Suicide Awareness Month
Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month 2024: Supporting Others and Self-Care September is recognized as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, a crucial time to shine a light on mental health challenges and the importance of providing support to those in need. This year, Mountain Valley Counseling wants to focus not only on how to support those struggling but also on the necessity of self-care for caregivers. Understanding the Context In recent years, suicide rates have tragically increased, highlighting a growing mental health crisis. Factors contributing to this rise include: Social Isolation: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated feelings of loneliness and disconnectedness. Many individuals are still grappling with the emotional aftermath, which can lead to increased suicidal ideation. Economic Stress: Financial instability, job loss, and the rising cost of living can overwhelm individuals, creating a sense of hopelessness. Access to Mental Health Resources: Despite growing awareness, access to mental health care remains limited…
Understanding Gaslighting and Its Impact on Mental Health Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation where a person or group seeks to make someone doubt their own perceptions, memories, or reality. This term, derived from the 1944 film “Gaslight,” where a husband manipulates his wife into questioning her sanity, has become a widely recognized concept in discussions of emotional abuse and manipulation. Gaslighting can occur in various relationships, including romantic partnerships, friendships, family dynamics, and workplace settings. Definition and Mechanisms of Gaslighting Gaslighting involves a series of manipulative tactics aimed at undermining the victim’s sense of reality. These tactics include denying facts, minimizing the victim’s feelings, and presenting false information as truth (Stark, 2018). The ultimate goal is to destabilize the victim’s perception of reality, thereby gaining control and power over them. Gaslighters often use subtle and gradual methods to erode the victim’s confidence in their own thoughts and…
Smiling depression…
Do you or anyone you know suffer from “smiling depression?”
Confronting change
What it takes to change
Sex can be difficult to discuss.
Talking about sex
New and interesting treatment option for PTSD
PTSD treatment
Gender roles and sexual assault reporting.
Gender roles and sexual assault.
The need to couple.
Relationships and fears of loneliness.
How to confront trust issues in relationships
Trust in relationships
Practicing assertiveness in therapy
What would it be like to tell your therapist what you are feeling about them?