Psychological Evaluations for Bariatric Surgery: They Can Feel Intimidating, But Don’t Let Them Written by MFC therapist Dr. Megan Lavery, PsyD. Psychological evaluations for bariatric surgery can seem daunting. You may find yourself wondering: Why is this psychologist asking me all of these personal questions? Is she trying to stop me from having bariatric surgery? Hello! My name is Megan Lavery, and I am one of those psychologists. I have specialized in supporting bariatric surgery patients for almost 15 years. I am passionate about helping patients use psychological evaluations to prepare f ..read more

You’ve graduated—Congrats! You have spent your life working up to this moment. It is an exciting time full of possibilities…and sometimes stress. Much of the way your life used to function is going to change, and while that is not a bad thing, the transition can cause anxiety and uncertainty.  It’s ok to feel the graduation blues. Even adults remember that moment of walking across the stage full of excitement, smiling from ear to ear, and then walking into their bedrooms, looking around, and it hits them—a crushing sense of loss. Yes, this is what they were working towards their whole lif ..read more

The Quarter-Life Crisis: Life after College Graduation  Hopes & Expectations  An example of the quarter-life crisis is your hope to graduate from college, expecting to find your way quickly. You imagine yourself in your dream job, in a stable relationship, and living in a home alone. You thought you were going to have everything you wanted. But the reality may be that after you walked across that stage at graduation, you moved in with your parents and settled for your old barista job—to “hold you over.”   Maybe you got a job in your major, but you aren’t sure if this is ..read more

Complex Feelings about Celebrating Mother’s Day  Written by MFC Therapist Dr. Nicole Williams-Myers, Ph.D If you find yourself struggling with complex feelings during holidays that celebrate moms or dads, you are not alone. Sometimes, we expect to feel the way others around us are feeling. We may be tempted to question our emotions or try to push them away. These reactions are understandable but typically do not help and can make the situation worse.  The reality is that many of us can expect a range of emotions when thoughts about our parents or about being a parent are elicite ..read more

Hope and healing in the aftermath of sexual violence is an article for survivors and those who support survivors of sexual violence. Brave First Step Seeking help or treatment for the traumatic impacts of abuse is a brave first step in the healing process. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is a month dedicated to raising awareness of the many impacts sexual abuse, assault, and harassment have on individuals, relationships, and our community. Sexual violence is defined as any type of unwanted sexual behavior or contact. It happens in every community, affecting people of all genders ..read more

An experienced therapist in recovery shares why waiting for external factors to dictate our substance use and sobriety doesn’t work. As a Certified Drug and Alcohol counselor, I’ve heard it all… I’ll quit when I get the right job. Once I find the perfect relationship, I’ll be motivated to be sober. If I move to another city, I’ll be able to stop. You’d drink and use too if you had a crazy family like me. I’ll stop when my kids get older and know what’s really going on…    So many of us are waiting for an external factor to dictate our substance use and our sobriety. It never occurs ..read more

Tiered Licensure in Pennsylvania In a world where the need for mental health services is at an all-time high, and the supply of licensed mental health professionals is too low to meet the need, there is something that can help: Tiered Licensure in Pennsylvania. What does it take? Currently, to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania, you must: complete a Master’s degree in a counseling field from an accredited educational institution, graduate and afterward complete 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience in no less than two years and pass a test before you can ev ..read more

Emotions in Men and OCD An Editorial Article by Matthew Kornacki, LPC, NCC Throughout my time in the mental health field, I have had consumers of services describe one common goal: “I would like to control my emotions.” Most of the time, I answer them: “Sorry, you can’t.” This is especially prevalent with the men I work with since the idea of control is predominant in boys and men raised to conform to traditional masculine norms. Systemically, the idea of control is practically synonymous with these norms that punctuate and celebrate durability and impassiveness while demeaning (for example) t ..read more

Why Healthy Bedtime Routines Matter:  Ideas For Your Bedtime Routine  It Really is a Big Deal  Good quality and sufficient sleep are crucial to your overall health and well-being, yet many of us disregard the importance of this daily need. We frequently put off sleep to accomplish tasks or have quality time with loved ones. When the reality is good sleep helps us be more productive and be the best version of ourselves.  This is why healthy bedtime routines matter. Think about it. When you don’t get enough sleep, how do you feel? It is harder to focus and think clearly about task ..read more

Your Mental Health New Years Resolutions It is almost the start of the new year, and you may be thinking about what improvements you want to make.  Before you do the same — lose 10 pounds, eat healthier, get organized — resolutions, maybe you could focus on your mental health. A happy you is a healthier you; it will help everything else fall into place.  The Year of You  If you need some help coming up with a good resolution for your mental health, here are a few you might consider:  Take action for your mental health First and foremost, nothing will change if you don’t try ..read more