After a significant loss in high school, I was invited to join our school counselor’s student grief group. One day the counselor gave us each a mix-tape CD. As I listened, each song made me cry, in a really good way. This was my introduction to music as a compliment

The look. Anyone who has experienced a loss knows the look I am talking about. That flat smile of lips closed together. A sigh, sad eyes and tilted head. If you’ve recently experienced a death, that look greets you everywhere you go. Someone grieving recently told me it'd be nice

October 10th is World Mental Health Day. For 2023, the World Health Organization has chosen the campaign theme: Mental health is a universal human right. Per their statement: This includes the right to be protected from mental health risks, the right to available, accessible, acceptable, and good quality care, and

Recently my manager, Dana Aderhold, shared this Psychology Today post that tackles myths of workplace mental health. She highlighted this sentence on the concept of managers serving as brokers of supportive resources: “You do not need to be a therapist to your team—a best practice is to be a broker

This July I'm refreshing the previous Strengthening Your Relationship email series from 2021. The email series offers quick ideas and information within three categories: research and insight, questions for closeness, and weekend activity ideas. As I revisit this content I was reminded of the weekly meeting practice I wrote about

Over 40 years ago Steven Hayes developed ACT Therapy (pronounced as the word "act") which incorporates practices of psychological flexibility and a focus on values. For Work/Life's recent email series, A Month of Values Based Living, Triangle area therapists shared introductions to the six components of ACT Therapy and related

For several years Kim Andreaus and I have taught Powerful Tools for Caregivers, an evidence-based program that teaches skills for self-care and stress management. One of the lessons from the class that always resonates with me is the concept of guilt versus regret. Guilt is shame-based and implies there was

For many the new year brings a renewed sense of commitment to well-being. Our spaces are often complementary to how we feel. Our spaces can either add to our stress or be set up in a way that is supportive as we navigate our days. Last year Work/Life offered an

Throughout the year our Work/Life Weekly newsletter has featured a Question of the Week segment. Our goal was to provide a simple resource to help grow the relationships in your life. Also, by now it should be clear that I love a good conversation question. I have compiled all the

A strong cultural emphasis on “happiness” can have the unintended effect of casting feelings other than happiness as being bad or something to avoid. But life is rich with many different feelings. Trying to suppress these can actually lead to a rebound effect. The book Get Out of Your Mind

Thank you to Erica Blystone, LCSW, for this week's guest blog post. You can read more about Erica and her practice in the bio below.  One of the most important decisions parents make during a divorce is the parenting plan (custody schedule). There are some guidelines that can make this easier.

Beginning July 16th, under FCC rules, those in the U.S. can call or text 988 to be connected to trained mental health crisis counselors. The 988 number connects to the already exisiting National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for someone who is

For the last three weeks, our Work/Life series on Coping with Symptoms of Anxiety and Worry has sent out short videos with strategies shared by Alex Harrison, LCSW, Alumni and Family Liaison for ERC/Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center. Below you'll find all three videos on demand.   Video One: Understanding

In the last few weeks, I’ve had to catch myself saying the phrase “return to work” and quickly correct to “return to campus”. We’ve been working! That never changed. But for many of us who are looking to return to campus in some way shape or form, we are embarking

There are many phrases and terms we’ve all become familiar with throughout the pandemic and I’m sure the concept of “languishing” is one of them. If you hear Organizational Psychologist and Author Adam Grant talk about his experience of languishing, it was a video game with family members that helped

There are many ways a therapist can be a resource regarding the topic of separation or divorce. One option is Discernment Counseling. In this blog post, two Triangle-area therapists answer common questions to provide a better understanding of what Discernment Counseling is and is not. Thanks to contributors Erica Blystone,

I'm reprising this post I wrote prior to winter break in 2019, about the contrast between the holidays portrayed in commercials and that of real life. This sentiment has only expanded as one might feel whiplash between the uncertainty, grief and injustice observed in the last two years and a

In her book, Love More, Fight Less: A relationship workbook for couples, Certified relationship coach and author, Dr. Gina Senarighi recommends couples institute a weekly meeting: "Couples meet once a week to discuss schedules, finances, and shared resources as well as responsibilities and tasks. …Having regular check-ins helps keep any

This June the Work/Life Relationship Series sent emails for three weeks with relationship research, insights and tips. A weekly email also provided questions for conversations and closeness. I'm sure many of us may find ourselves occasionally staring silently at our partners, friends or family, as we continue to endure these

From this pandemic, every one of us has experienced some kind of loss or something that feels taken away. It could be a person, an activity, an event, an opportunity or even conceptual things like a sense of safety or normalcy. When I worked for hospice, it was routine to

The last year and a half has certainly exacerbated many stresses that people were already facing. Unfortunately for many, complicated dynamics and tensions with family were not immune during this time. I was curious to look back at previous Work/Life posts that address difficult dynamics. Although all were created pre-pandemic,

One of my areas of focus is mental health and I have a personal/professional commitment to normalizing seeking resources for support. It makes sense for me to write a post on mental health resources for PRIDE month. It makes sense given that LGBTQ+ individuals experience a higher rate of mental

In the US we are seeing rapid changes related to COVID-19 cases, the ending of mask requirements and messages of “a return to normal”. I want to be sensitive to the fact that not all parts of the US or the world are seeing improvements and in some places the

My coworker recently shared this post in Grown and Flown from a mother of a teen who lives with both depression and ADHD. This is a timely share as we approach May which is Mental Health Awareness Month. I’d encourage you to read to better understand this experience or, perhaps,