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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Recognizing and Treating Depression
Suppose you have a pebble in your shoe. Despite this nagging distraction, you try your best to make your life work. You get a massage, drink a margarita, fall in love, win the lottery. You do what you do, but still there is this pebble in your shoe. Now suppose you’ve always had a pebble […]
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 […]