It is still a little over a week before Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations are already going up.  I am used to that in retail stores, but not in the neighborhood.  But this year, house after house has the Christmas lights, wreaths, and decorations already up.  Of course, this is 2020 and why should we be surprised?  This year, nothing has a sense of normal. I saw a news report that encouraged people to put out their Christmas decorations early as a way to promote mental health in the midst of a season of disappointments and anxiety.  After all, what...more

Boredom!  This may not seem like a mental health issue, but we are seeing an increasing number of clients whose presenting issue in counseling is boredom.  The current pandemic has created a loss of social support, the inability to enjoy seasonal activities, the loss of interaction with co-workers, isolation at home, and all of this has created a perfect storm for boredom.  The result is that many people are filling their time with less than satisfying activities like more time on social media, TV binge watching, video games, pornography, and alcohol.  The danger is that boredom can easily become...more

One of the consequences of the current pandemic has been disappointment: loss of jobs; delayed weddings; postponed events; graduations curtailed.  Some of these are life events that can never be replaced.  Some people find it very difficult to move past disappointment.  They get stuck in blame and resentment.  Others move through disappointment and find ways to grow in spite of the losses.  What makes the difference? One of the 5 pillars of happiness in the field of Positive Psychology is meaning.  Finding meaning in the midst of life is critical to being able to bounce back from adversity.  Those...more

Do you have a task that you have put off and put off and now it’s causing you some real anxiety?  Why can’t you bring yourself to do it?  At some time or other, we have all procrastinated.  Have you noticed that the task never gets easier because we put it off?  It is always still there, waiting and waiting for us to get it done.  Most often, we finally do it and then ask, “Why did I wait so long?”  My experience is that it is easier to do the task than to worry over doing it.  But...more

The days are getting shorter and the weather is beginning to cool.  There are signs that Fall is just around the corner.  For some, that means the beginning of SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder.  You might sometimes hear people talk about “the winter blues.”  It’s a real thing.   For many, the shorter days and cooler weather do bring an onset of depression.  You might experience a general feeling of sadness, a desire to isolate, low energy, problems with sleep, a loss of appetite, a loss of interest in normal activities, and in some cases, suicidal thoughts.  I am concerned...more