The Benefits of School-Linked Mental Health Services
School-linked mental health therapy services have become increasingly common due to the many benefits they provide. This model can be best defined as a therapist from an outside agency working onsite at a school, providing services to students during the normal school day. The benefits of this model are many... School counselors and teachers are [...]
Simple Tips for Wearing Masks
Today, I want to share some thoughts and advice around wearing masks and the anxiety that can come with it. As more cities and states have moved to mandatory mask-wearing policies, we're hearing from people about their experiences of masks causing anxiety. This can include creating full-blown panic attacks whenever a person puts on a [...]
Men’s Health – Five Tips for Creating a Healthy Lifestyle
Water's Edge Counseling & Healing Center believes in nurturing an individual's whole self, including biological, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. For men, this can be particularly challenging. Many haven't learned to be proactive about their health, and some try to ignore the signs their body gives them. Others simply focus on being "silent and strong." [...]
Where PTSD and Eating Disorders Meet
Trigger Warning: This post will address the topic of trauma and names specific eating disorder behaviors. You may have heard people say that eating disorders are not just about food, but instead, a way to cope with some form of significant distress. This distress can show up in a number of ways, but for many, [...]
Rekindling Your Inner Fire
As a boy, I remember playing laser tag on a moonlit golf course with my older brother and his friends, sneaking around in the sand traps and behind the trees, seeking out my opponents. I remember playing capture the flag along the beach sand dunes at night, running through the soft, cold sand with others [...]
Managing Emotional Eating During Stressful Times
Have you noticed during this pandemic and recent community emergency, that you are struggling to stay on the path, or maybe getting on a path, of mindful eating? If you are, you are not alone. There's a reason for this. It's your brain. You see, your brain is a very efficient organ. It likes to [...]
Self-Care During a Pandemic
Self-care, the active process of taking care of ourselves, is essential to our overall mental health and well-being. While it may be a concept we are aware of and try our best to do, it is not uncommon for our self-care to take a back seat to more ‘urgent’ issues. There is nothing quite like [...]
Caring For Our Children’s Mental Health
The past few months of life with COVID-19 in our midst has given new meaning to the word “challenging.” Adjusting to isolation and all the changes we are experiencing has not been easy for most of us, but particularly impacted are those most important to us, our children. COVID-19 increases stress, mood disturbances, and fears [...]
Alcohol Abuse and Awareness
It’s hard to talk about alcohol awareness without first talking about shame. Unfortunately, shame continues to be one of the most significant barriers to people struggling with alcohol abuse getting the treatment that they may desperately need. Shame takes so many forms and can be sneaky and pervasive in how it shows up. Shame for [...]
What to Know About Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression can be debilitating, but it is not a personal failing. If you are feeling sad or anxious after childbirth, you are not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, postpartum depression may affect as many as 1 in 5 women. Use the following guide to learn how postpartum depression can be [...]
5 Ways Anxiety Impacts Health
Anxiety can be a debilitating psychological issue, leaving patients with continuous negative thoughts and potentially even panic attacks. However, prolonged stress can also have physical side effects that impact every part of your body, from your teeth to your heart. Below are a few symptoms that may be alleviated with anxiety treatment. Physical Symptoms of Anxiety [...]
A Brief Guide to Group Therapy
When you’re dealing with a mental health challenge, therapy can help restore peace to your life. Although you might assume all sessions involve a therapist and one individual, many people benefit from group therapy instead. If you’re currently looking for therapy options, here’s what you should know about this unique outlet. What Is Group Therapy? In group [...]