Take a Stupid Walk for Your Stupid Mental Health

  – Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC   The title of this blog will not make sense to everyone, so let me explain. The phrase “going on a stupid walk for my stupid mental health” went viral a few years ago thanks to this TikTok video made by creator @ninalaevski. The video in question shows a girl bundling up, charging out the door … Read More

Coping with Change

Preparing and Managing Transitions Have you noticed the shift? A subtle change that marks the departure of summer? Is it the breeze being slightly cooler or is the absence of children playing outside as they resumed their scholastic obligations? For better or worse, school is back in session. For students, this can be a big change compared to laxer curfews … Read More

Self-Compassion: Support from Within

Down and Out When we find ourselves in low mood states, when we’re stressed, tired, and hopeless, it can be extra brutal to encounter thoughts kicking us when we are down. Blaming us. Angry and hurt potentially that we are in this position to begin with. In certain situations, a compassionate friend might just be what is needed to support … Read More

Practicing Acceptance

How often is it actually helpful for someone to advise you to accept a certain set of circumstances when you are still attempting to grasp what is happening? It can be very off putting, frustrating as well as invalidating. You have to let it go! Just accept and move on! Throughout my years as a therapist, when even broaching the topic of … Read More

Negative Thinking Traps… Part 3

Finishing up our in-depth review of negative thinking traps, there are another five common traps that can hijack us into negative feedback loops if we are not prepared. Taking us to places that are unproductive and skewing the truth when in reality, the situation may be easily resolvable. Rounding up the last of the prominent negative thinking traps we can … Read More

Walking Through the Stages of Change

Change has been on my mind, lately. From supporting my clients exercise their strategies for it, to the societal change that happens on a daily basis. How much the world seems to get a little bit farther from the times spent in our youth. With change comes adaptation. Are you old enough to remember life before the internet boom? When … Read More

Spring Clean Your Mental Health

Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC By February’s end, most people are eager for the arrival of spring. Along with warmer weather, spring hold the promise of new beginnings and fresh starts.  This is perhaps why the concept of “spring cleaning” is so appealing. It is a concrete way to rid ourselves of the clutter that is taking up too much space in … Read More

What is “Reverse SAD”?

by Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Seasonal Affective Disorder Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is characterized by feelings of depression that start and end at the same time every year, in accordance with a change in seasons. SAD is generally used to refer to depression that occurs during the cold, dark winter months. This is because the reduced exposure to sunlight and warmth … Read More

Mental Health Life Hacks (Part 3)

  If you’ve been following along for the past few weeks, this blog has featured simple ways to get out of a funk and gain a fresh perspective on life. Read on for the third and final segment of this series.   Live in the here and now  Focusing on transgressions from the past or fears about the future is a … Read More

Reduce Anxiety in 1 minute or less

by Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Anxiety and panic attacks are scary experiences. In the moment, they can feel all-consuming and trick you into believing that they will never end. The good news is that panic attacks typically only last about 10 minutes and are very treatable with the proper mental health support. Since it is difficult to think logically when your body … Read More