The countdown to college begins. Many students will be moving into their dorms in a month. Exciting and yet scary! The transition to college involves a lot of moving parts, especially when young people are moving out of their parent’s home for the first time. Living with two students who will be transitioning to college in the fall, I can relate to the statement “Adulting is hard…and it’s expensive!” Yes, it is! The increased demands of college life can feel overwhelming, combined with the expectations of adult responsibilities and social pressures. Many clients often identify the onset of significant stressors impacting mental health in college. Anxiety is one of the most common concerns; anticipation of unknows is huge. Will I make friends? Will I succeed in college? It can feel good to know that you are not alone. Many others are having similar experiences. Your fears are valid. There may be difficulties navigating relationships– saying goodbye to childhood friends, making new friends, experiencing the joys and heartbreaks in dating/ intimacy. Then there is also the parent-child relationship as both redefine what this looks like as adults. Social challenges can bring up a variety of emotions. Initiating conversation with a classmate or joining social outings can provoke feelings of anxiety, especially for students who experience social-anxiety. Trauma can also have a significant impact on interpersonal relationships. For students who have received special education in high school, it can feel intimidating to advocate by speaking up in college. While there is no IEP in college, there are accommodations available as part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); however, students take on the responsibility to seek out services. Talking to a professor to clarify an assignment or initiating conversation your educational needs can be difficult, especially where there are neurodevelopmental concerns such as attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD). Students may have scattered developmental skills, such as individuals on the autism-spectrum. For example, students may excel in one area such as academics but struggle in another such as social interactions or excel in calculus but struggle in money management. Students with “invisible-illness” may feel misunderstood by their peers. Executive-function and self-regulation skills are required. There is a lot of planning ahead, as well as time management and organization for all aspects of college life. This includes course registration, tuition payments, assignment completion, and balancing work/ school and social life. The pressures can contribute to breakdowns in mental health. In addition to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation; disordered eating and substance use are especially prevalent among college students. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527955/ As part of managing anxiety with the upcoming transition to college, here are some tips to keep in mind: Get into a healthy routine to include good self-care Take steps to acquire necessary life skills Connect with others before school starts Seek out support Mindset Counts 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/college-anxiety/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/college-anxiety
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Mental Health Declutter Before Beginning CollegeCollege is a time for a fresh start. While some high schoolers reflect on their high school years as one of the best times in their lives, what if your experience was challenging, even traumatic? Bullying, judgement, and social rejection. Drama, fighting, and conflict. Escape, avoidance, and numbing. Anxiety, depression, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts. Bad grades, missed assignments5 Feeling “not enough” Consider this time of your life as a new beginning. A time to let go. “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending”. Being stuck on the past, can prevent one from being fully present in the future. It can also cloud one’s view of the future. Decluttering the mind by letting go of negativity and all the baggage that is no longer needed is so therapeutic. How to let go… Acknowledge and name. Work with your emotions. Notice your thoughts. Resolve the unaddressed. Build yourself up. Stay strong. 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/mental-health-declutter-before-beginning-college/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/mental-health-declutter-before-beginning-college CARE Counseling to participate in Mental Health Awareness at the State Fair on August 30
The State Fair provides a unique opportunity to educate a very large and diverse group of people about mental health issues – something that touches almost every family in some way. Led by the MN State Advisory Council on Mental Health & Subcommittee on Children’s Mental Health and NAMI Minnesota, 60 mental health organizations will participate in the day’s activities. Learn more about this important and fun event at www.namimn.org, or call 651-645-2948. For more information, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/MentalHealthAwarenessMNStateFair/ today! ![]() 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/care-counseling-to-participate-in-mental-health-awareness-at-the-state-fair-on-august-30/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/care-counseling-to-participate-in-mental-health-awareness-at-the-state-fair-on-august-30 