I have a friend whose mother-in-law—let’s call her Maureen–has taken care of her mother around the clock for several years. Maureen takes turns with one of her siblings to care for their mother in the home. This arrangement has been going on for years. And this is not uncommon.

Parents of special needs children, adult children caring for their parents, grandparents raising their grandchildren…when I think of caregivers, so many different types of people and roles come to mind.  Caregivers come in so many forms. Those who choose to care for others with special needs are some of the kindest, most giving and most […]

Autonomy refers to self-government and being responsible for control of one’s life. As we progress into adulthood autonomy becomes a more relevant fact of our lives because we naturally have more independence, more responsibilities, and subsequently more choices to make. In psychology the self-determination theory explains the three basic psychological needs that people require to […]

Physical pain is a universal experience, in as much that everyone who lives will experience at least some level of physical pain semi-frequently. Most of it is very minor and sometimes even ignorable. Random aches, cramps, stings, and spasms happen daily and are so small they don’t even register at the level of mental awareness. […]

Years ago, I heard the story of a man who survived the Nazi concentration camps. I have also read behind Corrie ten Boom—who survived them as well. What has stayed with me in these two accounts of horrific torture, loss, starvation, abuse and witnessing death, is that these individuals maintained some form of positivity and […]

The green ribbon—donned in May for mental health awareness month—is the international symbol for mental health awareness. If you see someone wearing a green ribbon in the month of May, they are making a statement that they care about and support mental health.

I spent a week off the grid, sort of. As a Floridian, I love the natural springs we have here and if you haven’t been I can’t emphasize enough how much you are missing out. A few weeks ago some friends and I went to spend the day at the spring, brought inner tubes, a […]

Setting goals would be included in a book titled “Therapy 101” if one was looking to learn about the most basic tenants of mental health counseling. We are educated as counselors to urge clients to create goals not only for their treatment but also for life in general. Some counselors go as far as to […]

College, graduate school, marriage, home buying, business ownership, parenting and loss—these are just some of the changes I have experienced in life. I am going to be completely vulnerable in this piece and say that even though I have never been diagnosed with it, nor had trouble at work because of it, I am pretty […]

Of all the mental health disorders, there is one that I would argue most individuals on the planet will experience at some point, The Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition calls this, “Adjustment Disorder.” Adjustment Disorder comes in different shapes and sizes, but the basic definition of this disorder is, “A condition in […]