Navigating the January blues. As January makes its annual return and familiar sentiments resurface, we find it helpful to revisit this blog. Navigating the challenges of January can be an uphill battle for many individuals. As we grapple with the return to work and the general adjustments associated with the new year, it’s crucial to acknowledge the impact on mental health. The reality of January in northern climates is one of cold, darkness, and a sense of post-holiday aftermath. While December offered moments of joy and celebration, January demands the settling of bills and a return to rou ..read more

Peaceful Holidays in Troubled Times: Navigating Family and Solo Celebrations with Grace Though originally penned a couple of years ago, the wisdom shared in this blog resonates even more profoundly today as we navigate a world marked by ongoing challenges. The insights on thriving through family gatherings and embracing solo holidays remain relevant, offering guidance for finding joy and resilience in the midst of the complexities we face today. It’s a repost that feels timely, urging us to rediscover the strength to celebrate amidst turmoil and cherish moments of harmony, whether surrounded ..read more

Falling Back? Tips to Get Back Up! The end of daylight savings time landed on Sunday, November 5th. This means that clocks get set back an hour and a collective disorientation ensues. While some celebrate the extra hour of sleep, many are left in dread of the seemingly archaic time change concept. Either way, we can all use some helpful tips on how to get back up when the fall-back time change knocks us off balance. So why does a change in a measly hour disorient us so much? Well, we may not use it to tell time, but we still take cues from the sun. For instance, the sun has impacts on our se ..read more

Talking about hard things As a social worker and therapist, it is part of my work to ask about pain, suffering, anger, and grief. I feel privileged when someone I am consulting with can share their experiences, and their emotions with me. As a parent, it can feel very different. I have an urge to protect my daughters from difficult information and experience uncertainty about how to talk about difficult subjects. As the violence of the war in Israel and Palestine is dominating the news and the way that this issue is polarizing communities it can feel hard to know how to talk about these thin ..read more

Your Therapy Welcomes New Therapist Maura Mcclellan We’re pleased to welcome Maura McClellan, another talented and experienced therapist, to our Your Therapy team. Maura is an Individual and Family Therapist, and works with children of all ages, families and adults who are experiencing issues such as mood concerns, anxiety, interpersonal relationship issues, and parenting or life transition challenges. Here’s a little bit more about Maura in her own words. —Anu Chahauver, director, Your Therapy I came to the mental-health profession after a long career in non-profit organizing and community ..read more

Helping Your Child with Back-To-School Anxiety It’s hard to believe, but yet another summer seems to have flown past, and we’re once again approaching back-to-school season. For many children, September is an exciting time. They look forward to seeing old friends, making new ones and facing the challenges of a new grade, or even a new school. But it can also be a time of heightened anxiety, with other youngsters worrying about these new teachers, social situations, fitting in and even being away from home all day. It’s perfectly normal for kids to have worries, but it’s also extremely import ..read more

Radical Acceptance: A Path To Healing And Growth When faced with a difficult life circumstance, there are times when we’re able to solve a problem or change how we feel about it. However, sometimes there’s nothing we can do to change or improve a tough situation. This is where Radical Acceptance comes in. In brief terms, it’s the skill of accepting things that we can’t change. Developing Radical Acceptance can help you cope effectively with your emotions and move forward, rather than continue suffering with bitterness. That said, it’s important to note that Radical Acceptance does not mean w ..read more

Why are we offering “brief therapy?” Because it helps. When most people think about therapy, they imagine sessions happening over weeks or months, as the therapist helps a client dive deeply into the causes of their mental-health issues. That is one of the most common models, but there’s another: brief therapy, which involves anywhere from one to six sessions. WHAT IS BRIEF THERAPY? Brief therapy is a short-term, highly goal oriented process, that focuses on an assessment-and-feedback process that targets change strategies. The therapist immediately helps the client learn coping strategies t ..read more

A new approach for children, teens or young adult struggling with anxiety Is there a child or teen in your life struggling with anxiety, but reluctant to access mental-health supports? Are you living with a young person who has failed to launch? If so, I’m excited to share the details of a promising new therapeutic approach that I’ll be offering at Your Therapy.   I was recently trained by Dr. Eli Lebowitz, of the Yale Child Study Center, to provide an evidence-based treatment for anxious children, adolescents and young adults. Developed by Dr. Lebowitz, it’s called SPACE, which st ..read more

The benefits of working with a therapist of a different gender Starting therapy can be both exciting and scary, and it’s normal to have concerns about choosing the “right” therapist. Many people lean towards working with a therapist of the same gender, because it may feel safer and more comfortable. They may assume that they’ll share common experiences with a therapist of the same gender, and this will create a better fit. These factors are important, and whatever your reasons are for choosing a particular therapist, they’re totally valid. The most important consideration is feeling safe, an ..read more