Thursday, December 31, 2020

Guest Blog: The Healing Power of Art in the Home

I am pleased to present a guest post from Pia De Los Reyes, a writer who specializes in the lifestyle and insurance spaces. She earned an M.A. in Communication after using her passion for mental health to study social support and expressive writing. Here, she shares with us the importance of art in our homes and how artistic décor affects our psychology.

The Healing Power of Art in the Home
by Pia De Los Reyes

Art in the home does more than just serving up beautiful aesthetics. Research has shown that viewing art actually comes with a variety of mental health, wellness, and community benefits, and art therapy has an incredible power to help with healing. With more time being spent at home now more than ever, it’s important to curate your home art in a way that inspires, stimulates, and brings meaning to your space. 

Learn about the diverse benefits of art in the home and how to curate your own collection at home.


Please include attribution to https://www.thezebra.com/ with this graphic.


Home wellness technology

Mental Health Benefits of Art

According to a Harvard study, making and viewing art helps to stimulate memory and interpersonal connection. This was especially beneficial for individuals with dementia and older adults. Expression through art was also found to help reduce depression, stress, and anxiety. Art can also help those with cancer cope and create meaning in the wake of their diagnosis. 


Wellness Benefits of Art 

Curated art in your home not only showcases your personality, but allows you to welcome a host of positive thoughts and feelings into your space. Art cultivates empathy and inspires creativity, and it offers opportunities for conversation and critical thinking. Viewing art is also proven to trigger pleasure by releasing dopamine in our brains.  


Community Benefits of Art

Investing in art from local artists or galleries helps to infuse money into the local community. Supporting local art also comes with perks like getting to know the artist more personally and purchasing art that often has a connection to the community. 


How to Curate Your Own Art


It’s easy to reap the benefits that displaying art can bring to your home. Get started with these five tips: 


  1. Get inspired by your personal style! Use your favorite colors and textures as a starting point, create an inspiration board, and mix and match from there.

  2. Choose pieces that speak to you. If your art is meant to heal, pick pieces that express your journey. Art in your home should uplift your soul and bring you joy everyday.

  3. Add a personal touch. Personalized art adds meaning to your space. Choose pieces that represent your heritage or special moments in your life. Commission a piece if you can’t find one that already exists or make one yourself!

  4. Display like a pro. Hang solo pieces at eye level for maximum enjoyment or group multiple pieces using the rule of three. 

  5. Protect your investments. If you invest in or commission art pieces, remember to include them in personal property protection within your home insurance. Take care to monitor humidity levels and keep pieces out of direct sunlight to prevent damage as well.



Artistic expression comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. The process of expressing yourself is what helps to bring on the many benefits of art. Enjoy the process and bring the healing power of art to your home by curating your collection today! 


Friday, December 04, 2020

Mom.com Features Color Me Happy and Color Me Grateful Among Best Coloring Books for Moms

I'm continuing to be amazed at where I find my books. Sometimes they are "new" finds for me, even though they've been online for a while. Here I found both "Color Me Grateful" and "Color Me Happy" on Mom.com's "Amazing and Beautiful Coloring Books for Moms." It's fun to discover, and I'm glad that people are still getting use from them! Thank you for featuring them!






Monday, November 30, 2020

Short Film Illustrates Parts of Self

I was reminded of this video recently that well-illustrates our parts of self. One of the clips was shown during my IFS training, and when I went back and watched the whole short, I realized it gives a great visual to some of our parts of self that we may struggle with internally every day, but may not realize where it's coming from. This could be a good tool to use with clients (though it does include some profanity) to springboard further discussions. 

Woman of a Certain Age from Kate Dearing on Vimeo.

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Coloring to Cope with COVID

My art therapy colleagues Gioia and Rebecca highlighted the benefits of coloring during the pandemic as a way of coping with COVID.  Their Creative Wellbeing Workshops, LLC newsletter featured a coloring book that Rebecca created, called Coloring Creates Wellbeing:  The Desert Mandalas Coloring Book, so she is not only an art therapist colleague, she is also a fellow coloring book creator!  Check out their suggestions for helping deal with the continued effects of the C19 pandemic.


Sarah coloring "Agave Grande" from the Coloring Creates Wellbeing: The Desert Mandalas Coloring Book

 

With the heightened stress of the recent elections and the resurgence of the virus converging with the upcoming holidays, we've been asked to write more on coping with COVID.   One of our favorite stress reducing strategies is coloring.  This is perhaps not surprising, since this is one of Rebecca's passions and she illustrated a coloring book (more about the Desert Mandalas Coloring Book below).

