May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so now feels like a great time to revisit a topic that has affected the nation’s collective mental well-being for over a year now: the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a 2020 CDC study on mental health, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts during the pandemic, at least 40 percent of… CONTINUE
Grief: How to Cope and Make Meaning After a Year in Lockdown
We all seek meaning in life, more now than ever. A significant year marker has just passed with the pandemic and an anniversary we didn’t anticipate is now here. This anniversary is a reminder to all of us that we were, a year ago, forced into a lockdown that caused our lives to come to… CONTINUE
Simple Tips to Manage Anxiety at Home
Battling anxiety? You’re not alone. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issue in the United States. They’re hard to diagnose because they often feel like physical illnesses; for example, chest pain, nausea, and headaches. But these physical symptoms originate in the mind. One key to reducing symptoms of anxiety is to focus on… CONTINUE
LGBTQ Counseling: Being Proud of Who You Are
The Pride movement is called “pride” for a reason: to recognize and be proud of the impact LGBTQ people have had in the world. For years, the LGBTQ community has faced hate crimes, bullying, HIV/AIDS, cultural conflicts, and lack of equality and justice, as well as mental health disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders. LGBTQ… CONTINUE
COVID-19 and Distress Tolerance: 2 Key Ways to Overcome Anxiety
People don’t like uncertainty. We like to control things. We like predictable outcomes. But as COVID-19 has reminded us, certain outcomes are simply beyond our control or ability to predict. In the face of uncertainty, we tend to feel anxious. We want to do something productive. We want to fix the problem. With COVID-19, you… CONTINUE
Managing Anxiety During the Coronavirus Pandemic
by Charli Rousseau Few things stir up anxiety faster than an illness, let alone the global spread of a life-threatening new virus. It’s completely normal to feel overwhelming anxiety at a time like this. Anxiety is often a reaction to change, and our reality is changing daily. Your work, family or financial dynamic may have… CONTINUE
How Counseling Can Provide an Opportunity to Re-establish Christian Faith
One of the most confusing things for a Christian is when they experience anxiety or depression symptoms and wonder where God is. Generally speaking, when a person comes into relationship with God they experience an initial elevation of hope, joy and peace over their newfound identity in Christ. As time progresses, many Christians then go… CONTINUE
Being Kind to Yourself – Saying Goodbye to Negative Self-Talk
There I go again, being a jerk. Why am I so lazy? I keep repeating the same mistakes. I don’t deserve to be happy . . . Negative self-talk is a common symptom of depression and anxiety. It’s an attempt to motivate yourself by self-criticism. But you won’t make yourself feel better by making yourself… CONTINUE
Working with Anxiety
What’s your pet mental fixation? Money worries? Health concerns? Anger at your spouse? Frustration with your boss? This fussy internal voice chatters at you all day, making noise when you’re stopped at a red light, standing in line at the grocery store, or lying in bed tossing and turning. Chronically visiting and revisiting whatever pet… CONTINUE
Anxiety, Relaxation and Focus
What’s the least helpful thing you can say to someone who is stressed and anxious? Just relax. Telling someone who is stressed to relax is like telling someone who wants to win the race to run faster. Obviously, if an anxious person could relax in that moment, she would do just that. And oftentimes, the harder… CONTINUE