Katie Seavey Pegoraro supports employees with issues of stress and balance, providing tools and resources to cope when life feels overwhelming. Katie is a contact for those who may be coping with issues of mental health, substance use, or grief and loss. A young professional herself, Katie is a unique support to employees who are navigating the many life transitions that occur in your 20's and 30's.
While for many the experience of the pandemic provided clarity on the relationships they wanted to pare from their life, I’d like to challenge us to take a moment to see how we can expand, in a meaningful way, the relationships in which we share connection. In his book 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,
These days I'm hearing from people who are feeling out of place. Of course they want a world without COVID-19 and for life to feel like it used to. But as others make future plans and celebrate the potential return to "normal", they are feeling hesitant or more uncomfortable than
*This interview was recorded last summer, but the realities of the pandemic and alcohol use are still relevant today and so I am re-sharing this post. We continue to experience unique stressors, uncertainty, grief and isolation. This video provides specific steps you can try today to assess and alter behaviors
Since I was a teenager, I’ve had trouble sleeping. From hypnotherapy to melatonin, I've tried all kinds of lifestyle changes and strategies to get better sleep. No matter what helps, I am never immune to those nights at 3 AM where my mind won’t seem to shut off. No surprise
As I write this blog post, we are nearing the milestone of 500,000 deaths in the U.S. and 2.5 million worldwide. In the U.S. we are also nearing the one-year anniversary of that week in March where the realities of the pandemic set-in and everything changed. We are all caught
November 26th and 27th most of us had time off. How was that time for you? I hope it was good - within pandemic-adjusted terms. If it felt in anyway less satisfying, fulfilling, relaxing...or it just felt...different...here are some things to consider. We are in a pandemic. This cannot be
It’s been a few years since I read Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering, but it continues to inspire me to think about purposefulness in relation to gathering. A good gathering, a good friendship, a good relationship; all are going to be the product of mindful and purposeful effort. As
A few years ago I wrote a blogpost titled, An End to "But": More kindness and complexity in our words. I'm revisiting the concept as it seems apt for our times. With most of us living in increased isolation, the voice in our head may feel louder than ever. Now
Right now people are living with a great amount of grief and uncertainty. We can’t dismiss our feelings or our very justified worries and concerns. However, we can have a both/and way of thinking. It may help to think of it this way: When we are anxious or uncertain, our
When the pandemic began, a therapist told me that the one thing that would be consistent during this time is the fact that my emotions would be inconsistent. This would be one thing I could actually count on. My acceptance of this has been my lifeline for getting through this
Each of us has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in a myriad of ways. In March we dove deep, headfirst, into a number of emotions and a new way of life that is ever-evolving. Some people may find they are drinking more in one night or more days of
A message from the Work/Life Center: We are getting many requests from employees asking what they can do to challenge racism and to support their Black coworkers. We love that we work for a company with this level of concern. In our last blog post we shared some thoughts on context as
A message from the Work/Life Center: It is not surprising that the SAS community is deeply moved and troubled by the recent examples of racism that reflect larger systemic problems in our nation. Work/Life wants to respond to your requests for ideas about supporting colleagues and taking action in your community. We understand the urge to act and will provide suggestions in our
It can be nice to take a break from COVID-19 topics. In this blog I am writing about something else I find myself discussing often: imposter syndrome. I would say I discuss it most often with young professionals, but I’ve heard from people of all ages that they experience it,
It’s Mental Health Month and the COVID-19 pandemic has increased awareness of the importance of caring for our mental health and wellbeing. If you’re someone who has lived with a mental health condition prior to COVID-19, now is the time to tap into the skills and resources you have been
