PREVIEW: The world is becoming more open when it comes to inclusivity surrounding gender and sexuality. At the same time, many young people in the LGBTQ+ community are still struggling with mental health issues; higher rates of suicide; and lack of acceptance among family, friends, and society. In this episode the SKYlights Podcast, Mariah Loftin, MA, LPC, Clinical Director and Senior Clinical Therapist, discusses why this issue is at the forefront of our minds, some sobering statistics that highlight the importance of providing support for LGBTQ+ individuals, challenges for family and friends ..read more

PREVIEW: Disordered eating—different from eating disorders—is a condition we're seeing more and more often at Open Sky. While eating disorders may be more commonly understood in our society, disordered eating is less well known. In this episode of the SKYlights Podcast, Senior Clinical Therapist Kirsten Bolt, MED, LMFT helps us better understand this topic, especially as it relates to youth. Kirsten explores the rise of disordered eating; its impacts on physical, emotional, mental, and relational health; how she works with students to build awareness and create change; and what concerned paren ..read more

PREVIEW: The hardest part for parents is probably raising children who are emotionally closed off and unable to communicate openly. It’s difficult to establish genuine connection when your child refuses to be open and vulnerable with you, struggling to find the right timing to strike a conversation, or simply does not have the emotional readiness to share their thoughts and feelings freely and willingly. In these situations, can parents help their children find the courage to connect and share their troubles with you? How can you help them help you understand what they are going through? The a ..read more

PREVIEW: As early adolescents transition from childhood to adolescence, hormones emerge, body chemistry changes, and social and academic pressures increase.They might experience uncertainty about who they are and feel a natural desire to differentiate from their parents. Add the stressors of the modern world, and it's no wonder that so many early adolescents struggle to navigate the stage in their lives. In this episode of the SKYlights Podcast, Clinical Therapist Julia Lehr, MSSW, LCSW, AMFT discusses the unique needs of early adolescents, the pressures this population is under, her therapeut ..read more

PREVIEW: An athlete may be winning trophies and medals, but sometimes we don’t know that they can be losing a silent battle that they don’t even talk about. Some athletes live up to expectations placed by other people and get pressured to push harder or else everyone will be disappointed at them. But if they don’t prioritize their own mental health, how do we expect them to keep winning? In this episode, clinical therapist Chris Blankenship talks about the mental health challenges some athletes go through, the reason why some athletes decide to get treatment, and a message to the parents of at ..read more

PREVIEW: Sometimes we keep emotions bottled up deep inside of us or are haunted by memories we cannot escape from. Physical activity can be an outlet for releasing uncomfortable emotions, tension, and stress from our bodies. In this episode of the SKYlights Podcast, Clinical Therapist Maura Nolan, LPC, ACMHC, NCC discusses somatic therapy; how she incorporates breathwork, dance, and movement into her work with students; and tools anyone can use for cultivating greater mind-body awareness. GUEST PROFILE: MAURA NOLAN, LPC, ACMHC, NCC Clinical Therapist Maura Nolan, LPC, CMHC, NCC joined Open Sky ..read more

PREVIEW: It has now been more than a year since our lives changed drastically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we’ve learned to live with this new normal, the impacts on mental health and development have been significant. In this episode, clinical therapist Mariah Loftin discusses how the pandemic has affected mental health in young adults, how they and their parents can identify and manage mental health struggles, and what hope and transformation can be gained in the midst of it all. GUEST PROFILE: MARIAH LOFTIN, MA, LPC Senior clinical therapist Mariah Loftin has been working with young ..read more

PREVIEW: With the closure of schools and the isolative nature of pandemic-life, the last year has clearly been challenging for teens, sometimes in unexpected ways. An emerging issue we’re seeing more and more is the online exploitation of teens online. Here to talk about the risks, signs, and prevention of online sexual exploitation is senior clinical therapist Kirsten Bolt. GUEST PROFILE: KIRSTEN BOLT, MED, LMFTKirsten has been working with adolescent girls at Open Sky since 2011. With her firm and direct approach, Kirsten confronts presenting issues and holds students and families accountabl ..read more

PREVIEW: We’ve all become familiar with our own personal comfort zones; where we operate and interact with the most ease and predictability. Some of us are more inclined than others to step outside of their comfort zones, and maybe even crave the feeling of pushing those limits. Others find it difficult and sometimes even debilitating. How is it healthy and beneficial to step beyond our comfort zones? Clinical Therapist Mariah Loftin is here to discuss this topic in SKYlights episode 26. In her work at Open Sky, Mariah helps young adults launch into adulthood and independence by building confi ..read more

PREVIEW: Stress is something we humans cannot avoid. From being cut off in traffic on our way to work, to navigating a global pandemic, we all face it regularly to some degree. So, how do we respond to stress? How do we prevent our thoughts from spiraling, our emotions from taking control, and our actions from causing even more damage? Open Sky Clinical Therapist Brian Leidal will address these questions and more in our conversation today. He’ll also provide five actionable steps for grounding the nervous system and responding to stress in alignment with core values. GUEST PROFILE: BRIAN LEIDA ..read more