The simplest and most compelling reason we promote coloring is that it is so effective at helping people relax.  You don't have to be an artist, or know how to draw, or even particularly like art.  The pre-existing designs invite people to jump in and then the repetitive action of filling in the designs gets them into flow.  

This is especially helpful for people who wish that they could meditate but who find it too difficult to sit still--coloring produces many of the same physiological effects.  Please note that we are not suggesting that coloring is a replacement for meditating.  However, it is remarkable that coloring is so successful at creating the stress reducing benefits that people are trying to achieve through meditating.  

For example, coloring induces the relaxation response which includes lowering of the heart rate and blood pressure, as well as beneficial changes in brain wave activity. It helps people focus, concentrate, and be more mindful.  It also provides a positive distraction from anxious and pressured thoughts.  Click here if you want to learn more about the scientific benefits of coloring.  

Now that adult coloring has become so popular, the selection of coloring books is practically endless.  There are coloring books that feature everything from your favorite pets and plants to your favorite musicians, actors, and public figures.  You can find coloring books that are more simple and straightforward or very complex and detailed.  

If you're ready to experiment with coloring, here is one the most popular images from Rebecca's  Desert Mandalas Coloring Book.    If you want to get the book for yourself or as a gift for someone who needs to relax more and manage his/her stress, i t will be on sale for 10% off the rest of November and December.   Click here to check out the book and  see thumbnails of the other images.  

As always, we send you our well-wishes during these challenging times.  Please know that we are with you in our thoughts and sending you our love and appreciation.   
 
Stay safe and well during the holidays, 
Positively Rebecca & Gioia

Art activity
Print either the coloring sheet above, this one here, or find one online that appeals to you.  
Gather some art supplies--usually people use crayons, markers, and pencils but you can also use pastels or paints if the paper is thick enough.  See how you respond to the coloring process.  We hope if it helps you quiet your mind and relax.  As always, feel free to post your artwork on our  Facebook page .  We'd love to see them.      

ON SALE!   Rebecca's coloring book is available again and on sale for the rest of November and December!  
10% Off during November and December.  Thirty unique designs showcasing the magical flora and fauna of the Arizona Sonoran desert to help you relax, reduce your stress, and get you into flow.   Includes   an introduction on the benefits  of coloring and suggestions for coloring.  

30 Unique Coloring Designs
10% Discount Nov and Dec/On Sale $23 (normally $26)
Spiral Bound so pages lie flat
Larger 10 x 10 inch format  
Printed on heavier one-sided paper
No bleed through 
Use discount code: holidaysale2020

Order  Coloring Creates Wellbeing: The Desert Mandalas Coloring Book  now to get the discount! Read about the therapeutic benefits of coloring  here .   
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT POSITIVE ART THERAPY!
Positive Art Therapy Theory and Practice: Integrating Positive Psychology.  
Available at a 30%  markdown.  We hope y ou'll find this manual both entertaining and practical--an invaluable tool for anyone looking to apply the most current theory and research on positive psychology and art therapy to their practice, or their life! 
For faculty who might want to adopt this book as a text, we added thoughtful discussion questions, a robust glossary, and useful lists of strengths and values. The book also includes a comprehensive outline of more than 80 of our favorite positive art therapy directives!

282 pages,19 Color Illustrations
Hardcover, $127.5 .00Paperback, $ 32.21 
Kindle Edition, $ 32.21


For more details or to request a copy for review please contact: 
Jean Pierre Jacome, Marketing Assistant, JeanPierre.Jacome@taylorandfrancis.com 
Want more wellbeing and less stress?  We can help!  
Visit us at our website
 or call 202 352 5225



Friday, November 20, 2020

Art Therapist Features Work with Vocational Religious

Art therapist at the Saint Luke Institute, Nancy Parfitt Hondros, writes a feature about art therapy, how the creative outlet through art therapy aids in healing, and includes a case study of how art therapy helped a nun through her issues and allowed her to open up and trust more. Check out this great piece highlighting art therapy and how it can be used in so many ways! 


The Power of Creativity in Healing 
LukeNotes, Fall 2020 

Self-awareness is a foundational element of both mental and spiritual health. At times we find we are just going through the motions of everyday life. When on autopilot, we are not always conscious of the choices we make, how we respond to others, or the negative thoughts that occupy our minds. 

