When children and teens act out or withdraw, they're not just misbehaving - they're communicating. Whether through tantrums, silence, or school refusal, these behaviors tell us something important about their emotional state. As parents and caregivers, our job is to decode these messages and 

Understanding Behavior as Communication

When children and teens act out or withdraw, they're not just misbehaving - they're communicating. Whether through tantrums, silence, or school refusal, these behaviors tell us something important about their emotional state. As parents and caregivers, our job is to...

The Anatomy of Misunderstanding What Makes an Experience Traumatic?

Contrary to common belief, trauma isn't defined solely by the event itself. If it shifts your view of yourself or of the world around you, almost regardless of what you've been through, that then creates a traumatic instance or experience.

Misunderstandings often lie at the heart of our relationship conflicts. Like a game of telephone we played as children, messages between partners can become distorted, leading to hurt feelings and damaged connections.

As we step into a new year, embracing resilience becomes more important than ever. Resilience is the incredible ability to adapt and bounce back when faced with adversity, trauma, or significant stress. It's what enables individuals to handle life's inevitable challenges with a sense of strength and hope.

The brain and body record an experience as traumatic depending on how they understand and process the experience. A situation can be traumatic for one person yet not affect another who went through the exact same situation. The brain and body’s understanding, recording, and response to the situation are the...

Reflecting on oneself is an essential part of personal growth, mental health, and self-awareness. By turning our focus inward, we can better understand our behaviors, emotions, and experiences. In this article, we will discuss how embracing self-reflection can lead to meaningful personal change, share...

Gratitude is more than acknowledging good fortune or being polite. It's a powerful emotion with profound effects on mental wellness. When practiced intentionally, gratitude can reshape our perspectives, improve our relationships, and even alter our brain chemistry. Let's talk about why gratitude is essential...

Recovery is a journey that demands not only courage and determination but also a solid plan and a supportive network. Whether you're navigating this path yourself or supporting a loved one, understanding the key elements, dispelling common myths, and learning how to overcome obstacles can have a profound...

The holiday season, often filled with joy and togetherness, can become a profoundly painful time for those grieving the loss of a loved one. Whether through death or divorce, the absence of someone who was once integral to your life can turn celebrations into stark reminders of what (and who) is missing....

Grief is typically associated with death, the finality of losing someone we love. However, there's a different, less recognized form of grief that emerges when the person we mourn is still alive. This grief often stems from toxic family relationships, particularly with emotionally immature parents. It’s the...

Art therapy is a transformative approach to mental wellness that combines creativity with therapeutic techniques to enhance emotional health. Ideal for individuals of all ages, art therapy provides a unique way to express feelings, manage stress, and explore personal growth. Here’s an in-depth look at what...

Finding the best therapist for you can feel very overwhelming. Many clients aren’t sure what to ask or how to screen therapists. Additionally, some clients don’t realize they can interview their therapist to assess if that therapist is a good fit for them. When selecting a therapist near you, look for...

Anxiety counseling is designed to help you understand, mitigate, and relieve anxiety, allowing you to return to the life you wish to live. This process involves various skills, approaches, and tools tailored to manage and reduce anxiety effectively. My personal approach to anxiety counseling revolves around...

As the school year begins, anxiety levels in students can spike, leading to various challenges that impact their academic and social lives. This guide provides practical strategies for managing back-to-school anxiety, building coping skills, setting SMART goals, recognizing signs of school-related stress,...

Understanding Transgenerational Trauma

Transgenerational trauma, also known as intergenerational or multigenerational trauma, refers to the transmission of trauma and its effects from one generation to the next. For many Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), the legacies of historical injustices,...

In today's technological world, we are more disconnected from the people around us than ever and children face increasingly complex challenges due to it. Parents, caregivers, and educators are to build, nurture, and safeguard not only a child’s physical health but also their psychological and emotional...

For many women, the path to motherhood is filled with emotional hurdles, especially when faced with fertility struggles. As sensitive as this subject matter is, it is something we feel is important to address when so many women experience infertility and postpartum depression, and learning to cope with the...

Couples therapy can be the beginning of the healing process and reconnection that many people need to see their relationship last. There wasn’t a handbook on how to stand the test of time given to you when you got together, but there are tools and advice that can help you and your partner rediscover your...

What It is and How to Treat It:

Seasonal Affective Disorder, sometimes referred to as seasonal depression, is a common occurrence that affects many people on an annual basis. Most attribute the symptoms to the sun setting early, however, that is not always a factor in each case. Learning exactly what...

Your loved one has just come out as LGBTQIA+, and you may feel like your world has just been upended. You love them but their identity may feel like it’s in conflict with your Christian values. If it’s your child, the future you imagined for them might be very different from the one they now have in front of...

It’s the new year and everyone is talking about resolutions. As someone who has been struggling with the same thing for a very long time, resolutions can feel like a helpful way to actually make a lasting change. Or, they can be a source of anxiety and frustration.

It’s no secret that our brains are complex organs. They control everything from our thoughts and emotions to our physical movements. So when something goes wrong with our brains, it can profoundly impact our lives.

