Mental Health Links
The following links are listed to provide you with additional online mental health care information and counseling resources.
Academic Issues:
Addiction and Recovery
Get Grounded! What is Earthing??
Everytime this year parents go into the school year hopeful that our kids will thrive as the little scholors we know they are. They had a great summer, and are happier, healthier, and tanner than ever. However every year, without fail by mid October my phone is ringing off the hook. The honeymoon is over…..So what is going on? Why do some kids (especially kids with ADHD, Depression, and Anxiety) thrive in the summer. One of the many reasons has to do with grounding, otherwise know as Earthing. In the summer we don’t wear shoes, we run around on the sand, stone, grass and other natural surfaces. We get plenty of sunshine and reguarly move our body. Unfortuantly that comes to a screeching halt after labor day. Humans need to connect with the Earth, and absorb some vitimin “G”….Ground… It is a way to regulate out very subtle, yet very significant bioelectromatic field. We are bioelectrical beings living on an electrical planet
Go barefoot outside for a half-hour and see what a difference it makes on your pain or stress level. Sit, stand, or walk on grass, sand, dirt, or concrete. These are all conductive surfaces from which your body can draw the Earth’s energy. Wood, asphalt, and vinyl won’t work. They are not conductive surfaces. Experience for yourself the healing energy of the Earth at work.
If your child is having trouble at school, try having their teacher give them a break to take their shoes off and run around.
It’s free, and there are no negative side effects:)
You might find after regular practice you…
- Sleep better
- Synchronize your intern biological clock and hormonal cycles
- Increase your mood
- Decrease pain
- Better focus
- Relax
- Have an overall sense of well being and joy
Happy Earthing!! MY best,
Kate xxoo
www.earthinginstitute.net
Integrative Touch for Kids
The Cycle of Grief
In my work as a therapist I work with people who are grieving over losses every day. A death in the family, loss of a job, or break up of a marriage can all cause a deep and profound grief reaction.
According to Elizabeth Kübler-Ross there are five stages of grief. They come and go in no particular order and would more accurately be called the cycle of grief. If you are sad, or grieving a loss, hang in there and know you are not alone. Reach out to someone who you can talk to and lean on for support.
(Based on the Grief Cycle model first published in On Death & Dying, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, 1969. Interpretation by Alan Chapman 2006-2009.)
- 1 – Denial
- Denial is a conscious or unconscious refusal to accept facts, information, reality, etc., relating to the situation concerned. It’s a defense mechanism and perfectly natural. Some people can become locked in this stage when dealing with a traumatic change that can be ignored. Death of course is not particularly easy to avoid or evade indefinitely.
- 2 – Anger
- Anger can manifest in different ways. People dealing with emotional upset can be angry with themselves, and/or with others, especially those close to them. Knowing this helps keep detached and non-judgmental when experiencing the anger of someone who is very upset.
- 3 – Bargaining
- Traditionally the bargaining stage for people facing death can involve attempting to bargain with whatever God the person believes in. People facing less serious trauma can bargain or seek to negotiate a compromise. For example “Can we still be friends?..” when facing a break-up. Bargaining rarely provides a sustainable solution, especially if it’s a matter of life or death.
- 4 – Depression
- Also referred to as preparatory grieving. In a way it’s the dress rehearsal or the practice run for the ‘aftermath’ although this stage means different things depending on whom it involves. It’s a sort of acceptance with emotional attachment. It’s natural to feel sadness and regret, fear, uncertainty, etc. It shows that the person has at least begun to accept the reality.
- 5 – Acceptance
- Again this stage definitely varies according to the person’s situation, although broadly it is an indication that there is some emotional detachment and objectivity. People dying can enter this stage a long time before the people they leave behind, who must necessarily pass through their own individual stages of dealing with the grief.
Sending my support and love,
Kate xxo
Depression in Kids with Kate Weeda
Notes from a therapist’s desk:
“The easiest way to stop feeling sad is to tickle yourself”….one of my favorite 4th graders of all time
Top Tips to beat Depression:
- Get 20 minuets of sunshine and 20 minuets of moderate exercise a day
- A daily vitamin D supplement
- Daily Meditation…even if you can only start with 60 seconds, just start..It will change your life
- Daily Fish Oil Supplement
- Sharing at least one meal a day with someone you enjoy, preferably someone you LOVE
- Chackra Clearing and balancing (more on that later)
- Squeezing the fleshy part of your hand between your thumb and pointer finger for 60 seconds while repeating “I am filled with joy”
- 60 seconds of deep breathing from your diaphragm (Inhale through your nose for four counts and out your mouth for 4 counts) I tell my patients to “Smell the roses and blow out the birthday candles”
- Eating plenty of live, green leafy vegetables and eliminating processed foods
- Start your day listing ten things you are grateful for!
When in doubt……Just Smile!!
xxoo Kate LCPC
Belly Breathing for Beginners!
Notes from a Therapist’s desk…
- Inhale through your nose ( for 4 counts) ,deeply into the lower belly.
- Hold this for 4 seconds, then Exhale through your mouth (for 4 counts).
- Expand your belly so your lower abdomen blows up like a balloon.
- Try to keep your upper chest from moving.
- With beginners I place a 5 pound bag of rice on their chest to keep it from moving, while they get used to abdominal breathing. Children instinctively breathe through their belly and somehwere along the way we forget and start shallow breathing in our chest. This is a huge disservice to our body.
Take 5 minuets out of your day for yourself to B-R-E-A-T-H-E……You can thank me later:)
5 minuets of proper “belly breathing” a day will:
- Refresh your day, reboot your brain, and improved stamina in both disease and athletic activity
- Improved flow of lymph, which is rich in immune cells
- Prevent infection of the lung and other tissues.
- Stimulates the relaxation response that results in less tension and an overall sense of well being.
- Reverses the “stress reaction”
- Increases mood, and mental clarity
- Decrease in anxiety, panic attacks, and Obsessive thoughts
While you’re breathing think of the following:
- CLEANSING YOUR BODY—Inhale the fresh, energizing and vibrant. Exhale the stale, toxic and un-necessary emotions and feelings of the day
- CONDUCT healing breath into sore parts of your body, and help to alleviate physical pain.
- Take CALMING slow attentive breaths to quiet you down when you are aggravated and on edge.
- FIND YOUR CENTER with each inhale and exhale, draw inwards and awaken deeper awareness of who you really are in the moment.
- For a moment CONNECT your BODY, MIND, and SPIRIT…
When in doubt….. just smile!
Kate xxoo