May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Founded by Mental Health America in 1949, this annual monthly movement has served as a time to show support, break stigma, and educate the public around mental health conditions. Mental health conditions can affect anyone — regardless of age or background. And, unfortunately, recent data show that our country is facing an unprecedented national mental health crisis, with one in five people experiencing a mental health condition in any given year. Additionally, about half of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their lives, with symptoms starting by age 14 for the majority of people.
Depression
Ten Questions to Ask When Choosing a Trauma- Informed Therapist
Not all therapists are trauma-informed therapists. Seeing the wrong therapist when trying to work through trauma could be harmful to your recovery. When choosing a therapist who uses trauma- informed techniques in their practice, consider these ten questions to help you make an informed decision.
What is Trauma-Informed Therapy?
Trauma informed therapy involves tailoring interventions in the context of an individual’s trauma history. It is a beneficial modality for working with anyone who has experienced trauma throughout their life– whether as a child or an adult. Therapists use this technique as a lens through which to view clients, considering the impact trauma has had on an individual’s behavior and emotions.
Resources for Individuals Who Self Harm
For individuals who self harm, the first step to recovery is recognizing that you want to stop. If you are not yet ready to stop, do not be discouraged. There are plenty of ways to begin gaining control over your self- injuring behaviors by first setting boundaries around when and how often you hurt yourself. For many, the recovery process is often long and fraught with significant ups and downs. The following information provides a brief overview of a few ways individuals who self harm can begin working towards healing.
Self Harm Awareness Month – Resources for Parents
Recognizing self harm in a loved one can be difficult and overwhelming–especially when it is your own child. In this week’s blog post, we provide a number of resources for parents of children who are self-harming.
Self Harm Awareness Month
March is Self- Harm Awareness Month. In our blog series this month, we will be sharing a variety of resources to raise awareness around self-injury, offer support for those who self-harm, and help individuals learn to identify self- injury in others.
5 Ways to Help Your Teen with Depression
As a parent, there’s nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your child suffer from depression. We want them to flourish and grow, but when your teen is struggling with depression, it’s easy to feel helpless as you watch them pull back, isolate, and shut down.
How Does Depression Affect Your Brain?
There are several physiological changes that accompany depression. Various regions of the brain shrink in response to prolonged bouts of depression.
Depression — Is It Affecting Your Family?
Every family is a complex and unique web of individual and collective relationships. Think of it as a sprawling spider’s web, with family members and their lives represented by the strands of the web.