Mental Health Spots
 
A compilation of the weekly spots from the Mental Health Wellness team on social media and in the enews.
 
June 20, 2021

Quote: “Don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith.” Elizabeth Elliot

Webinar June 23rd: Post-Pandemic Life: Helping Children Cope with Re-Entry Anxiety

Join Dr. Rowe as she leads this 1-hour webinar designed to support parents in managing their own stress around re-opening and help their child(ren) adjust to post-pandemic life. She will discuss some the reasons why we may be experiencing re-entry anxiety and what this can look like in the context of our family life. Dr. Rowe will also share concepts and strategies for easing your child’s re-entry anxiety and boosting family resilience, which will include:

  • Acknowledging anxiety and stress while focusing energy on aspects of life that we can control.
  • Refraining from avoidant behaviors by engaging in small, yet active steps toward re-entry.
  • Utilizing healthy coping strategies that create structure and promote self-care.
  • Maintaining positive changes from lockdown and developing a re-entry plan that supports family goals and values.
  • Providing motivation that encourages social engagement and empowers children to practice socializing.
June 13, 2021

Quote: More than a third of high school students in the United States experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2019, a 40 percent increase since 2009. In 2019, about 16 percent of youth reported making a suicide plan, a 44 percent increase since 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

Article:  Taking a Mental Health Day is Legit. Just Ask the Kids – Washington Post

 
June 6, 2021

“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein

Article: Pandemic has fueled eating disorder surge in teens, adults (AP)

May 30th, 2021

“Mental health days help to create a balanced work culture and cultivate healthy and happy employees.” Kelli M. Waters, LCSW, CAADC, and director of care for Listeners On Call in How to Ask Your Boss for a Mental Health Day by  Kelsey Mulvey

 
May 19, 2021
 

Quote: “Be honest, be nice, be a flower not a weed.” – Aaron Neville

Blog: Finding Motivation When You’re Depressed by Paige Fegan, Psy.D. A practical list of steps you can take to find motivation.
 
 
 
May 12, 2021
“Mental health days help to create a balanced work culture and cultivate healthy and happy employees.” Kelli M. Waters, LCSW, CAADC, and director of care for Listeners On Call in How to Ask Your Boss for a Mental Health Day by  Kelsey Mulvey
 
 
May 5, 2021
Mental Health Spot
Quote: “People are more likely to change for the better if they know they will be accepted for staying the same.” – Brad Sachs, Ph.D., local psychologist.
Podcast: “I’m Living Proof: A Letter to My Younger Self, shares inspiring stories of young adult peers who are living proof that they can overcome even the most difficult times.” https://www.dbsalliance.org/programs-im-living-proof/ from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance  
 
April 2021
April 4th

Quote: “Death is always out of our control, but what is within our power is taking steps to ensure the legacy of those we miss most lives on in perpetuity.” Allison Gilbert, author, in first article below.

Articles:

Pandemic grief’ proves especially devastating and complex for many in mourning, health experts sayBereavement after a coronavirus death may be traumatically distorted by our enforced absence — not “being there” to offer an embrace to a dying loved one. By Cathy Alter

After a year of covid life, we’ve run out of things to talk about. Try these conversation tips.  Try being observant, asking questions, not complaining and, yes, even preparing topics. By Galadriel Watson

 
April 11th

Quote: “The first step is to stop, take a deep breath, and realize that the world doesn’t rest completely on your shoulders.” –  Elizabeth Grace Saunders

Article: Make Time for Meby Elizabeth Grace Saunders in the Harvard Business Review

 

April 19th
  • Quote: “You’re not obligated to win. You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.” – Marian Wright Edelman.
  • Article:  Why we’re so tired after socializing now After a year of social distancing, socializing is more exhausting than it used to be. Here’s why. By NICOLE KARLIS in Salon.
  • Free Grief 101 video: Understanding Loss
  • Webinar: New Approaches to Helping Your Anxious Child   Four Part Zoom and also free video course starts May 6th.  Sign up here.

 

March 2021
 
March 28th

Quote: “Death is always out of our control, but what is within our power is taking steps to ensure the legacy of those we miss most lives on in perpetuity.” Allison Gilbert, author, in first article below.