The following is Part 2 in a 4-Part Series of Self-Care experiments, conducted and reported on by the fabulous Psychology intern: Adra Brown. For more “Experiments in Self-Care“, see Part 1: Mindfulness Meditation or Part 2: Tidying Up.

How do you know if your Body Image needs a tune-up?

Do any of the following apply to you:

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health struggles in the United States. It affects approximately 19% of the population of individuals 18 years and older. Whereas 9% of children and teens are reported to have anxiety. You may be wondering, “How does anxiety affect couples, moms, dads, teens, and...

If you are among the 45 million Americans who go on a diet each year, you are likely among the estimated 95% who eventually “fall off the bandwagon” and regain the weight. With an estimated five percent success rate, programs that promise quick & easy weight loss present pretty grim odds. If diets only...

As a parent of three teenagers, I understand the turmoil of parenting kids in this stage of life.

Adolescence is a time for our teens to learn about themselves. Their likes, dislikes, abilities, and talents, who they are in relationships, what their limits are, and how they respond in different situations....

If you’re like most parents, you expend fair amounts of emotional energy worrying about how to protect your child from the stresses of growing up in an uncertain world. This article is for you, as loving parents of stressed or anxious teens, and for your teen, who is truly doing the best they can. These...

The last post (Part 1:Create A Vision) dealt with creating a vision of your life when you have achieved your healthy lifestyle goals. (And keep your eyes open for Part 3: Evaluating Your Progress). It encouraged you to focus on the details of what your relationships, hobbies, emotions, and daily living...

[This article is Part 3 in a series on creating long-term healthy lifestyle. Check out Part 1: Create Your Vision, and Part 2: Set A Goal, before reading part 3.]

In this quickie article I will simply summarize what Dr. Ralph Carson cites as the 5 Elements of Healing the Brain from depression, bad habits, compulsive behavior, or addiction:

Breakups can be painful. Especially, if you really put your hopes into the relationship. It’s understandable to feel like you’ve been done wrong and to be thinking of the other person a lot. You may even still be wishing you could get back together. Or, you could be feeling an emptiness and/or rejection....

Healthy living is central to a vibrant and happy life, and seeking to make healthy lifestyle changes is a laudable goal. However, when we try to fit ourselves into the boxes of diet fads, fitness crazes, or whatever our neighbor is doing, we may be setting ourselves up for failure. Here are some helpful tips...

Whether or not you are religious, cultivating “spirituality” can bring richness and meaning to your life, and can improve mental health outcomes. “Spirituality” means different things depending on the a person’s culture, upbringing, or religious proclivity. For the purposes of this article, I’ll define the...

We’re moving into the holiday season, and while we can probably think of so many reasons to be grateful, we can also think of a million reasons to feel stressed. There just doesn’t seem to be enough time, money, or cheer to last until January. We have so many things to do; decorate, bake, buy gifts, and...

Being an LGBTQIA+ ally is something that should be done all year long, not just during Pride month. Pride month is a time to celebrate how far the LGBTQIA+ community has come, but there is still much work to be done. LGBTQIA+ people are still discriminated against in many aspects of their lives, and allies...

“What if I told you, there was something you could do right now, that would have an immediate positive benefit for your brain, including your mood and your focus…and that could last a long time, protecting your brain from conditions like depression and alzheimers?“

You and your spouse used to bond over eating out & pigging out, watching TV, or partying (or all of the above), but you have decided to make some changes and start living healthier. You’ve started to exercise, or you’re cooking fresh meals, or you’re drinking less, and as a result you’re noticing...

A sustainable approach to healthy living begins with a clear goal in mind that considers all the complexities that encompass your life. The first step is to envision your “map”, or all the details of what your life will be like when you’re at your health potential. Read on to learn how to create a clear...

The following is Part 1 in a 4-Part Series of Self-Care experiments, conducted and reported on by the fabulous intern: Adra Brown. 

“Mindfulness” is a buzzword lately, and with good reason. Countless studies tout it’s benefits, ranging from enhanced memory & decision-making, to improved relationships, to reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. I personally practice mindfulness meditation regularly, “attempt” to practice it with my...

The following is Part 2 in a 4-Part Series of Self-Care experiments, conducted and reported on by the fabulous Psychology intern: Adra Brown. For more “Experiments in Self-Care“, see Part 1: Mindfulness Meditation.

Life transitions, such as moving or starting a new job, hold both the excitement of untapped opportunity, and the stress that comes with change. During these transitions, health and wellness-related goals often take a backseat.

If you are paying for therapy as “out-of-network” from your current health insurance, we have good news! The app Reimbursify can clear up the hassle for where the claim should go and when you will be reimbursed. At Tennessee Mental Wellness, we recognize that it can feel overwhelming and off-putting to go...

Our relationships and mental wellness are absorbing the impact of a highly polarized culture. Whether it’s politics, religion, parenting, or lifestyle choices, we are increasingly affected by doubling down on differences. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Differences do and always will exist, but our...

It’s the end of January, which means the majority of people have given up on their New Year’s Resolutions. Only to try again next year. Why is it so hard to change?