Taking the first step towards therapy can be challenging for anyone. However, for people of color, this journey often comes with additional considerations. As a therapist, I've observed that the path to mental health support can feel particularly complex when factoring in cultural backgrounds, personal experiences, and the current landscape of the mental health field.

Do you remember what it felt like to be a kid? The long, hot days of summer with the impending doom of school right around the corner. I invite you to sit back and remember the feelings during those years. Perhaps you remember the panic of talking to your crush at school. Or maybe you remember the feelings you had when your friends got a higher grade on a test than you. We remember as kids feeling the intense emotions of these moments, but as adults, we are able to recognize they are fairly insignificant in the long run.

The book try softer was extremely helpful for me as both a counselor and a person. I’m sure you all have heard the phrase, “try harder”. This is a slogan I often heard in my life during my youth specifically in sports and in the classroom. It often make me feel more overwhelmed than motivated. Don’t hear me incorrectly, I believe hard work is essential in almost every part of life. You’re probably reading this after a hard days work of school, parenting, job, sports, relationships… fill in the blank. I believe this book provides a way to work harder toward rest in your heart and soul while continuing on your daily rhythms. This book beautifully provides both practical therapeutic ways to lean into rest while also including a Christian perspective to each chapter. This book reminded to be kind to myself in the busyness of life while also resting in the God of the universe.

When a close family member experiences any kind of trauma or traumatic event, it can be very difficult for members of the family to know what to do. How do I support them? I could never imagine going through that so how can I understand? All of these questions are not only incredibly valid, but also normal. So… what can you do when a close family member or even friend experiences any type of trauma? It is my goal to help address the elephant in the room and help provide you with a few tips to help answer these difficult questions.

As a parent, have you found yourself asking, “Do I do something or do I let them figure this out on their own?” Maybe your like me, and feel the inclination to and fix it anytime something wrong happens in a child’s life, yet by doing so, we could be robbing children of the opportunity to grow and learn in emotional and social development. There are times when your child would benefit from you allowing them to navigate their own challenges, yet there are also times when your child may need some extra support.

When reading parenting books or any “self help” book for that matter, as therapists, we look for books that offer practical steps where the reader can take steps towards greater change and growth. This book does that really well! Whether you’ve read it or this is the first time you’ve heard of it, we hope that these suggestions will help you feel empowered to take some small, meaningful steps forward. The list below isn’t exhaustive but just a few simple suggestions to have a healthier relationship with screens going forward.

You may have heard the buzz surrounding the new book, The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In this book, he warns about the dangers of our children having phone-based childhoods instead of the play-based and even outside-based childhoods we were all (hopefully) raised with. He talks about why so many kids are not doing well, the rise in anxiety, and the mental health crisis in adolescents. He also talks about how as parents we have overprotected our children in the real world and yet underprotected them in the digital world. He gives so many examples of this last point.

Are you ready for college? The dorm design has been selected (or not if you’re a male), you’ve attended orientation, and you cannot wait for all the freedoms of college. But WAIT! How are you going to ensure that you will be successful?