Articles:

Pandemic grief’ proves especially devastating and complex for many in mourning, health experts say  Bereavement after a coronavirus death may be traumatically distorted by our enforced absence — not “being there” to offer an embrace to a dying loved one. By Cathy Alter

After a year of covid life, we’ve run out of things to talk about. Try these conversation tips.  Try being observant, asking questions, not complaining and, yes, even preparing topics. By Galadriel Watson

 
“Healing, at its core, is about slowing down so that we can better listen, to ourselves, and each other.” Susan Raffo
 
 
March 2021

Quote: “Grief is cyclical, especially around anniversary dates” – Hope Edelman in The Washington Post.

Two excellent webinars:

March 11th   Talk on Having Meaningful Conversations About Difficult Topics:   Today’s parents are tasked with topics many have never discussed themselves making it all the more difficult to talk with their teens.  In this workshop we will focus on strategies to use when talking about COVID, sexuality, race relations, politics and more!  Featuring educator and clinical social worker, Jen Cort.  Presented by the Sycamore School on March 11 from 7-8:30 p.m. $10

March 17th   Free Workshop: Coping with our stress and emotional needs during the pandemic. In this session, you will be introduced to skills which are useful when dealing with anxiety, loss, and grief. Come and learn techniques to support yourself and to be better able to support others during COVID-19. Presented by Arlington County. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coping-with-stress-and-emotional-needs-during-pandemic-tickets-142252977485

 
February 2021
 
 

Mental Health Spot:

“Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.” – Mary Chapin Carpenter

Fact: Despite overall improvements on most mental health indicators from December 2020 to January 2021, the Mental Health Index showed that, in January, 2021, 

  • Risk of depression is 71% higher than before Covid-19.
  • Risk of PTSD is 33% higher than before Covid-19.
  • Sustained attention is 27% worse than before Covid-19

– source: TotalBrain.Com 

If you need help: Trinity Mental Health Wellness Team’s (updated for COVID) Mental Health Resources page

 


January 2021
 
 

Mental Health Workshop on Family Communication

CaringMatters is offering a no-cost virtual family workshop themed around Valentine’s Day on Thursday, February 4th from 6-7:30pmAdvanced registration is required. The workshop is facilitated by a social worker and art therapist with the aim of helping families express their grief, increase healthy communication, and honor their deceased loved one. Appropriate for school aged children. For more details, or contact here.
 
Mental Health Article on Families and Politics
The mental health wellness team would like to share this timely article on How to Prevent Politics from Destroying Your Family.
 

Mental Health Spot: Coping Strategies
“Coping Now and Later: Building Resilience that will Last a Lifetime”
Thursday, January 28th at 9am
Melinda Wenner Moyer, host Yes, we are in a pandemic. But this NY Times contributor tells us we can turn the skills we are developing into resilience for life.
1. Evidenced-based strategies for coping
2. How to support yourself and your family in ways that build resilience
3. The best way to manage feelings and behaviors (for yourself and your children) throughout it all. Melinda will share the research and strategies from her numerous articlesparenting newsletter, and upcoming bookRegister here.


Mental Health Reset:
Click here for the article.

December 2020
 “When someone judges too harshly, they give themselves little room to enjoy life.” Marline Francois-Madden, LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Article: How Life Changes When You Become Less Judgmental: https://madamenoire.com/…/how-life-changes-when-you…/

The Safe Community Coalition of McLean, a mental health wellness organization, has created a series of videos for parents and teens called “Managing the Moments.” Their most recent videos are Your Daily Prescription to Cope with Covid-19 and Coping Through the Holidays.

http://mcleanscc.org/portfolio-items/mtm-2/

“Everyday, you need to be doing one thing to take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Literally, you should be checking a box off everyday to make sure you’ve done something in one of those areas to take care of yourself. And you have to be very intentional about it.” – Stephanie K. Starks, LICSW



November 2020

 

Hey teens and parent of teens…check out this resource from the NIH on Teens and Depression.
 
October 2020
Our Mental Health Wellness team also recommends this article: “Seven Things Therapists are Telling Clients Feeling Terrified about the Election.” https://www.self.com/story/election-fear-tips