In real terms, this might mean praying without confidence or intention, hurting a colleague’s feelings, or abusing food or a substance to manage anxiety or sleeplessness. Choosing to look at what is underneath our thoughts, feelings, and actions requires courage and forms the basis for an authentic relationship with God, self, and others. 

Fear can also drive us to hide our real selves, so we smile when we are sad or ignore a family member when angry. The self we often share with others may only be a small portion of who we really are. When we become well-practiced at sharing only our external mask we may lose touch with the fearfully, wonderfully made being created in God’s image (Psalm 139:14). 

Art therapy is one tool that helps us gain insight into our personality, motivations, and behaviors. The focus is on the individual expressing his or her inner world. It is introspective. The art makes visible what is unseen or unacknowledged. Creativity can lead to greater self-awareness, helping us perceive the world in new ways, find hidden patterns, and make connections between seemingly unrelated experiences. 

By engaging our imagination, we can learn to take risks, ignore lingering doubts, and face our fears. Creativity’s therapeutic value lies in its ability to bypass the patterns of intellectualization and rationalization that undermine healthy thinking and decision-making. 

Foundations of Art Therapy 

Art therapy encourages people to convey and understand emotions through artistic expression such as collage, painting, sculpting, or poetry. At Saint Luke Institute, this specialized therapy offers each client a permanent and tangible record of their experience. As a primarily non-verbal intervention, art therapy allows images to present themselves and open the door to thoughts, feelings, and memories previously unexpressed, thus opening a path to verbal expression. These visual or sensory images accessed through a creative process support the expression of suppressed experiences for which words are inadequate (Naumberg, 1987). 

A range of materials are used for creative expression, but two mainstays are collage and mask making. Collages create a picture from seemingly disparate published images. They are an introduction to art therapy and provide an opportunity for creative problem-solving by fully activating the logical and creative sides of the brain. The artist has control of the process with support from peers and the art therapist. This sense of control is important as a client becomes acclimated to residential treatment. Clients are often surprised when their selected imagery moves emotions or experiences from the unconscious to the conscious. 

Mask making brings order to chaotic thoughts, feelings, and experiences and serves as a container for expression. Through the mask, the client artist acknowledges how he presents himself to others compared to how he feels on the inside. Masks are frequently shared with the primary therapist and often serve as a starting point for individual and group therapy sessions. 

Stages of Change in Art Therapy 

Clients often express an initial resistance to art therapy, as they may lack experience with painting or collage making and feel uncomfortable. Many clients protest, “I can’t draw,” or “I’m not an artist.” Gradually, this initial reluctance yields to an exploration of life experiences, such as parental alcoholism or divorce, and hurtful incidents, such as childhood bullying or peer rejection. 

Throughout the art therapy process a client’s knowledge base increases as she shares the meaning behind her creative projects and receives both critical feedback and affirmation from peers. As clients begin to relate to each other’s experiences, closer bonds are formed within the group. In time, clients connect their reactions to current life situations and how these interactions relate to foundational life experiences. 

As this awareness develops, clients become leaders in art and other therapy groups, serving as a role model to new members, thus perpetuating the circle of healing. The clinical team may recommend individual art therapy to support this deeper exploration of issues. Through group or individual art therapy many clients discover creativity as an essential tool for self-care. In preparing for discharge, clients formulate a Continuing Care Plan with their therapist that articulates several strategies and concrete actions for maintaining health after residential treatment. Ultimately, Saint Luke Institute clients are empowered to maintain their recovery and health using tools such as art, mindfulness, prayer, and 12-step programs. 

Naumberg, M. (1987). Dynamically Oriented Art Therapy: Its Principles and Practices. Chicago, IL: Magnolia Street Publishers. 

Nancy Parfitt Hondros, MA, ATR-BC, LGPAT, LGPC, is an art therapist at Saint Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

The Power of Creativity in Healing: Case Study 
Lukenotes, Fall 2020 

Sister Cecilia was raised in a small Polish town but often felt like an outsider as the only girl of nine children. Her father regularly drank to excess and was emotionally and verbally abusive. Her mother cowered from her husband’s anger and did not intervene for the children. Bullied in school, Sister Cecilia again felt like an outsider of little worth. As she had learned not to depend on her parents, so she also distrusted other people. This wariness eventually affected her relationships with community members and co-workers, leading to frequent angry outbursts, biting comments, and attempts to control people and situations. 

