Insights for the Helpers
Love, Kindness, and the Work You Do
As behavioral health clinicians, you dedicate your lives to helping others navigate their challenges, build resilience, and move toward healing. While clinical expertise, evidence-based practices, and professional boundaries are essential in your work, there is…
Shifting Your Mindset into the New Year
As the new year unfolds, it’s a golden opportunity to examine and redefine how we speak to ourselves. Shaking off the old patterns and stepping into a new frame of thought can truly set the…
Nurturing the Self: Unveiling the Distinction Between Self-Love and Self-Care for Therapists in Private Practice
We can never say this enough: as a therapist in private practice, your dedication to supporting others on their journey toward wellness is remarkable. We at HAM could not be more appreciative of the work…
The Smallest Steps Can Lead You to a Happier Life
Making a tiny change each day and seeing an improvement can help move us out of what psychologist Martin Seligman—University of Pennsylvania professor, past president of the American Psychological Association, and best-selling author—calls “learned helplessness”…
Trauma-Specific Self-Care: Part 2
We know that self-care is important for everyone. But how do you practice self-compassion and personal wellness when you have been through trauma or are trying to help someone through a traumatic life event? In…
How to Identify and Treat Summer Depression
Summertime… and the living isn’t easy for everyone. Depression in the summer is more common than you might guess. While many equate summer with school vacation, outdoor camps, water fun, and blooming gardens, others can…
Restore Your Mental Health: Forest Bathing in Maine
You’re in the middle of a forest on a beautiful day in Maine. Sunshine peeks through the leaves and scatters in fascinating, eye-catching patterns on the moss-covered ground, soft under your feet. You breathe in…
Psychological Flexibility: Flexing Your Thinking to Improve Your Wellbeing
Many things happen in our lives that we cannot control or predict. Unexpected, large-scale traumatic events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine can be sources of stress, as can daily life stressors,…
Maintaining your Mental Health during the Holidays
The holidays can be a time of perpetual joy, faith and connection. However, there are many ways our mental health can worsen during this time. There’s the stress of buying gifts and attending family gatherings….
9 Ways to Maintain Your Mental Health
Mental health can and should be a daily practice, taken into consideration more often than “when something is wrong” or when going through a particularly difficult time. Taking care of your mental health is a…
Ask the Experts: Mom’s Concern—My 17-year-old Son Smokes Marijuana
This article originally appeared in Macaroni Kid on April 29, 2021, by Luanne Starr Rhoades, LCPC, LADC, CCS; Health Affiliates Maine. Question: I recently found out my 17-year-old is smoking marijuana. He said he does…
New Year, New Mindset
Have you found yourself at the beginning of a new year with good intentions and hefty resolutions, but ended up falling off track? We’ve all been there! Although it can seem discouraging, it is possible…
How Does Having Gratitude Affect my Wellbeing?
We hear a lot about gratitude and its effects but what does it really mean and how can it help us? Gratitude is showing appreciation for what we have and the goodness in our lives….
What is Resilience and How Does Having it Help Me?
Mental and emotional resilience takes continuous practice. It’s a commitment to yourself that you will always show up and do the hard work. Being mentally healthy and resilient will allow you to feel more confident,…
Is Social Media Affecting our Mental Health?
Social media was created for a sense of community—and now, more than ever, we all need interaction with other humans, even if it is over the internet. Through social media, we are able to find…
How Routine Could Save Your Mental Health
Studies have shown that a daily routine alleviates feelings of stress, anxiety and other mental health issues. It’s also proven beneficial for those working through addiction, insomnia, and helps give structure to children who may…
Changing Your Mindset in Self Isolation
In recent weeks, we’ve all seen changes in our daily lives: our routines, our social connections, and our sense of safety and security. It can be easy—and normal—to find yourself dwelling on the negative. However,…
Minimizing Stress During The Covid-19 Pandemic
Now, more than ever, it’s important to be aware of your mental health. Rather than letting anxiety, stress or negativity overwhelm you, it’s best to stay present and minimize stress as much as possible. There…