What is Movember and How Does it Relate to Mental Health?
Movember is primarily to bring attention to various medical and mental health issues that men often face or go unspoken, and to promote longer healthier men’s lives. Movember examines mental health from a perspective tailored to men, emphasizing preventative measures, early intervention, and the promotion of well-being.
Antidepressants Aren’t Always Medications
Did you know that depression can be influenced by a loss of connection? What areas in your life are you feeling disconnect? Perhaps it’s at work or with people, maybe you feel disconnected from joy as you seek after achievements. It’s possible to disconnect from the past, especially if you have experienced traumatic events. Disconnect can also arise in the face of inequality. Maybe a lack of movement is disconnecting you from your body or the world around you.
Songs For Pregnancy and Infant Loss Month
Sometimes there are no words that can help ease pain experienced in our lives. The only thing we can do is ride the waves of emotion. Sitting with emotions can be really uncomfortable and even scary. I’ve found that music can help me feel the feelings I need to feel in a controlled way so I can move with the wave until it subsides and I can feel my feet under me again.
Tips for Parents of LGBTQIA Youth
If you are a parent of an LGBTQIA youth moving towards accepting your child's identity read this to learn the importance of familial support to LGBTQIA youth as well as practical actions to support your child through this moment.
Fellow Clinicians: Self-Care Will Not Save us From Pain
I am a therapist and some of my favorite clients are also clinicians. Some come to therapy to work on their own stuff and others come because they are experiencing work related problems like secondary trauma stress, burnout or a loss of compassion satisfaction. When I work with other clinicians, I love the instant camaraderie I feel; without saying a word, we have a shared understanding about the joys and pains of the job.
Exploring Faith Transition Through the Lens of Cognitive Dissonance
Thinking about faith transition through the social psychological lens of cognitive dissonance can help us understand the painful process of changing beliefs.
What is EMDR?
What is EMDR? This is a common question that people have when they see EMDR listed as a specialty in a therapist’s bio, as many of us can be unfamiliar with psychology lingo. Jamie Kelly, CSW, is trained in EMDR and will help answer some questions about EMDR, with a helpful handout that gives a basic rundown of what this therapeutic technique looks like.
Tips to Get Your Child Back-To-School Ready
As summer break draws to an end, the excitement of a new school year can sometimes be accompanied by feelings of anxiety for children. School anxiety and school refusal are common issues children face this time of year. Such behavior may become a routine problem in a small percentage of students. Some children with school refusal may have an earlier history of separation anxiety, social anxiety, or depression.
Emotional Connection
Emotional connection is a form of vulnerability and intimacy that couples need to have in order to maintain healthy and secure attachments. It is more than saying “I love you” or having consensual sexual relations with your partner, but it is allowing your partner to see and be present with you in all forms of emotion, including ones that require vulnerability, such as pain, sadness, shame, loneliness, or fear. These emotions can come from our personal triggers, unresolved past experiences, or attachment needs not being met. However, sharing and understanding one’s emotions can be difficult and does not come easily for everyone.
Want To Know the Secret to a Happy Marriage?
Surprisingly, the answer ISN’T a lack of conflict between a couple. Whether it’s about not having enough sex, the dirty laundry, or spending too much money, conflict is inevitable in every marriage. Happiness lies in the “positive affect” a couple has during the conflict. So what does that mean?
What Sex Therapy Can Teach Us
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend my first conference with the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), which “provides training, community and visibility to promote the understanding of human sexuality and healthy sexual behavior.” While I am not an AASECT-certified sex therapist, I attended this conference to better my understanding of and ability to effectively work the concerns related to sexuality that are central to the human experience and that I see clients wrestling with every day in my office. On reflecting on the experience, I have three takeaways to share
Self-Care in 30 Seconds
“Self-care” has become a buzz word in our current society, but what if I told you it doesn’t have to mean what you might think. Getting a massage, taking a bath, going for a walk, doing yoga, etc. are common things we may think of when we hear the word “self-care”, but self-care doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming.
You’ve Got Dragons: An Upcoming Story Time at Wasatch Family Therapy
My colleague, Amy Lambert LCSW, and I are hosting a one-day workshop for kids ages 6-11 who experience anxiety in learning how to help themselves increase their ability to access their rational brains, meaning they will be better able to problem solve what to do when they feel overwhelmed by their anxiety.
Breaking Barriers: Exploring the Role of MDMA and Ketamine in Relationship and Sexual Wellness
As a psychotherapist specializing in sex therapy, couples counseling, and the therapeutic use of psychedelic medicines, I'm fascinated by the increasing evidence showing how certain substances can significantly assist in overcoming many psychological barriers that cause distress in our relationships and sexual lives. I want to share a brief overview of one such substance - MDMA, and its potential to facilitate a breakthrough in therapeutic settings.
Ask Alice: LDS Garments and Eroticism
Today’s question:
My question is in regards to LDS garments, and the effect they have on purity culture and our sex lives in marriage. My husband and I have been working really hard to improve our sensual relationship. In realizing after 13 years of marriage that we have fallen victim to a lifetime of culture (from the world and our church), and it is time for us to individually really connect with the innate sensual sides of ourselves. One suggestion from an article was to just simply mentally check in with our sensual beings in simple ways throughout the day. I loved that suggestion but instantly realized my garments have become a block to me. When I have them on I simply don't allow myself to feel sensual, or sexy. How can I get over this block?
Exploring Comprehensive Solutions for Male Sexual Problems Beyond Medication
While medications like Viagra® have been crucial in addressing male sexual issues, it is essential to recognize that non-biological factors also contribute to male sexual concerns. Some of the reasons include a partner's disinterest in sex, their discomfort with medication-assisted erections, the patient's misunderstanding of proper use, and the medication not working as expected.
Rachel Rose, LMFT, on Type A Personality Traits
Wasatch Family Therapist Rachel Rose, LMFT, was recently featured in a Forbes article on type A personality traits. She helps conceptualize some of the most common traits associated with this personality type, as well as pros and cons, and comparisons with other common personality types.
The Power of Listening Part I Babies: Listening to Pre-verbal Children
Caregivers are key in children’s development. One of the things you notice the minute you start studying infants and those who care for them is the interactions or exchanges between the two. A typical baby is born with pretty good hearing and pretty poor eyesight. Yet that underdeveloped eyesight’s one spot of focus is about 8 inches away from the baby’s own face; usually about the place a mother or father’s face will be when the baby is held. Nature sets us up to focus on the people who will keep us alive and teach us about the world.
MDMA-assisted Therapy: A Promising Treatment Option for PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after a person experiences a traumatic event or prolonged exposure to stress. Although available treatments may not work for everyone, recent research suggests that a combination of therapy and MDMA administration could be a more effective approach for treating PTSD.