The holiday season can be filled with joy, family time, and comfort. However, it can also be a time of significant stress. That’s why we talked with LifeStance Health provider and award-winning therapist Carl Nassar, Ph.D., LPC, CIIPTS about staying mentally healthy during the holiday season. In this series, we have taken a look at how to protect your mental health against three major…

The holiday season can be all about comfort, joy, family connection, and other positive attributes. However, this special time of year can also cause many unique stressors. We chatted with LifeStance Health provider and award-winning therapist Carl Nassar, Ph.D., LPC, CIIPTS to find out how to cope with four of the biggest stressors during the winter months. In Part Three of this series, we…

To help our readers cope with the stress of the holidays, we chatted with LifeStance Health provider and award-winning therapist Carl Nassar, Ph.D., LPC, CIIPTS about four of the main sources of stress this time of year: family dynamics, grief, food, and finances. What follows is Part Two of our four-part series. Please be sure to check out the rest of the series to…

The holidays are here. With it comes plenty of joy, fun, and celebration. However, this time of year can also bring unusual levels of stress and other uncomfortable emotions. Some of the most common sources of holiday discomfort are: Family dysfunction Grief Food Financial stress At the beginning of this holiday season, take a moment to make a plan to protect your mental health.…

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental health condition that causes intrusive thoughts and urges to complete specific tasks in hopes of stopping a catastrophe. These obsessions and compulsions can cause someone to fixate on any number of anxieties or actions. For many people with OCD, an irrational of germs is a significant source of anxiety. So what happens when those once-irrational fears become…

The uncertainty of 2020 has fundamentally changed the lives of families, communities, and industries everywhere. And that’s certainly true of the mental health care system in the United States. As hard as it has been at times, this year has changed mental health care for the better in many ways. Not only has telehealth become widespread in all types of health care, but more…

By: Isabelle Morley, Psy.D. Couples are being challenged more than ever before because of COVID-19. Stable households have been thrown into chaos; finances are stressful, children are unexpectedly home, jobs are changed or gone, social interactions are limited or virtual, and usual outlets for stress relief are no longer available. After several months of being cooped up together even the best of us can…

Mental health care is not a one-size-fits-all type of healthcare. Much like with physical health issues, people with mental health conditions need varying levels of care based on the severity of their symptoms. However, it can be hard for people to determine the right level of care for a loved one in a mental health crisis. View this post on Instagram Speak and repeat:…

The way people think is shaped by our personal experiences, feelings, beliefs, genetics, and more. Each thought is personal and unique. However, not all thoughts are equally true or helpful. Throughout life, many people have formed patterns of thoughts that are unhealthy coping mechanisms that have no basis in the reality of a given situation. These are called thought distortions or cognitive distortions, and…

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) share similar names and symptoms, but they are distinct disorders. The differences include: The classifications in the DSM-5 Which areas of life the symptoms affect How the patient perceives their symptoms The likelihood of developing certain symptoms Knowing the difference between these two disorders can help people understand themselves, people around them, or treatment options that…