"If you feel good about yourself, you look beautiful regardless of flaws." ~ Emily Deschanel I started to wonder how I looked at the age of eight after other children commented that my twin sister was cuter / prettier than me. During my youth, I was bullied and ugly because of my appearance. Like many others, I have believed for…
The provision of mental health services during a pandemic changes the perspective. A couple of weeks ago I happened to be working with three clients in a row, offering advice through telemedicine. COVID-19 has opened a door and a need to be creative in how we provide mental health services and support. It also made an interesting parallel. When I…
It's okay to feel nervous before and during an interview, that's a good thing! It is important to control your nerves and to use this energy during the interview process and turn it into something that makes you unstoppable. We cannot guarantee that you will get the job you are interviewing for. However, if you follow the tips below and…
“Trust yourself. You have survived a lot and you will survive whatever comes. "~ Robert Tew “I have bad news. I'm so sorry. You have cancer. " Sitting in the cold, clinical doctor's office in Chicago on a snowy, cloudy January day, I was with my daughter six months after the birth and felt like I woke up in a…
As the complexity of caring for people with mental health needs increases, more and more consultants are working in interdisciplinary teams to respond to the acute and chronic needs of their clients. Many people with severe mental illness may also have concurrent physical disorders such as cardiovascular or nutritional / metabolic disorders (e.g. diabetes, obesity), as reviewed by Mark De…
Substance dependence leads to persistent negative consequences and to the loss of human potential. These consequences often include chronic health problems, disturbed family environments, adverse economic effects, and premature death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 21.2 million people in the United States met the criteria for a substance-related disorder in 2018. Overdose deaths have tripled…
“People will teach you how to love by not loving you back. People will teach you how to forgive by not apologizing. People will teach you kindness through their judgment. People will teach you how to grow by stagnating. Take care as you go through pain and mysterious times. Listen to the wisdom life wants to teach you. "~ Meredith…
Dr. Irvin Yalom, an American existential psychiatrist and professor emeritus of psychiatry at Stanford University, is known for his ability to study the human psyche and for his interpersonal therapy groups. During the keynote address to kick off the second week of the American Counseling Association's Virtual Conference Experience 2021, he gave a glimpse into his own life and shared…
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common disease of the joints which affects 6% of adults worldwide . The knee is the most frequently affected joint and one of the main causes of disabilities and pain, especially in people over 40. OA can be divided into two types: primary, in which there is joint degradation without a clear underlying cause, and…
One day a man met a hungry tiger. He ran. The tiger pursued him. When he got to a cliff, he jumped and grabbed a tree root so as not to fall to the ground where another tiger waited in horror to eat him. He held onto this thin root for his dear life. Then a little mouse appeared and…