"Providing quality resources for mental health consumers and professionals"

Patient/client resources

Here are links to quality articles for patients/clients:

The 8 core components of psychotherapy  This info can help you know what to expect from quality therapy, and how to be an effective partner with your therapist. From PsychiatricTimes.com

How to Give Your Therapist Feedback. An excellent article with advice about how to talk assertively with your therapist about your needs, how she/he is doing, and your concerns. From NYTimes.com

“How to Get the Most Out of Your Therapy Appointment” provides helpful tips for preparing for appointments and working with your therapist – including talking about how it is going, whether therapy is helping.

“Optimizing Brain Health” from PsychiatricTimes.com, includes info about the research about healthy things that you can do to care for your brain.

Good advice for choosing – or ending your relationship with – a primary care doctor, “How to Pick a Doctor – or Break Up with One” from npr.org

How To Help Your Anxious Partner — And Yourself

How much should you exercise in order to lift your mood?  “Take into consideration your own fitness level and preferences, to find that sweet spot, such that the exercise is enough of a challenge without being unpleasant.” A new review looks into the optimum exercise intensity, type and duration for boosting mood

How Stress Affects Your Health, from the American Psychological Association, provides a quick review of stress symptoms, causes and ways to cope (including, but not limited to, seeing a psychologist, of course).

50 tips for people with mental health problems from an eminent psychiatrist, with advice about both psychiatric medication and therapy. “Advice for People With Psychiatric Problems.”

8 apps that can help with anxiety, depression and lifestyle changes – can assist with therapy, may be used by primary medical providers. “Technology, Counseling and CBT”

Video: “4 Tips for Falling Asleep” (10 minutes, high quality info)

For coffee lovers, research finds many benefits, with some having stronger research support than others, including benefits for alertness, concentration, focus, energy levels and mood. Spilling the beans: Coffee can be good for your health from the Washington Post.

Advice for parents about how to help your children be “resilient” (be strong in the face of adversity, bounce back from setbacks – even from trauma)  The advice is based on high quality research, was posted by the British Psychological Society.  Five Ways To Boost Resilience In Children
What Psychological Research Says About the Positive Side of Human Nature, from MNPost.com.  The postive side of human nature needs more research, and what research has been done needs more reporting and discussion.
Social Anxiety? Here’s How to Survive – and Enjoy – the Holiday Season. This article reviews current research about social anxiety and provides helpful tips for surviving – maybe even thriving at –  holiday gatherings. From NPR.org
Doing Yoga Just Once or Twice a Week Can Boost Brain Performance, especially for memory, information process and emotional regulation.  “The right “dose” of yoga required to experience the brain benefits depends upon the person…. But most people in the studies found a benefit after practicing yoga just once or twice a week, for 10 to 24 weeks.” From cnbc.com
“6 Tips to Getting Things Done” provides tips for overcoming procrastination. From The New York Times.
“How to be Healthy, in Just 48 Words” (and seven concepts), with concise, evidence-based, do-able advice for physical and mental health. “Forget fad diets and fitness gimmicks. Just stick to the basics.” From NYTimes.com
“How To Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions, According To Psychology” provides an excellent summary of what works, according to psychological research, for any self-improvement resolutions, including goals set in therapy. From The British Psychological Society Research Digest.
“Anxious about the news?  Our top tips on how to cope” discusses evidence that Americans are increasingly stressed by news topics, including politics, healthcare and the climate crisis.  Instead of suffering “headline stress disorder” there are things you can do to reduce your own stress.  From MedicalNewsToday.com
“A Yale Professor Reveals 7 Activities Anyone Can Do to Increase Their Happiness” has a link to a 4 minute video about Professor Laurie Santos and her hugely popular class as Yale. The tips start at 2:05.  From Happify.com
Considering therapy?  “How to Find a Therapist for the First Time” provides tips for  whether therapy might be a good idea, an overview of types of therapy, insurance, and what to expect in the first few appointments – including how to discuss concerns about the therapist with the therapist. From TheCut.com
“Here’s What Sleep Doctors Do When They Can’t Fall Asleep At Night” provides 14 tips from sleep experts.  From HuffPost.com
“5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues” provides tips from a psychologist  with SAD.  From Happify.com
“The Difference Between Worry, Stress and Anxiety” – they’re not all the same, but  this article discusses how to identify them, and provides tips to help you deal with all of them. From NYTimes.com
“When should you eat to manage your weight? Breakfast, not late-night snacks” – the balance between weight gain and weight gain loss is predominantly determined by what you eat, how much you eat, and by how much exercise you get. But another important factor is often neglected… it’s not just how many calories you eat, but WHEN you eat them that will determine how well you burn those calories.  A “daily fast” between the evening meal and breakfast will optimize weight management. From ScienceDaily.com

“How to Get the Most Out of Your Therapy Appointment” provides tips about identifying therapy goals, preparing for appointments, and even  discussing concerns about your therapist and how things are going.  From Happify.com

“Coronavirus Has Upended Our World. It’s OK To Grieve”  summarizes the stresses and losses associated with the pandemic and provides 4 suggestions for coping, for adults and children,  from psychologists. From NPR.com

“Stress-eating for comfort in a time of anxiety? Here’s how experts say you should deal with it.” discusses how common it is for  people to have problems with food when stressed (over or under eating) and provides guidance about how to have a healthy relationship with food during the pandemic crisis. From WashintonPost.com

An article about online resources for people in recovery, “Online Help to Stay Sober During a Pandemic.” The article discusses 10 online support groups, 3 apps and 3 online groups for people supported loved ones in recovery. From NYTimes.com

“A Surprising Way to Stay Resilient: Reminding yourself what you’re grateful for can boost your mental health and help you cope with coronavirus stress” discusses things that people can do to boost their physical and “psychological immune systems,” with a focus on research about the benefits, both physical and psychological, of cultivating gratitude.  The article ends with 11 activities to help with gratitude.  All of this is discussed in the context of the pandemic crisis.  From wsj.com

“The Benefits Of Outdoor Exercise And How To Get Started” is an excellent review of the  benefits of getting outdoors and being active, with sections about mental health and emotional benefits. It  also includes 5 tips for getting started. It is by blogger Andrew Clark, who posts about all things outdoors and his own adventures. From  ExploreNewTrails.com

“What are the best times to sleep and wake up?” reviews research that finds, for most but not all people, early bedtimes (between 8 pm and midnight)  and having regular times for sleep and getting up are generally better for people. From MedicalNewsToday.com