• Help for Depression With Simple Lifestyle Changes

    Depression is a common mental health disorder, affecting more than 21 million adults in the United States yearly. Yet, for many, depression symptoms are alleviated through simple lifestyle changes. Help for depression is available using counseling, medication, and behavioral change. Help for Depression: Counseling and Medications Many people opt for counseling in combination with medications to address depression. Medication may be prescribed for severe depression or if you engage in self-harm or have suicidal ideations. If you are having [...]

  • Examples of Emotional Abuse: Recognizing Maltreatment from Loved Ones

    There is no doubt that the world we live in feels like a curious mixture of good and bad. Our world has beauty in it, both natural and created by people, but it also has a lot in it that brings tears to one’s eyes. Families are generally a good thing; they are the first place we learn what belonging means, and that’s beautiful. However, families can also be hotbeds of dysfunction, and they can be places of deep [...]

  • 6 Healthy Ways to Lose Weight

    There are certain times of the year, or if we’re honest with ourselves, several times in a day when the thought of weight loss crosses our minds. For you, it might be when you wake up, when you step onto that scale, when you try to play with your child and find yourself struggling, or when you feel summer approaching and start stripping off those winter layers in favor of lighter clothing. We are constantly bombarded with information about [...]

  • Dealing with Generational Family Conflict

    There are many sources of generational family conflict; disagreements, misunderstandings, and tensions that can arise between family members of different generations. These conflicts can be influenced by a variety of factors, including differences in values, beliefs, lifestyles, and communication styles. Have you ever found yourself engaged in a conversation something like this: “Back in my day . . .” “Things aren’t the same for you as they are for me.” “You just don’t want to work.” “Well, you don’t [...]

  • Understanding Narcissism

    The term “narcissist” is used in popular culture to define anyone who is vain, arrogant, or brimming with confidence. This makes for an unpleasant person to deal with, and perhaps the sort of person you would rather avoid. However, the psychological understanding of narcissism goes a little deeper, and those who are in a relationship with a narcissist, or work for one, may benefit from understanding a little more about this trait. When we don’t have the option of [...]

  • What Healing from Infidelity Can Look Like

    Dealing with infidelity, separation, or divorce in a marriage is one of the most disruptive, emotionally tumultuous chapters in anyone’s life. It can take years to sort through your emotions and find some kind of closure, enough to move on and start again. Before you see some sort of resolution, however, there will be a period where you cycle through all different kinds of thoughts and feelings. Infidelity doesn’t only damage a marriage, but it causes all manner of harm [...]

  • Shedding Light on PTSD

    People with PTSD are often told to “get over it” as if it is something that they can control. When we are uneducated on the real struggles others face, we contribute to their suffering, even when we might be well-intentioned. We must educate ourselves, not just so that we can positively impact those around us when they struggle with their mental health, but so that we can know that we are not overreacting when we go through something ourselves. [...]

  • Anger Problems: How They Affect Relationships and How to Overcome Them

    Would you consider yourself a person with anger problems? Most of us probably have a mental image of what we think an angry person looks like, and it probably isn’t us. There are some well-known ways to express anger that are often understood to be what anger is all about. Incidents of road rage that go viral, instances of domestic abuse, or fights breaking out between sports fans often come to mind when the word “anger” is mentioned. Anger [...]

  • Music and Mental Health: Beethoven’s Music and How Our Brains React

    Why Music is Good for Us I have to admit my bias: I am a marching band mom. Yes, one of those. I am also the mother of a teen with ADHD and Anxiety. I used to play the flute in middle school. I have admitted all of my biases, let me explain why I love music and why it’s wonderful for our brains. The Pacific Symphony’s website states “Studies have shown that engaging with music can lead to increased [...]