As a child, Sister Cecilia visited the nuns at her church, with whom she felt affirmed, to escape family tensions and bullying. She flourished in this spotlight and went on to attend the university, where she built friendships and had academic success. Responding to God’s call, she entered the convent after graduation. During initial formation, her anxiety increased, and her self-esteem plummeted when she heard her formators’ guidance as criticism. Despite these issues, she professed final vows and enjoyed her work as a nurse at the order’s hospital. She returned to school, earning a degree in social work, and began working as a hospice counselor. 

Sister Cecilia felt rewarded by her work with hospice patients and their families. Positive feedback from her patients increased her self-esteem. 

However, the hospital staff had a different response to her. They resented Sister Cecilia when she challenged the quality of their patient care and publicly criticized the staff. Angered by her interference, the staff asked for her removal. Instead of taking this permanent action, Sister Cecilia’s superior counseled her about her interference and negative exchanges with the staff. 

In the short term, Sister Cecilia responded to the feedback and tried to adjust her exchanges with coworkers and community members, but the problems resurfaced as she grieved a patient and family member’s death. This led to her reassignment to an independent hospice facility. Unfortunately, Sister Cecilia’s superior received new complaints about her interactions with others. A more significant intervention was needed. 

A New Beginning 

The Mother Superior recommended an evaluation at Saint Luke Institute in the United States in response to Sister Cecilia’s difficulties with interpersonal relationships. Sister Cecilia felt concerned about travelling outside of her homeland but was relieved to leave the conflict of community life. She hoped that this opportunity would lead to understanding her impatience and irritation. She knew of other sisters who had been referred to Saint Luke Institute; they returned to community life with an inner calm and spoke positively of their experience. She wondered if the same could be true for her.

When she arrived at Saint Luke Institute, a team of clinicians listened to Sister Cecilia’s personal history and completed clinical, psychological, and spiritual assessments. These provided the team with a full picture of Sister Cecilia’s life experiences and a deeper understanding of her needs. The evaluation team concluded that the women’s residential program (Talitha Life) would best support Sister Cecilia as she addressed past wounds. 

The Shift 

Sister Cecilia loved art, but she questioned art as a form of therapy. She discovered that her worry lessened as her art began to speak for her, especially as she was initially uncomfortable conveying her thoughts and feelings in English. During one session, she expressed her self-image through a mask; it was blank on the outside with a big smile on the inside. 

As she shared her mask with her peers, they questioned the mask’s message and her attitude within the group. They voiced their fear of her harsh comments and her reluctance to fully engage in the group process. Sister Cecilia revealed to her primary therapist how hurt she felt by the feedback. As they explored her hurt feelings together, the therapist helped her reflect on how their response paralleled the comments from her community members and coworkers. 

Gradually, as she poured her energy into the art therapy sessions, Sister Cecilia’s attitude changed. Her irritation, mistrust, and anger began to subside, and she gained the self-awareness to accept her peers’ constructive feedback, recognize that it was not connected to previous wounds, and offer feedback with kind assertiveness. Sister Cecilia realized how art therapy helped her safely voice her challenging feelings, thoughts, and experiences. With the clinical team’s approval, she began individual art therapy.

The art therapist planned individual sessions to address Sister Cecilia’s self-criticism, need for control, and anger. On a weekly basis Sister Cecilia was asked to identify positive actions and thoughts that increased her self-worth. To prepare for discharge, Sister Cecilia created a collage reflecting her hopes for her return to community identifying the recovery tools best suited to support her healthy reintegration into community life. 

For confidentiality, reasons, names, identifying data, and other details of treatment have been altered.

Art Therapists are Heroes!

I got my new mask....Shout out to all the fellow art therapists who are working on the front lines, in-person and virtually! You are a hero to others!



Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Art Therapist Creates Colorful Psychoeducational Posters

My art therapy colleague Melinda has been creating psychoeducational posters with her art and lettering skills. These are wonderful and I wanted to share them in case you find them helpful.










Monday, November 16, 2020

Doodle Your Emotions Workshop

It's important to have emotional intelligence - identifying, being aware of, and expressing our emotions appropriately. I came across an art journaling workshop that may be helpful, and is only $10 to join. Check it out below! 

