Social Media: How It Relates to Depression and Anxiety

Think about the number of times you open a social media application on your smart phone every day. Did you know that recent research says that viewing social media apps such as Facebook and Instagram on a regular basis can increase the likelihood of experiencing depression and anxiety? When you think about it, it does actually makes sense. I frequently […]

When Career Stress Feels Like a Mental Illness

“James” walked into my office and met with me for the first time.  He talked about how he was having the following symptoms: Feeling sad or depressed for several weeks Unmotivated to go to work Reduced appetite Difficulty sleeping Lack of interest in leisure activities At first I thought he was experiencing symptoms of depression, and he may have qualified […]

Anxiety and Executive Function

Written by: Rebecca L. Marshall, Ph.D. Anxiety can affect a child’s functioning in many different aspects of his or her daily life.  While mild levels of stress can actually improve performance for some activities, clinically significant anxiety is detrimental to a child’s emotional well-being.  Chronic anxiety may be manifested as persistent worrying about school performance, an unrelenting focus on the […]

Conquering Shyness

In a culture where video games and texting are preferred over play dates and live discussions, it’s not surprising that more parents are bringing their children to therapy for help with social skills. For some children phone time instead of in-person time can contribute to shyness, while others may simply have a naturally reserved temperament. Other children may be anxious […]

Managing “Scanxiety”

Written by: Rebecca L. Marshall, Ph.D. The term “scanxiety” commonly refers to the anxiety, worry, and fear associated with post-treatment follow-up imaging.  A follow-up MRI or CT scan months to years after enduring cancer treatment can lead to overwhelming feelings of anxiety in anticipation of the imaging results.  One of the reasons for such anxiety is that parents and children […]

Caring for the Whole Person: Mind, Body and Emotions

Humans are multi-faceted creatures. With our minds, we make rational decisions, solve problems and form ideas. With our emotions, we feel our way through life. And our bodies are the vehicle we use to express our thoughts and emotions. When one of these systems gets off balance, the others don’t quite work as well either. If our body is ill […]

Honoring MLK: Overcoming the Stigma of Seeking Therapy

Written by: Jordan R. Yates, M.A. Mental health awareness has come a long way over the last couple of decades, establishing its own month of awareness (May), and becoming more normalized in everyday conversations, news outlets, and various other forms of mass media. Unfortunately, communities of color – that arguably have experienced disproportionate amounts of traumatic events in this country’s […]

Practicing Mindfulness

Chances are that in the past few weeks, you’ve heard at least one thing about “mindfulness” and how you should be practicing it. What exactly is mindfulness and what health benefits does it have to offer you? Mindfulness is merely tuning in to what you are feeling at any given time and maintaining that awareness. For example, while taking a […]

Starting Your Year Off Right

With a new year comes a clean slate and high expectations. Losing weight, being more organized, whatever it is you aim for, it’s probably not an easy goal to meet. Once you start trying to meet them, it’s easy to quickly become overwhelmed and discouraged. Here are a few simple ways to stay positive and keep yourself on track. Be […]

Reaching Out to Estranged Family Members

Relationships of all kinds are messy. In a friendship or a dating relationship, we simply “break up”. It’s painful but since we have rarely have to see the person, it’s easier to move on. In families, this looks completely different. When a familial relationship gets cut off for whatever reason, it never really goes away. There will always be special […]