The concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a very popular buzzword in many different industries. Questions are frequently being asked how can it make the world better or worse. What are the gains and risks? What industries will be impacted, and how will the world change? These are all great questions that should be asked as we venture into a new world. I can say for sure that no matter what it is coming it has the power to change many things we need to adapt to, including within the role it may play in Mental Health Care. Over the course of my work with TrainerMD, I have been learning a lo ..read more

In the last blog we talked about how to take control of your mental health in the simplest ways possible. The feedback from that blog was very positive so I figured we would take it up a level to the 1-2-3s. At this time of year I was want to reflect on my own expeirences with clients, what were the main themes that were seen in treatment that benefitted clients, and even what possible lessons I learned about myself in the process. That being said, whether you a regular person, athlete, student, or professional, here are the next steps to taking control of your mental health in no particular o ..read more

"Make your mental health a priority. It’s called YOUR mental health and it’s YOUR responsibility to cut out of your life what makes you struggle with it." - Robert Griffin III - Heisman Trophy Winner This is such a simple statement, yet something many in society really struggle with embracing. Excuses are often made, reasons for challenges are displaced onto others, or simply ignore the problem. Eventually this only leads to an exacerbation of symptoms. The best thing a person can do find ways to manage symptoms and it is easier than one can even even think. Below are the simple ABCs to improv ..read more

It has been a relaxing summer for me overall, really trying to take advantage of the time. However, with the fall coming, it is time to start preparing for the grind that lies ahead. School will be starting soon adding to that new stress for kids and families. Sport transitions are happening as new seasons start and the demands increase there as well. In general, any transition can just add to anxiety and frustrations. Given that I was reflecting on the lessons I learned over the summer and apply this mindset going into the fall. Below are these lessons in no particular order. 1. Slow down – T ..read more

According to disctionary.com, the word perfect is defined as ''excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement'', with perfectionism being ''a personal standard, attitude, or philosophy that demands perfection and rejects anything less.'' It is exceptionally common for many people to strive for perfectionism, including athletes, students, and just being a person living your day to day life. While there are many positives, anxiety and even negative self-esteem are two of the primary negatives of a person's search for perfectionism. Everyday I see clients in my office who striv ..read more

One of the most exciting days for a psychologist is when a client has that ''Aha'' moment. It is that time when the client has the self-awareness that they have the skills to make a change and are motivated to make it happen. While this is the goal of treatment for everyone, not everyone gets there. Recently, one of my clients did and the lessons he learned through his experience was eye opening to me, and something to be shared as it can really help others. In order to protect confidentiality I will not go into detail of what the client's Aha experience was. However, it did involve pushing hi ..read more

In my office I have a poster hanging up that says "What you learn today can change the future" and has may learning phrases such as be open minded, take up the challenge, value new ideas, and find your passion, surrounding it. Many of the previous blogs have discussed growth as a person and using this way to increase confidence. In this blog we will continue to build off of these themes with a discussion on developing and using a learning mindset, and how it impacts anxiety and emotion management and personal growth. As we have discussed in prior blogs, for clients that struggle with anxiety a ..read more

The holiday time of year can be very an emotional time of year for many people. However, with the time that it is spent with friends and family, it should a time of reviewing the things we are grateful for. Many people tend to dwell on the negative, which triggers negative emotions and stress. But if for even in the small moments we reflect on the positives, the successes, the relationships, our entire mindset can shift. It is not a secret to many of my clients that I am a big poker fan and player and use many concepts in my work. I often refer to the book #Positivity, by Phil Helmuth who is a ..read more

Recently I was talking with the CEO of TrainerMd about the work and value I can add to his business from a behavioral health standpoint. While trying to figure out how best to characterize the scope and goals of the work he happened to use the word ‘’Mission’’. That word struck me as so significant and such a perfect word given the nature of our conversation. It was the guide and driving force between our work, giving a real direction and meaning to the work we each do. It made me reflect on my mission and how it impacts what I do each day, not just for my clients, but even for myself. My miss ..read more

There is only one constant in life and that is change or transitions. Transitions can be scary and something that many people, particularly anxious ones try to avoid. That is probably why I am getting this blog done just under the gun as I’ve been avoiding it not wanting to think about the coming fall after a nice summer. However, even I have to prepare for the upcoming changes as they will come whether I want them to or not. The fall marks an obvious time of transition. For athletes they may be moving from off season to in season or the reverse. That means new types of training, maybe startin ..read more