mental health

Our bodies create and release stress hormones through reactions of the nervous system. In this article, we will take a journey through that process so that we can more fully understand the stress response and its impact on our minds and bodies. It Begins in the Brain We’ve all experienced stressful situations and notice the… Read On »

For years, stress and stress management have been mainstream topics of conversation in regards to our work life. Increasingly, especially in America, we have become more stressed at work, which results in a negative impact on our mental health, as well as our overall wellbeing. What started as stress turned into chronic stress, and what… Read On »

Bipolar is a psychiatric disorder that’s characterized by states of mania and states of depression. In this two-part series, we’ll look at signs of both bipolar mania and depression. We’ll first discuss the general meaning of bipolar depression, as well as common signs and symptoms. People with bipolar disorder experience states of mania and states… Read On »

The science behind meditation is not lacking. Though the practice is thousands of years old, in the last decade science has taken a particular interest in the efficacy and benefit of meditation. Brain imaging studies, behavioral studies, and even studies conducted on the smallest parts of our cellular make up have all found that regular… Read On »

The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems are the two parts of what’s known as our autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for controlling bodily functions that we don’t do consciously such as breath, digestion, and our heartbeat. While the sympathetic nervous system is like a gas pedal that activates the stress response… Read On »

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is often cast as one of the most difficult mental illnesses to diagnose and to treat. Characterized more often by external behaviors rather than internal causes, getting to the root of BPD can be a therapeutic challenge as a complicated web of coping behaviors that have been formulated to protect against… Read On »

What Is EMDR? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based, integrative form of psychotherapy that has been proven effective for the treatment of trauma. Essentially, EMDR facilitates the healing of the intangible. Experiencing trauma and the ongoing distress of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be like living with an invisible wound. Often, our traumatic… Read On »

  All of our experiences in life are chemically based, meaning, that our brain releases chemicals, specifically chemical messengers, and those chemicals interact with different parts of the brain. From there, the different parts of the brain communicate with each other, with the nervous system, then with the body, creating an overall sensory experience. Pleasure… Read On »

During the daytime, it is easy to stay busy and distracted from what can sometimes be overwhelming and uncomfortable thoughts about drinking and using. When the sun is out, or if it isn’t out, during the working hours of the day, the world is alive and buzzing. We can hop onto that current and ride… Read On »

Meditation can and will change our lives with regular practice. To make the most of our meditation time, we need only to follow a few simple suggestions. Set A Meditation Time Meditation is an “any time” practice – you can practice meditation in any way you want, any time of day, as long as you… Read On »