Growing up, it was very difficult for me to speak to my parents about mental health. Everytime, they saw me sad, upset or depressed. They would default to “Oh you will be fine.  Let's go out for dinner. It will make you feel better.” But in reality I wasn't really “ok.” As a therapist, it has been my job to help them understand the importance of mental health. Here, I will talk about 3 tips on how you can speak with your South Asian parents about mental health. 

Much attention has been given to the health implications of loneliness over the past few years. We can understand how easy it would be for solopreneurs who work alone and/or in isolation to feel lonely and disconnected. On top of that, the pandemic has forced remote-capable entrepreneurs to work from home which only further contributed to increasingly high reports of loneliness and disconnection. All hope isn’t lost, however, there are plenty of ways that entrepreneurs can seek community and connection to find support and relationships that enhance well-being.

At the start of the pandemic, many remote capable entrepreneurs were forced to begin working from home.  This was great for physical health and safety, but not so great for social and emotional well-being.  During the pandemic, many entrepreneurs (including therapists in private practice) reported increasing feelings of isolation and disconnection.

Entrepreneurs are a unique group, and they face distinct work and lifestyle challenges as a result of their work. While there are a wide-range of mental health resources available to the community at large, it can be more challenging to find resources and services designed specifically for entrepreneurs.  We hope you’ll be able to use this list to identify resources that will be helpful to you. 

On the lookout for helpful, therapist-recommended resources for mental health, wellness, and the like? Our Maryland therapists have created, gathered, and recommended great resources that promote mindfulness, motivation, stress reduction, and education. If you, or someone you know, is currently in therapy and are in need of some additional resources or are simply looking for educational or self-care resources to use on your own, here are some we have available at LifeSpring Counseling Services!

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, and you are in Baltimore County, MD here are a few things that you can do. The resource you choose will depend on your specific situation. The most important thing, however, is that you reach out for help when you need it.  

Depression is known for symptoms that are particularly challenging to deal with. The good news is that there are a number of great strategies that you can use to help improve your mood. Remember, you might not always feel like using these tools when you’re feeling depressed, but they will work if you use them.

Mental health is an essential aspect of our overall well-being, but for many people, seeking therapy is still stigmatized. Seeking therapy should be seen as a normal and proactive step towards taking control of one's mental health, just as going to a doctor for a physical ailment is seen as a necessary part of healthcare. In this blog, we will discuss ways to normalize seeking therapy and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

Depression is a common mental health condition that affects millions of people around the world. It can cause feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of energy and motivation, making it difficult to enjoy life and perform daily activities. While there are many different treatments available for depression, including medication and talk therapy, one newer approach is Brainspotting.

In today's world, mental health has become a growing concern and more people are seeking help to manage their mental health issues. Doctors' offices can play a significant role in addressing the mental health needs of their patients by providing support and resources. Here are some ways that doctors' offices can support their patients' mental health.

Partnering with local counseling practices can be a valuable way to improve the mental health of your employees. These collaborations help your employees on an individual basis while helping the productivity and health of the company as a whole. Here are a few ways that companies can collaborate with counseling practices to support your employees’ mental health.

Shortly after I started weaning my toddler, sadness engulfed me. I felt like melted ice cream, honestly. This led me down a rabbit hole of reading. I am sure that you are joining me in my surprise that as a therapist, a former educator, and a mother who reads every parenting article I can get my hands on, I had never heard of post-weaning depression. Well, I think that the answer is two-fold. From what I can gather, there is limited research on post-weaning depression. This blog is centered on raising awareness on post-weaning depression, along with an encouragement for greater societal attention and research.

Brainspotting is a cutting edge brain and body based treatment modality that doesn’t require you to do a lot of talking. Despite the fact that Brainspotting was discovered almost 20 years ago, many people have still not heard about it. In this blog, we’ll be going over common questions that people have when they first learn about Brainspotting. Have questions? Let us answer them!

Every year, several organizations and programs dedicate time to bring awareness to certain topics, including mental health, substance use, stress management, and more. Over the course of the year, each organization and/or program brings awareness, reduces stigma, offers a variety of shareable resources, and hosts helpful events locally and nationally. If you’re looking to learn more about a particular topic, share helpful resources, and partake in local opportunities, be sure to mark your calendars with these important dates!

Multicultural counseling does not provide quick solutions. I understand that in front of me is a unique person with a rich history of cultural interactions. This is their journey toward the fruition of their own identity. This is not just about culture. This is about who they are as a person and whether they are ready, and how to get ready to bring wholeness and self-leadership into their identity. In multicultural counseling, we explore what is a relationship that one wants to develop with their own culture and other cultures? And more importantly, how to get there? I feel honored to be on this journey with many clients. I found the following strategies really helpful to support this personal growth. 

I have never felt so Chinese before I came to the U.S. As a matter of fact, I rarely mentioned the word “Chinese” in my daily life while I was in China–I never had to, given that everyone around me was Chinese. Cultural diversity in the U.S. has given me a chance to reflect on my relationship with my own culture, and more importantly, what is the relationship that I want to develop with my own culture. As a therapist, my experiences with clients tell me that culture plays a significant role in people’s mental wellbeing, especially in U.S. society. In this article, I will share some examples of when culture is at the center of people’s mental struggles.

Our dedication to others makes us well-suited for positions within helping professions; whether you’re a fellow therapist, a medical provider, a first responder, a humanitarian aid worker, the ability to meet humans with unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding is key. Compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout can affect the best of caregivers.

This is a recommendation I provide all my clients experiencing anxiety and depression, to put up a “fight” with their negative thoughts. I do not want this internal dialogue to be in contempt, but rather provide your mind with the alternative perspective- one that a parent may provide a child. You are the parent. You are in charge. Your anxious thoughts are your inner child. Your job- and it takes practice- is to explain to the “child” why their concerns are not actuality or that should they become actualized that they- you- can handle it. This models the value of thought reframing and prevention of catastrophizing. So here are a few examples.

Sometimes the thoughts that pop into our heads are ones that make us worry about the future or feel bad about ourselves. And some of these thoughts can be particularly irritating in that they like to stick around or pop up frequently. When we’ve experienced certain thoughts repeatedly, there can be a point in which we actually start believing that they are true, even when they most definitely are not. If you’ve ever struggled with depression or anxiety, it’s likely that you’ve experienced lots of these annoying thoughts.  If you’re a human, it’s 100% likely that you’ve experienced some unhelpful, self-critical thoughts too. 

Holidays are generally associated with family and friends gathering. For many, it is a time for love and connection. However, in reality, it is inevitable to experience ups and downs throughout one’s life. And as we all know, life does not have a schedule for happy/painful moments.