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Category » COVID-19
Teach Your Children Well
The 2020-2021 school year has officially ended at schools across the country, and we are heading into another season of mixed thoughts and emotions. Just as has been the case in the past year of the COVID pandemic, that will mean different things to different people and families. While we are eager to put the…
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One for the Yearbooks: A Time to Process the End of Another School Year in a Pandemic
We have arrived at the end of another school year in a pandemic. Many of the meaningful traditions we look forward to this time each year may once again not be possible. As many schools move to re-create significant events like graduations and proms in order to follow safety guidelines, they may look and feel…
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I Have No Excuse to Feel This Bad!
How many times over the past year have you heard (or uttered to yourself) something along the lines of “I know other people have it so much worse than me, so I really have no excuse to feel this bad?” Or maybe you’ve thought, “I’ve been so lucky, but I still can’t deal with this. What would I do…
Read More5 Ways to Say Goodbye to 2020
When Twitter recently asked folks to describe 2020 in one word, the responses flooded in. Here are some of the words that stood out to me: Restless. Pain. Sourdough. Masks. Ouch. Skip. Tired. Damaged. Delete. While I was scrolling through the responses, I could feel the collective sigh over the pain folks have experienced this…
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Shifting Perspectives: Confusion as The New Norm Part II – Being Open to Experience and Self-Regulation
Ann Masten, a renowned professor and researcher on resilience, has written volumes on this topic. She documented Post-Traumatic Growth and the reality that some people actually improve their functioning after traumatic and challenging experiences. There is something about engaging in responding to adversity that seems to mobilize some individuals, and they come away feeling stronger…
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Shifting Perspectives: Confusion as The New Norm Part I – Tragic Optimism, Post-Traumatic Growth, and Grief
In conversations with clients, friends, and colleagues, and in the materials I have read from numerous mental health sources, the word “surreal” is often used to describe the feeling of this time when we are living through the COVID-19 pandemic. At times, it feels as if we are living someone else’s life – in someone…
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Experiencing the Holidays: COVID-19 Edition
Is it just me or do other people also feel a bit of tension during the holiday season? The food and festivities are great, but at different times between November 1st and January 2nd there are some stressful, not-so-fun times. Between work, family, and friends we are pulled in many directions and most of us…
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The Family – And Now the Nation – That Howls Together
On April 23, while watching the PBS News Hour’s coverage of – what else – our nation’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, I received a delightful surprise at the close of the program. The scene moved to Missoula, Montana, where they filmed local residents on their front porches, all howling in unison. Some families even…
Read MoreHow Do Couples Navigate Their Safety When One Partner Returns to Work?
As we move into the fifth month of dealing with COVID-19, some are still not feeling ready to venture out. Alternatively, others have had it with the restrictions, and since they are feeling healthy, they are more than ready to head out to work, shop, or go to the beach. How do couples respect one…
Read MoreZoom-In and Zoom-Out: Choices on the COVID Roller Coaster
People speak of the “emotional roller coaster” which now seems to mean “the world’s turned upside down.” As a therapist, I validate that nothing seems the same, and many things are not. The list stretches long: medical conditions, food insecurity, financial disasters, serious illness, death, and feelings of loss and grief. How does one cope?…
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Grieving a Loss from COVID-19
Grieving a loss from COVID-19 requires courage and an openness to converse about one’s emotions. The unique ability of the virus to level everyone and create an international community is helpful to the grieving process. COVID-19 can affect anyone, it is spreading at a rapid rate, and there is currently no cure. In dealing with…
Read MoreTalking to Children About COVID-19
COVID-19 is being discussed everywhere, every day. Whether it’s the political aspects, the statistics, or the warning signs, chances are, if you have had your TV on in the last two months, your child has picked up pieces of information. Some parents may be having direct conversations with children about the pandemic, while others may…
Read MoreLoss, Acceptance and Action During COVID-19
As I’ve been talking with patients, family and friends online over the past 2 weeks, I’ve come to realize we are all experiencing loss of some kind, both individually and collectively. We have a shared experience that as of March 2020, our world has changed. This looks different for everyone: canceled vacation and travel plans, what a…
Read MoreCoping with COVID-19
The outbreak of the infectious disease COVID-19 is causing individuals and communities high levels of distress and anxiety. You are not alone if you feel some degree of anxiety as we cannot fully anticipate how the current pandemic will evolve and how it may affect us directly. It is helpful to understand the range of…
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