Sunday, November 15, 2020

"Color Me Calm" Part of Weekly Routine for Stress-Relief

Had a nice share about "Color Me Calm" on Instagram today.  It's great to see people use the book as a stress reliever and a coping skill to manage anxiety!

Saturday, November 07, 2020

Honored to Present at the 51st Annual AATA Conference

Glad to be able to present today at the national AATA conference. We had 134 attendees at our specific presentation with several following up for more information. What a great time of training and networking!





Thursday, November 05, 2020

David Lee Roth Studies Japanese Sumi-e Painting

 David Lee Roth's brush with art

Interesting....David Lee Roth decided to go the way of a different kind of art, specifically, he spent 2 years studying a particular type of Japanese art called Sumi-e. I always find it interesting when celebrities (or anyone, really) who have been in one kind of artistic career (acting, music) shift to discovering visual art as a new talent and passion they have. 

 "So, is your visual art, storytelling?" 

 "My visual art is complaining," he said. "It's graphic therapy. I say through my graphic art everything that a lotta folks say to the TV set when you don't think anybody's actually listening." 
 

📷"Social Distance." DAVID LEE ROTH

Wednesday, November 04, 2020

The Mental Health Toll of COVID19

I think a lot of people know this, but this pandemic will have some long-reaching consequences. Please don't hesitate to reach out for support if you need it.

Monday, November 02, 2020

High-Functioning Anxiety May Be Hard to Identify

A lot of people have anxiety, but are high-functioning, so others don't realize they have it. A lot of behaviors that are viewed as positive traits actually come about as a way to manage the anxiety itself. Something to consider...



College Students' Mental Health Journeys

COVID is affecting people of all ages, including college students. My alma mater at OSU reports on how students are getting the help they need with anxiety, depression, and other struggles that have been exacerbated by the pandemic as well. Other students should not be afraid to follow suit and take advantage of their university counseling centers.  

 
‘Ripping the Band-Aid off depression': How students found hope on their mental health journeys

Monday, November 2, 2020


Physical illness isn’t the only concern in the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report in August that revealed about one quarter of 18-to 24-year-olds had “seriously considered” suicide in the past 30 days. 

Oklahoma State University senior Emma C* (last name abbreviated for anonymity) knows firsthand the pain, heartache and loneliness that a mental health struggle can include. Diagnosed with chronic depression and anxiety when she was 13, she went through middle and high school battling mental health challenges. 

“Anxiety and depression are really cruel beasts in tandem,” Emma said. “In high school, I had trouble maintaining relationships, and my family wasn’t super supportive of my struggles, so that made it difficult, too.” 

She started working full-time at 16 and dedicated herself to excelling in school. She used work and a deep desire to achieve to get through. It worked for a while, but she wasn’t taking care of her inner self and eventually fell apart, she said.  

“My senior year I went off the rails,” Emma said. “I was having such bad anxiety that I couldn’t even lift my pencil to take exams. I was turning in tests with my name written on the top and ‘I’m sorry’ written on the bottom. Struggling really affected my self-worth.” 

After coming to Oklahoma State University, Emma decided to make her mental health a priority. She had attended therapy sessions off and on for years, but she decided to start attending regularly. Whether to her support system or to her therapist, Emma said the first step of reaching out is the hardest part. 

“It’s like ripping the Band-Aid off depression,” she said. “It was the hardest to accept that there is nothing wrong asking for help and nothing wrong with asking repeatedly. I’m lucky to have a lovely support system with good friends, and even with them it’s hard to be vulnerable and say, ‘I’m struggling with depression right now.’” 

Kailey J*, a psychology freshman, agrees that reaching out for help and being open about mental health struggles is difficult. Although her mental health has been a struggle for years, it deteriorated once she came to college with the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting normal life. 

She feared people would treat her differently once they discovered her anxiety and depression or rush her to get over it, but through the persistence of caring friends, she slowly began to open up about her struggles. She continues to seek treatment and take an active role in managing her mental health. 

“I found hope confiding in my friends,” Kailey said. “Because even though people look like they have it all together or wouldn’t understand, they are probably going through a struggle, too. We were able to relate to each other on some level.”

Student Counseling Center coordinator Joseph Dunnigan emphasized the importance of telling a trustworthy friend or family member about your inner struggles. He said confiding in someone can help break the isolating thought patterns that sometimes come with mental health struggles.

“Talking with someone you trust provides a way to externalize these issues,” Dunnigan said. “It normalizes our experiences and reminds us that they aren’t something to be ashamed of. Mental health issues may be isolating, so when you understand that you aren’t alone in that struggle, it can be reassuring. [Sharing] activates empathy and connection.” 

