There have been many reports throughout 2016 of horrible crimes against humanity: unnecessary deaths, racial targeting and profiling, and targeting others for their religion. This is an oversimplification of the tragedies and injustice you see in your newsfeed daily.
I will be including several videos and articles from possibly triggering tragedies and I urge you to please read with caution from here. Read more
Teaching Young Children About Money
Last week I talked about how to teach your older children about money. Today’s focus will be on teaching young children (~5-8) about money.
It is important to begin teaching your children about various aspects of life from an early age. Because money and finances will always be a part of their lives, I encourage you to begin talking to them around age 5. Read more
Community Mental Health: The Pros and Cons
Originally, I wrote a post about Oppositional Defiant Disorder for this week but in light of my horrific day, I’ve decided to switch gears and write about what working in community mental health is like as a professional.
Community mental health is a branch of mental health at works with clients in an outpatient or community setting. This includes your standard counselors, community-based programs, psychosocial rehabilitation, in-home services, and many more. Basically, if it’s not in-patient, it’s community mental health.
Let me begin my sharing my transition of positions over time. I was initially hired at my current company to provide Mental Health Skill-Building Services. After about 3 months, I transitioned to providing Crisis Stabilization Services. Both of those positions were working directly with clients in the community and the primary support of my post today. Read more
Teaching Older Children About Money
Last week I talked about how to teach your teen about money. Today’s focus will be on teaching older children (~9-12) about money.
I’ve talked several times before about how poorly my parents prepared me to be financially on my own. If my parents had been intentional with money, I would likely have avoided several mistakes I’ve made to date. My parents were not intentional in managing their finances, let alone teaching me about finances. from an early age, I watched my parents do pretty much everything you’re not supposed to do with money, so I spent most of my childhood watching my parents essentially fail at personal finance.
Suicide Prevention: Statistics, Warning Signs, and How To Help
September 5th-11th is National Suicide Prevention Week here in the United States. In recent years it has been advertised more heavily, though I still primarily see advertisements directed at mental health professionals rather than the general public. I find this odd because most mental health professionals have some knowledge of the signs and statistics while many people in the general public do not.
Suicide is an often taboo subject in our current culture. It is rare someone openly discusses this epidemic and I believe this leads to a reduction in people recognizing signs and seeking help. Most all of the clients I work with have a history of at least suicidal thoughts, if not suicide attempts. The reality is that talking about suicide is important.
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Goal Check-In: Day 250
This post contains referral links. Please see my disclosure page for full details.
Today marks the 250th day of the year! That means it’s the 250th day of my 2016 goals, including my savings challenge. I posted an update at the 50-day, 100-day, 150-day, and 200-day marks to help me stay accountable. I’ve made it a goal to post an update every 50 days to help hold myself accountable.
My savings have had a pretty significant change due to my decision to forego my original goal of saving $7557.95 then putting it towards my debt at the end of the year. This goal changed to paying a total of $7557.95 extra on my debts throughout the year.
Here is my 250-day savings update:
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How to Teach Your Teen About Money
One of the many important life skills a teenager needs to learn is money management. As a parent, you want to raise a successful and independent future adult. Teaching money management intentionally is crucial to your teens ability to be a successful adult. Read more
My Least Favorite Question As A Therapist: What's Wrong With Me?
A woman sits in my office, crying, after she finishes telling me her story. She’s had a hard life full of mental health issues and substance abuse. When she finishes her story, she wipes her eyes and looks at me. Then she asks me the most dreaded question in counseling: “What’s wrong with me?”
How would you answer that question?
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How We Handle Split Finances (Millennial Marriage #2)
My husband and I have split finances. We’ve been doing this since we started dating (despite having a joint bank account for 5 years). He watched his parents get divorced and have finances issues as a result of untangling their joint lives. I have strong ideals of being an independent woman who can make it on her own (cue Miss Independent).
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What is Mindfulness & How Can It Help Anxiety?
Mindfulness is the practice of being intentional, being reflective, and living in the moment. There are innumerable ways to be mindful and individuals with mental health disorders can benefit from mindfulness and positive ways to cope with their symptoms. Mindfulness is particularly helpful to people with Borderline Personality Disorder and anxiety disorders.
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