Articles

July is: Minority Mental Health Month Also known as BIPOC Mental Health Month. As language continues to evolve, many people and groups are choosing to use BIPOC: Black, Indigenous people, and People of Color to acknowledge the unique mental health differences and needs of members of each population. It has been emotionally challenging and drainingContinue reading “Minority Mental Health Awareness”

In therapy, we often encourage our clients to sit with their feelings. We therapist sort of throw this term around like it’s common knowledge. But the truth is, to sit with one’s feelings is a bold act of practice and trust for oneself. It’s actually no small practice. To sit with one’s feelings is toContinue reading “How To Sit With Your Feelings”

There are many definitions for the word grace. In therapy, we often talk about the concept of giving oneself grace. This type of grace is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency.” To show oneself grace is to simply be kind, courteous, and lenient onContinue reading “Grace, Grace”

Many people call the widespread prevalence of Mental Health issues in America an epidemic, a crisis, and a state of emergency.  I agree.  Everyone feels the gravity of either struggling with mental health issues personally or having close relatives and friends who struggle with mental health issues.  Moreover, the statistics about African American Mental Health,Continue reading “Black Mental Health Matters”

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary cognitive dissonance is a “psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously.” [1]  This term originally came from Leon Festinger in 1954 and was used to describe the feeling of psychological discomfort produced by the combined presence of two thoughts that are not in agreement with one another.  Further,Continue reading “3 Ways to Work Through Cognitive Dissonance”

Do you feel S.A.D.?  Not sad, but S.A.D.  S.A.D. is an acronym for seasonal affective disorder.  The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) doesn’t identify S.A.D. as an independent diagnosis.  Rather it is a specifier applied to recurrent major depressive disorder.  Therefore, the diagnosis would be Major Depressive Disorder with seasonal pattern.  AccordingContinue reading “5 Ways to Cope With S.A.D.”