What is PCIT?Parenting can be hard. There are good days and not-so-good days, however when the good days feel few and far between it can have a big impact on our mental health. The phone calls from school or daycare might feel repetitive. Handling tantrums and destructive behavior at home may feel overwhelming. Worrying about going out in public and risking a tantrum can feel exhausting. The isolation that comes with handling your child’s challenging behaviors can often cause you to feel lost or confused with what to do. That is where Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) can come in. PCIT is an evidence-based treatment for children ages 2-7 years old with behavioral challenges. PCIT has over 50 years of research to back its long-term effectiveness for both parents and children. PCIT is conducted through a variety of different approaches, including observations, education, and coaching. The approach provides therapists the opportunity to provide in-the-moment guidance and support for parents in using and mastering new skills to help mange your child’s behavior. PCIT involves two treatment phases. The first phase called Child-Directed Interaction (CDI), focuses on your relationship with your child and strengthening the foundation of that relationship. The approach in this phase of treatment involves supporting parents in learning and applying skills through play with their child to build a secure and positive relationship. Through the CDI phase parents often quickly see a decrease in the frequency, severity, and duration of tantrums and negative or attention-seeking behaviors, as well as an increase in self-esteem and pro-social behaviors for their child. The second phase called Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI) provides parents with the skills to manage their child’s challenging behaviors. There is a large focus on parenting strategies used to support your child with following directions, accepting limits, behaving appropriately outside of the home, and following rules in the home. This phase comes second because it builds off the strengthened foundation that is created in the first phase. Parents often feel a new sense of calmness, increased confidence, and consistency in applying these skills. Common outcomes for children through the second phase include a decreased frequency, severity, and duration of aggressive or disruptive behaviors, decreased defiance, and increased compliance with adult requests, limits, and rules. You may be wondering how long PCIT lasts. Or rather, you might be comparing it to past attempts of participating in therapy with your child where it felt like it was going to need to last indefinitely to help. The good news is that PCIT is often completed in 12-20 sessions if there is consistent attendance and engagement. Not only that, but research has proven to show that PCIT provides both parents and children with skills that stick around for many years to come. PCIT is a great place to start when seeking out therapy to support your child in decreasing challenging behaviors. More specifically, PCIT provides a structured, step-by-step approach for parents to strengthen the child-parent relationship and provide their child with the opportunity to feel safe and secure within that relationship. To schedule an appointment with one of our professional counselors, click here. Written By: Katie Grassel, 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/what-is-pcit/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/what-is-pcit Managing Memories and TraumaSafety and stabilization are a core component of trauma-related work. For individuals who have experienced trauma, memories may present as intrusive– showing up, repeatedly and without notice as a reminder to traumatic event (s). They may show up like an uninvited guest coming to your home or an unwelcome visitor joining when you least expect it. It can be difficult to find relief since. Memories might show up as distressing dreams. It may feel as though you are re-living a nightmare. It is not uncommon to wake up in a state of panic. You may find yourself experiencing physiological sensations such sweating and racing heartbeat in addition to psychological responses of distress such as feelings of fear or disgust upon awakening. It can be difficult to fall back asleep, especially when the body is in a hyper-state of alertness. Children may express trauma-related memories through play such as re-enactment of a traumatic event or within their artwork. Play is such as powerful modality for children as it is another way to express oneself without words. Play is often incorporated into trauma treatment for children. For those who have experiences trauma, avoidance of trauma-related memories is common. It may be difficult to remember aspects of a traumatic event; especially when dissociation is present. Individuals who have experienced trauma may avoid thinking or talking about memories associated with trauma. In addition, they may avoid conversations and people who may stir up trauma-related memories. Places, activities, objects, and situations that could trigger a traumatic memory may also be avoided. For children and adults who did not have a consistent safe, protective, and stable home environment as part of complex-trauma may develop ways of coping focused on survival. While these coping mechanisms may have served a purpose at the time, they can interfere with future attachments and even interfere in relationships that are