing-body-neutrality/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/practicing-body-neutrality |
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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