Asking for Help

Although Emma and Kailey’s stories are their own, they reflect trends in college campuses nationwide. 

According to the CDC, almost three quarters of college-age adults reported struggling with at least one mental health symptom as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Reaching out to friends and creating a support system are vital steps to combating mental health challenges. Meeting with someone who is trained to listen and provide coping skills is another. 

At OSU, University Counseling Services has 12 full-time counselors available to students. Because mental health is such a priority, the university offers an intake and four free sessions annually to students.  

Further sessions are $10, and that cost can be charged to a student’s bursar account. To maintain confidentiality, the charge is labeled as a health services fee for students whose family members have access to view their bursar account details. For students with financial concerns, the fee can be waived. 

“Cost should never be a barrier for students accessing mental health resources,” Dunnigan said. 

Therapy and treatments are customizable to students’ unique stories and struggles, Dunnigan said. But like all mental health services, counseling only works when it’s used. 

“In talking with a therapist, you can see different options,” Dunnigan said. “Talking about some of those concerns you may have or symptoms that make up [certain illnesses] can help you understand and learn that there are treatments.” 

For Kailey, therapy has been one of the most useful tools in her battle with mental health. 

“My therapist has given me tips and tricks to handle anxiety attacks and my mental health in general,” Kailey said. “She gives me hope and a way to express my feelings.”

Staying Afloat

Each individual has a unique mental health journey, Dunnigan said. Sometimes there’s not a quick fix, and there will be a mix of good and bad mental health days. 

“Sometimes it takes years for issues to develop,” Dunnigan said. “That means it can take time to work through them and get to this new normal of how we deal with mental health in a more positive and proactive way. In our culture, we expect to be able to pick things up or master them quickly, which isn’t realistic. Like anything, good mental health takes practice and time.”

For Emma, that realization changed how she views her own mental health.

“I always like the imagery of depression being like the tide,” Emma said. “Sometimes the tide comes in and stays longer than other days. When the tide is down, you walk on the beach and everything’s normal. Other days you are treading water, afraid you’ll drown. That’s OK. Because the most important thing about the tide is it goes out. It doesn’t stay up forever.”

On those “high-tide” days, Emma said finding little ways to care for her mental health keeps her afloat. 

“Those little things hold value and weight,” Emma said. “If you are in the depths of it right now, it’s OK if these little things are all you can do. I would always recommend drinking water and taking a 20-minute walk. Give yourself grace.”

Whether mental health struggles have been a lifelong battle or have emerged with the strain of COVID-19 or other pressures, OSU students don’t have to struggle alone, Dunnigan said. 

 

 

STORY BY: Kylee Sutherland | Communications Intern

MEDIA CONTACT: Mack Burke | Editorial Coordinator | 405.744.5540 | mack.burke_iv@okstate.edu 

Monday, October 19, 2020

Juggling Anxiety

Does this resonate with anyone? With so much going on this year, there are even more anxiety balls to juggle. What kind of anxiety balls are you carrying?

Just remember, you don't have to handle it alone, either.





Thursday, October 15, 2020

Therapist Resources During COVID for Clients

Here's a great website that has a lot of COVID resources for therapists to use with their patients. Check it out if you need extra support or ideas! 

Friday, September 18, 2020

University of Florida Seeks Participants in Pandemic Study on Isolation

A study in the UK is expanding to the US to look at the longer-term effects of isolation from the pandemic. They are looking for participants to fill out surveys to gather results to help provide recommendations to improve people's well-being and resilience throughout and after the pandemic. Click the link below for more information and sign up.  


Thursday, August 27, 2020

What is anxiety, really?

Anxiety is usually much deeper than what people think. If it gets to be debilitating, don't be afraid to look for support. How many of you can identify with some of these? 



Monday, August 17, 2020

VA COPES Provides Free Mental Health Support for Virginians

 If you are a Virginia resident and have been experiencing adverse effects during the pandemic (i.e, stress, isolation, fear, and other distress), you can call and talk to a counselor for free. They aren't for emergencies, but are a "warmline" for people who need support.


Crisis Counselors are available during the following times to take calls. Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. and on Saturday-Sunday from 5-9 p.m. VA C.O.P.E.S can be reached by phone or text at 877-349-6428. Spanish speaking counselors are available.