considered healthy and supportive. Trauma can alter the way one views the self and others. Changes in cognitions and mood can begin or worse after trauma is experienced. These thoughts and feelings can lead to unhelpful, or maladaptive ways of coping. Common maladaptive coping strategies include the following: • Substance misuse While it may be tempting to dive right into trauma processing in therapy work, it is important to first focus on establishing safety and stabilization. This can start in the context of a safe and supportive therapeutic relationship. When maladaptive coping strategies are present, it is important to build a solid foundation to replace these with healthier ways to cope. Psychoeducation to normalize trauma-related responses, working with emotions and triggers (e.g. awareness, identification, labeling, and regulation), and using relaxation and coping skills are some great starting areas to address in therapy before moving to cognitive processing as part of trauma management. Grounding techniques, especially sensory-calming interventions and body-based strategies are also helpful. Here are some additional Tools-for-Managing-Traumatic-Stress. 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/managing-memories-and-trauma/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/managing-memories-and-trauma Connecting to Others After QuarantineAfter getting used to staying at home, keeping social distance, and mask-wearing, relating to others after quarantine is another big adjustment. One question that often comes up is how-can-I-feel-less-nervous-socializing-after-quarantine? There are many factors that come into play including fear of the unknown, anxiety, confusion, feeling overwhelmed, and socially being out of practice. According to a recent pandemic-report by the American Psychological Association, nearly half of Americans (49%) said they feel uneasy about adjusting to in-person interaction once the pandemic ends and 46% of adults do not feel comfortable going back to living life like they did before the pandemic. I know for me, the first time I no longer wore a mask in places/ situations that previously required a mask I felt weird and even a bit uncomfortable. There was confusion at times. Do I still wear a mask at ____? Do I ask others if they are vaccinated? Do I require others to wear a mask? What if someone tries to make physical contact with me? How do I respond? There is an element of awkwardness in so many of these situations. I anticipate that there will likely be awkward moments as we continue to relate to others after quarantine. At CARE Counseling, I recently moved back into my office space after over a year of providing exclusively telehealth. This week, I will begin to offer in-person sessions, following our clinic’s protocol. While some clients are excited to come in-person, others do not feel ready or prefer telehealth. Also, while some clinicians are ready for in-person therapy, others are choosing to do 100% telehealth. It is so important to respect where each person is at individually, as we get to choose. There is no obligation to do anything that does not feel comfortable. You are encouraged to prepare such as asking questions ahead of time that could help you feel more comfortable with social interactions. Despite preparation, there are bound to be awkward moments. A light-hearted approach can be helpful with normalizing these experiences. Whatever emotions that may be coming up for you, these feelings are valid. Others are feelings the same or similar emotions. Isolation has been hard and mental health has been impacted by some many. Taking care of your physical and mental health will better prepare you to cope with the stressors of relating to others. Practicing tips for coping and strategies to-help-manage anxiety associated with social-anxiety can be helpful. As we are navigating the stressors of relating to others after quarantine, please remember to be kind to yourself and others. Not everyone is at the same place and things that may seem like a little deal for one person may be a significant source of distress for another. If you are struggling with adjustment difficulties, anxiety, panic, intrusive thoughts, or fears related to socializing, therapy is a great place to address these concerns in a safe and supportive environment. As we begin to relate to others after quarantine, here are some things to keep in mind: • Small steps are OK 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/connecting-after-quarantine/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/connecting-after-quarantine WEEKLY INTERVENTION IDEAS: JULY 19TH EDITIONTheme: Cultivating Joy Kid/Teen Strategy of the Week: Cup of Joy: Reflecting on ways to add joy to one’s cup of daily living can be a way to cultivate resilience in the midst of stress. Have the kid/teen use a printed version of the image below, or draw out a sketch of the cup on Zoom Whiteboard or sheet of paper. o Talk about the stressors or triggers that fill up the client’s cup throughout their day: maybe it’s feeling hungry, not getting to do a preferred activity, etc. As you talk about each stressor in a day, add a little water by coloring in the cup, little by little. Sample Progress Note: The focus of this session was… The therapist engaged the child in an art therapy activity (Cup Activity) to help them become more aware of their level of activation/emotion, and identify helpful coping strategies for when they feel overwhelmed. The client (engaged/did not engage) in the activity and reported it was (helpful/interesting/boring). Adult Strategy of the Week Practicing Joy: Finding ways to cultivate joy in one’s life, daily, weekly, monthly, can help to foster a sense of hope, resilience, and momentum. The experience of a positive emotion such as joy may also decrease stress hormones and build emotional strength. In a session, explore various ways the client has and can cultivate joy, such as: 1. Bring to mind a joyful memory Source: https://chopra.com/articles/5-ways-to-cultivate-more-joy-in-your-life Sample Progress Note: The focus of this session was… The therapist explored ways of cultivating the experience of joy each day/week/month to build resilience in the midst of stress. Client reported that identifying ways to foster joy (seems helpful/seems challenging/etc), and they noted when, where, and how they may want to begin doing so. Modality Strategy of the Week: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: The CBT strategy of scheduling activities that are enjoyable helps clients to cultivate joy by experiencing moments of positive mood amid fatigue, stress, and sadness. Source: Pleasant-Activity-Scheduling-Worksheet.pdf (positivepsychology.com) Sample Progress Note: The focus of this session was… The therapist provided psychoeducation about CBT pleasant activity scheduling and engaged the Ct in an activity of identifying enjoyable activities to do each day in the next week. The client reported that was (helpful/not helpful/painful/etc) to identify things that bring joy. Mindfulness/Meditation of the Week: Joy-ful Meditation: Incorporating joy to meditation can foster a sense of internal uplift! • Script: Here is a practice for cultivating joy that you can use anytime and anywhere. You can do the entire practice in just eight breaths, or you can spend a few minutes on each exercise before moving on. Each breath has a single word to help you remember how to focus your attention. 1. With the first breath, bring your awareness to the sensation of your breathing. Pay close attention to the physical sensation of your breath as it moves in and out. Follow your in-breath and out-breath from the beginning to the end. The word to say to yourself during this breath is breath. 2. With the second breath, bring your attention to all of the sensations in your entire body. Allow your awareness to completely fill your body, and notice what you find. Some sensations will be pleasant, some unpleasant, and some neutral. See if you can allow yourself to feel these sensations without trying to change them at all. Pay special attention to any tension, heaviness, or agitation. The word for this breath is body. 3. With the third breath, actively release all of the tension, heaviness, and agitation in your body. You can imagine that it is being washed out of you with your out breath. The word for this breath is release. 4. With the fourth breath, say to yourself “May you have ease and lightness of body and mind.” See if you can say this with your heart filled with love and generosity toward yourself. You are wishing yourself well, and sending compassion to your body and mind. The word for this breath is love. 5. With the fifth breath, notice if there are any cravings or aversions present in you. Is there any part of you that wants reality to be different than it is right now? Is there any way that you are not accepting or fighting against things-as-they-are? Just notice any cravings or aversions and let yourself feel them without trying to make them go away. They are not your enemy. They may be a part of you that needs love and caring. The word for this breath is cravings. 6. With the sixth breath, become aware that everything you need to be joyful is already present in this moment. All of the conditions that are needed for peace and joy are already here. In every moment of life, there are infinite reasons to suffer and infinite reasons to be joyful. Let’s put our attention to the positive conditions that are available in this moment. Problems do exist, but they are not all that exists. For this one breath, focus on everything in life that is meaningful. We are no longer regretting the past or worrying about the future. We are here and present to the joys of life. The word for this breath is letting go. 7. With the seventh breath, become aware that you are alive. As you breathe, feel the energy of life moving through you. With this breath, we recognize the miracle of being alive. We become fully awake to the experience of being alive in the present moment, and we see what a precious thing this is. If you had just a few minutes to live, it would be so clear that 24 hours of life is incredibly precious. The word for this breath is alive. 8. With the eighth breath, become aware of all of the beauty within and around you. As soon as we let go of our desires and wake up to the present moment, we see that reality itself is indescribably beautiful. All of our senses—our sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental perception—deliver this beauty to us like a precious gift. All we have to do is enjoy. The word for this breath is beauty. • So we can practice the eight breaths to joy like this: Source: https://www.mindful.org/8-breaths-to-joy-a-guided-practice/ Sample progress note: The focus of this session was… The therapist led a meditation activity around cultivating joy. 