Category: Mental Health Coping Skills
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Stress and the Brain: Happy Stress Awareness Month!
By Carissa Weber It is no secret everyone has experienced stress in their life. Even if we look at this past year, everyone has been touched with this pandemic we call Covid-19, employment or school concerns, frustration from technology not working when we need it, or not finding toilet paper when you needed it the…
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Why is Change so Hard?
Change is the only constant thing in our lives. Yet, change is something people have come to resent, fear, and avoid change in all possible ways. Have you ever noticed if something changes in your plans or schedule throw you off? You are among the million of people in the world who experience the same…
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Internal and External Validation: How to Improve Validating Your Experiences
By Carissa Weber, MA, LPC, CSAC This post was originally released on October 20, 2021. It has been updated to show the most up-to-date science research. Enjoy! As humans, we strive for validation. Why? Because it allows us to feel like we belong. But, did you know there are two types of validation? No?! Well,…
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Changing Summertime SAD
By Carissa Weber, MA, LPC, CSAC Summertime can bring more than sunshine 5% of adults report symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during the summer months ( Gökbayrak, 2022). SAD includes:– loss of motivation to complete tasks– losing interest in social gatherings and activities– changes in appetite– feeling exhausted for no reason In this post,…
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How to Find a Therapist That Works
By Carissa Weber, MA, LPC, CSAC How do you know you and your therapist is a good fit for one another? This question, I feel, is the one thing that stops therapy in its tracks before it even starts. In this post, I want to go over how to find a therapist, how you will…
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So Why Don’t People Go to Therapy?
By Carissa Weber, MA, LPC, CSAC Let’s be real. Mental health therapy has been stigmatized for a very long time. There are so many myths, lies, and secrecy shrouding this awesome resource. I think it is time to break those beliefs down. You guys have asked for it, so I’m giving it to you. This…
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How Does Therapy Work Anyways?
By Carissa Weber, MA, LPC, CSAC The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month. For therapists, like myself, May is a chance for us to shine. The opportunity to bring mental health to the front and center. Honestly, this is the kind of stuff that I love to do. For this week’s post, I…
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Plants and Mental Health: Why They Pair Together
By Carissa Weber, MA, LPC, CSAC This post originally published on June 9th, 2021 here at That Darn Amygdala. Since it has been a favorite post here, it has been updated with the most up-to-date research. Enjoy! I absolutely love plants! They are all over my house, my office, my yard, and even in my…
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The Science of Laughter
By Carissa Weber, MA, LPC, CSAC Stress has a way of zapping a lot in our lives. It can change our appetite, sleep cycles, mood, and even our sense of humor. If you are amongst the millions that report changes in your humor when you are stressed, you may already know the importance of laughter.…