The Silver Linings of Quarantine

learning more about quarantine silver lining

Published on: June 2, 2020

We have spent a lot of time focusing on why quarantine is difficult. But, as hard as it has been, quarantine can also have a lot of benefits for your mental health. So, for a change, let’s focus on some of the silver linings of quarantine. That being said, it might be hard for you to be optimistic right now, and that is ok. Whatever you are feeling, your feelings are valid. There is no doubt that these are strange times. Besides having extra time to clean out your closets, what are some of the silver linings of quarantine? Learning… Continue Reading This Article

How to Cope with the Unknown of the Coming Months

unknown coping coming months

Published on: May 15, 2020

These are difficult times and perhaps one of the most unsettling aspects is not knowing what the future holds surrounding the Coronavirus. When will we be able to go back to work? School? When will things go back to normal? What happens if I get sick or if this gets worse? Will we be able to afford bills next month? Will we be able to go on vacation this summer? What about in the fall? It is a lot of anxiety-inducing uncertainty. And, it is ok to not be ok with any of it. It is a natural human need to… Continue Reading This Article

Why It’s Ok to Not be ‘Embracing’ This Time

closed sign embracing normal cover

Published on: May 4, 2020

We have all heard it a hundred times by now — “embrace this time at home.” We have been told the old “life is short” and “now is the time” to be making special memories with our kids, playing games, learning new languages, getting reacquainted with an old hobby. We have been encouraged to get all the things done that we haven’t had time to do—paint the house, fix that broken porch light, reorganize closets and clean out drawers.  But, we are also overwhelmed, anxious, trying to ward off depressive feelings, stressed, scared, financially-strapped, you name it. These times are… Continue Reading This Article

How to Help Your Child with the Disappointment of Having Everything Canceled

children disappointed quarantine covid19 coronavirus

Published on: March 31, 2020

Schools are closed and workplaces but that is not all — birthday parties, sports games, the school play, extracurricular activities, playdates, trips to visit family are all on hold for now. The major life alterations that have had to happen because of Covid-19 are disappointing both for parents and their children. How do you explain things to your children? How do you help your child through this mound of disappointment?  It is a difficult situation, to say the least. We have all dealt with the occasional snow day or telling our children they can’t attend a birthday party because of… Continue Reading This Article

Coping with Anxiety and Staying Connected During Covid-19

anxiety quarantine connection

Published on:

These are days many of us never expected to see. We are in unprecedented/uncertain times. They feel a little crazy and surreal. Our lives are literally on hold while this Covid-19 global health emergency threatens our families, careers, our world as we know it. It is all very scary and can stir up a variety of uncomfortable feelings.  How do you cope when you haven’t been faced with anything like this before? How are you supposed to get through?  First things first—breathe. It is not all bad. Think about the positives in your life and then focus on taking things… Continue Reading This Article

How Do You Know When To Start Therapy?

when to start therapy

Published on: March 17, 2020

People have a lot of questions when it comes to therapy. When should I start? How do I know if it will help? Do I have to have a lot to talk about? Are my problems big enough? What will I have to do? Will people think I am crazy? How will it help?  These concerns are understandable. If you don’t know much about therapy, it can be difficult to know what to expect. It is different than when you schedule an oil change for your car, or even a regular doctor’s appointment. That tends to have some degree of… Continue Reading This Article

Your Guide to Accessing Telehealth Services During the Coronavirus Pandemic

telehealth pennsylvania

Published on: March 15, 2020

Our lives as we know it changed rapidly last week with the detection of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania. Now that the schools are closed and some counties are on quarantine, your options to continue or start mental health treatment may appear to be limited. But there is another way for people to continue to receive services, even while they are at home, and that is through online therapy or “telehealth.” Fortunately, another change happened this week that was a positive response by the insurance companies in light of the coronavirus — they lifted the barriers for healthcare providers to offer… Continue Reading This Article

Ending the Social Media Comparison Game

phones social media comparison

Published on: March 4, 2020

Have you ever felt inadequate, unsuccessful, discouraged, or just plain bad about yourself after getting off social media? Maybe you don’t feel like you are enough. Maybe you feel like you aren’t doing as much as your friends or family. Or, maybe you are wondering why your relationships don’t look the same as others.  The rise of social media over the past decade has led to a culture of comparing and contrasting. We are so used to seeing the “successes” of others on the internet that we fear we aren’t living our best life. We are constantly questioning our life… Continue Reading This Article

Avoiding Workplace Burnout: The Modern Health Concern

girl burnout trying to be happy

Published on: February 19, 2020

As a culture, we have been conditioned to think that we should be working all the time. Our phones are constantly with us. We respond to emails the second they come in. It never stops. Ultimately leading us to exhaustion, feeling overwhelmed, stress, anxiety, and depression (because all we feel like we are doing is working). We are suffering from burnout.  Workplace burnout has become so common that the World Health Organization recently classified it as an “occupational phenomenon” on its International Classification of Diseases. WHO classifies burnout as a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has… Continue Reading This Article

What Do You Do When You Realize You’ve Stopped Caring?

woman looking out stopped caring

Published on: February 5, 2020

The other day I came across a social media post, it said — what do you do when you realize you’ve stopped caring? It got me thinking. This is the time of the year, the cold, dreary, winter months when we tend to lose touch with ourselves. We stop caring. We might feel stuck, bored, and unmotivated to do anything to make a change. Some of us might get pulled into a vice of our choice — comfort food, alcohol, trashy TV, etc. These moments in life are normal. We all have times when we are “in a rut,” moments when… Continue Reading This Article