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-interventions-july-19th-edition/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/weekly-interventions-july-19th-edition Juggling Summertime DemandsWhat comes to mind when you think about summer? Perhaps relaxing at the beach, taking leisurely walks, or socializing at backyard BBQs? How about a beautiful sunny day spending vacation time with family and friends at the cabin, on the lake, or a special getaway spot…Maybe a summer beverage or ice cream treat in hand? While this sounds lovely, what is your reality is something more like this: While I work hard to prioritize self-care and work-life balance, I can relate to the second scenario. In fact, I would consider myself quite skilled at this point in learning how to juggle multiple demands that I wanted to share with you several strategies that I have found to be the most helpful. 1. Plan ahead as much as possible to reduce stress. This includes writing down important dates such as class schedules, meetings, and important deadlines. While I like to think about possible big events around the start of a new year such as planning/ saving for big events, breaking planning into 3-month, monthly, weekly, and daily chunks me helps track to manage my time. 2. Set realistic expectations. Knowing how much time is in a day, it is important to set realistic expectations. No one can do it all. Being realistic is so important that it is built into SMART goal setting. 3. Balance the ratio with commitments and flexibility. The problem of over-booking is so common that many people found relief that it was OK to let go of some things and slow down during quarantine. This includes family commitments. Imagine adding in children with multiple school schedules, sports practices, extracurricular activities, camp schedules, and additional social activities. For each “yes” that you are committing to, this often adds to a “no” in the ability to be flexible for things such as down time or spontaneous enjoyable activities. 4. Learn how to say yes to yourself. Oftentimes, we say yes to others but then overlook ourselves. Learning how to say no to others is a necessary practice of establishing healthy boundaries. Learning to use assertive communication can help one feel empowered to take care of their own needs. If this is an area of struggle, therapy can be helpful to work on assertive communication and interpersonal boundaries. 5. Prioritize. After identifying what areas are considered essential, begin to think about the level of priority for the others. While it may seem like multiple items may be a priority, remember the need to set realistic expectations. Choice is helpful, especially for children such as offering one option or the other (e.g. either swimming lessons or soccer lessons). When the activity ends, a new choice can be made. 6. Enlist help from supports. Transportation, childcare, and financial barriers are real. Get creative to figure out what works best for you or your family and don’t be afraid to ask for help. One creative solution utilized as a grad student and mother was to swap childcare for study time one day a week with another parent and student. It was a win-win solution. If you have children, help foster independence through teaching responsibility. Even young children can assist with simple household tasks such as setting the table. If you live with a partner or roommates, share the load of responsibilities. 7. Manage stress. Know your warning signs and personal limits. For me, the sign of a headache is a signal of too much mental activity and muscle tension as a stress response. Listen to what your body is communicating to you and respond. It could be a simple as getting up to do some stretches, taking a break, or a nice relaxing sock in a hot bath. A positive attitude and relaxed body are so important. 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/juggling-summertime-demands/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/juggling-summertime-demands Summer Mental Health FactsFact #1: Increased anxiety and panic during the summer months can be triggered by hot weather. Physical symptoms of panic-attack such as sweating, heat sensations, chest pain or discomfort, dizziness, nausea, and feeling faint can be similar to what the body experiences when it becomes too hot/ in high humidity. Tip:Cope with hot weather and high humidity by staying indoors as much as possible during heat advisories and staying hydrated. Anxiety and panic attacks are treatable. Please talk to a medical or mental health provider to learn how to manage symptoms. – Fact #2: Being outdoors has many health-benefits and is a great way to socialize as a way to reduce isolation and improve mental-health. Soaking in some sun (and Vitamin D), while getting exercise and being social not only feels good but can lessen anxiety, improve focus, and aid in a good night’s sleep. Tip: Try to spend at least a few minutes outside each day. A great healthy-summer goal is to get at least 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity each week. This averages 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Fact #3: While social-comparison can be beneficial to motivate positive change, it can also become detrimental to mental health. Summertime can be especially hard with social comparison— seeing others who have the perfect beach body, an active social life, awesome adventures and vacations. Comparison to others can contribute to unhealthy patterns or disordered eating, negative self-evaluation, poor self-esteem and self-worth, and feelings of depression. Tip: Try setting realistic standards and limit excessive messaging from social medial that contributes to self-comparison. Remember to be kind to yourself and your body. Fact #4: Healthy eating impacts both physical and mental health. Some of the benefits-of-healthy-eating include supporting muscles, strengthening bones, boosting immunity, keeping skin, teeth, and eyes health, aiding in digestion, and helping achieve and maintain a healthy weight. In addition, food impacts mood. Tip: Take advantage to fresh seasonal produce such as your local farmer’s market. Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are good choices for mood such as salmon, flax and chia seeds, and soybeans. Those with depressed mood or ADHD may especially benefit. Avoid high calorie, sugary and fatty treats when stressed or depressed. Keep your favorite healthy snack foods accessible so that it is easier to reach for these instead. Fact #5: Heat and alcohol can be a dangerous combination. Not only is there the increased loss of fluid through perspiration but there is also additional fluid loss with increased urination when drinking. This combination can lead to dehydration or heat stroke. Additionally, many common summer activities such as boating often include alcohol. Did you know that up to 70% of water recreation deaths of teens and adults involve alcohol? Tip: Stay hydrated. If you are drinking, limit alcohol use (especially on hot days) and include plenty of water. Do not drink and drive. And yes, this includes boats, golf carts, and other summer recreational vehicles. 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/summer-mental-health-facts/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/summer-mental-health-facts Independence, Co-Dependence, and InterdependenceAre you Independent, Interdependent, or Co-Dependent in Your Relationship? If your first response was independent, you likely value being able to make choices on your own–to be seen separate from others based on the result of your hard work, ability, and determination. You can take care of yourself and make decisions without relying on the help of others. Your self-esteem is likely high as well as your overall confidence. Your comfortable level with interpersonal communication helps ensure that your needs are met. Work or personal ventures may take priority over relationships. If your first response was co-dependent, you likely rely on others to help make decisions. You tend to seek others for their approval and recognition, rather than trusting your instincts. Perhaps you stay in relationships longer than you originally intended, as this is what feels “comfortable” or “familiar” in your family of origin. Communication, boundaries, and asserting your needs in a relationship can be challenging as you often place higher importance on the needs of others as your value and self-worth tends to be connected to others’ view of you. Independence and co-dependence both have their limitations. For the individual who considers themself to be independent, where does a significant other fit into the dynamic? Is there space for building emotional intimacy while also maintaining a strong sense of self? In co-dependency, where is one’s sense of self, especially after the end of a relationship? Is one able to cultivate their strengths and areas of interest outside the relationship? Individuals who consider themselves both independent and co-dependent may find that there is something missing. Let me introduce you to interdependence. In interdependence, there is more of a balance as both partners work together to meet the physical and emotional bonds within the relationship rather than being solely focused on the self or others. Interdependence is a place where the self can remain strong yet but can also mutually help meet the needs of their partner. An interdependent person knows who they are in and separate from their relationship. They can seek input from their partner, especially regarding decisions that impact the relationship while also being comfortable to make final decisions. Healthy communication and boundaries are important to them. They can become vulnerable within their relationship, leading to greater connectedness and intimacy. An interdependent person works to find balance–for family, friends, hobbies, and self-care as they strive to become the best version of their self and the best version of themselves within relationships. Are you interested in moving towards relational interdependence? Therapy is a great place to do some individual work around self and relationships as well as couples work! Check out some of the common areas that are often explored in therapy that can help one move towards relational interdependence. Exploring Sense of SelfLearn more about yourself. Explore areas such as “Who am I?” Working with BoundariesIncrease your awareness of boundaries. Be able to recognize a boundary crossing. Finding BalanceLearn how to make time for yourself by establishing new routines. Improving Self-EsteemAddress untreated mental illness and/ or physical health concerns. Becoming the Best Version of YourselfActively take steps to move towards living a fully authentic life. 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/independence-co-dependence-and-interdependence/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/independence-co-dependence-and-interdependence |
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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