"I'm on the spectrum."

"My brother is autistic."

"She's on the autism spectrum."

Chances are you’ve encountered this kind of language at some point. Maybe you use this language, or your friends do, maybe you’ve seen it on social media, or maybe you’re new to it entirely. Maybe you have questions about what the spectrum is, or maybe you’re eager to dive a little deeper. Whatever the case, I'm glad you're here to learn more! Without further ado, let's dive into what exactly neurodiversity means and explore one of my favorite resources, the Neurodiversity Wheel.

Maybe this feels familiar. You're a teenager or young adult who used to be a straight-A student or–who somehow balanced extracurriculars, a social life, hobbies, and work. But for some reason, you're suddenly at a loss and don't seem to have the motivation to try any longer. Maybe you just find that what once came easily to you is now difficult and frankly, it now makes you feel burnt out.

Even if these specific circumstances don't mirror your own, there's a common thread here: skill regression.

Suffice it to say, the teenage years are rough. Parents fear their teens are depressed, anxious, and stressed out, but struggle with how to support them in a healthy, sustainable way.

One of the things we hear parents ask is how to provide or teach their teens coping skills. "What tools can teach my kid so they can better manage their stress and emotions?" they ask. And while we're pleased to hear that parents are trying, we also internally groan.

Life isn't easy. And that's an understatement. Sometimes these strong feelings and thoughts overwhelm us and we react in ways that physically hurt us. In other words, we self-harm. If you're struggling with stopping the harmful cycle of overwhelming feelings that lead to destructive habits, read on.

We can't speak for all LPC supervisors in Colorado, but we can speak for ourselves and how we go about LPC supervision. Dive into why working with Interfaith Bridge Counseling's therapists as your LPC supervisors might be the right fit for you.

It's that time of year again. Whether it makes you feel excited or anxious, hopeful or hollow (or any feeling in between,) the holiday season is upon us. For many of us, all of this can be overwhelming. Creating strong boundaries can help us navigate this often stressful time and help us regain that holiday joy!

Community Connections is a spotlight blog series where we uplight other wonderful organizations and clinicians who align with our values here at Interfaith Bridge Counseling. This month’s feature is Jack Dickey of Fox Mind Counseling, PLLC. We hope you enjoy getting to know Jack and all the amazing opportunities he offers to our fellow mental health community through our video interview below:

Let's face it. We've grown up in a fast-paced and competitive world, where the pressure to excel and succeed has taken center stage in our lives as teenagers and young adults. The ideals of perfectionism and relentless productivity are so deeply ingrained in societal norms that it fosters an environment where the pursuit of success often overshadows any consideration for our mental well-being.

As a teen, you're surrounded by messages of what you should be. To say it's overwhelming is an understatement.

So while we all might want to wave a magic wand and "fix" everything, make the homework do itself, the drama disappear, and the painful feelings go away, we're stuck in this thing called reality. Thankfully, though, there's a space for us, a space for us to be brave, share our feelings and everyday stressors, learn coping skills that actually help, and maybe even meet new friends.

It's the middle of summer, school's out, and guess what? You're bored. You might have a summer job, be taking a summer class, and even get to regularly hang out with friends, but you still find yourself listless, "stuck," or just plain apathetic.

In this month's blog post, let's dive into what feeling boredom as a young person may really mean and what hides behind it.

A few months ago, I had the exciting opportunity to go on Heather DeKeyser’s podcast Sexcess Story. We discussed a wide variety of issues, but especially how disability can affect peoples’ sexuality or sexual expression. Below is the transcript of the podcast linked above.

Life and relationships are complicated. Duh, right? Sprinkle in the facts of being a teenager (first loves, high expectations, social pressure, and passionate decisions) and it might seem impossible to stay drama-free.

First, let's normalize that drama, well, is normal.

"Work hard, play hard." "Shoot for the stars." "Never stop chasing your dreams." "If you can dream it, you can do it!"

These are sayings and quotes we might have heard or seen throughout our lives.

In school, we're faced with the pressure to academically succeed, participate in extracurricular activities, and live a rich social life (this, of course, all while holding unique and inspiring aspirations for ourselves.)

In the fall the nights grow longer, the temperatures drop, and everything green seems to fade. In spring, the light peeks through our curtains sometimes before we're even awake, the weather gets warmer and while the foliage around us blossoms, allergy season makes its rude debut here in Colorado.

Regardless of the season, it's a change, and change, sometimes, is hard.

After school activities to get to, tests to prepare for, papers to write. Deadlines to make, social expectations to meet, bills to pay. Chronic illnesses to battle, emotions to process, the world to face. The pressure, the stress, the frustration, the pain, is on. We fly from one thing to the next, hardly able to breathe. We know we need to slow down, to take a moment in the moment, but we can't seem to make ourselves, because what does that even mean anyway?

Maybe, we think, this is the only way we're able to handle all these things, by just pressing on absent-mindedly, numb to what our bodies and minds may be trying to tell us. Or maybe we did try to slow down, to connect with the present, but it seemed to make things worse. It compounded those uncomfortable and painful feelings.

Mindfulness, it turns out, is a double-edged sword.

Breakups. Sometimes they creep--a slow, terrible fracture between people who once really loved each other. Sometimes they happen suddenly, seemingly without notice, leaving you suddenly alone and heartbroken. However breakups happen, they almost always leave you with a slew of emotions: grief, sadness, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and maybe even, some guilt and shame.

So how do we navigate these feelings? Especially when we're feeling incredibly vulnerable, broken and, well, just down right shitty? We might even think How do I learn to love again?

Community Connections is a spotlight blog series where we uplight other wonderful organizations and clinicians who align with our values here at Interfaith Bridge Counseling. This month’s feature is Lauren Erikson of Natural Emodiment, PLLC. We hope you enjoy getting to know Lauren and all the amazing opportunities she offers to our fellow mental health community through our video interview below.

There are two buzzwords in the media that really grind my gears: 1) Self-Care and 2) Coping Skills. Lots of therapists, healthcare providers, and wellness people love to use these two words interchangeably, like they’re synonymous. It’s easy, if we’re being honest, to tell a client to take a few baths per week or to take a couple of deep breaths when we’re stressed or in pain. But that isn’t very helpful and it doesn’t really solve anything.

So…what is self-care? What are coping skills? And more importantly, when do we need them or something more?

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Katie K. May at Group Work, which is a podcast all about group therapy. This was my second time as a guest on the show and we dived into using group therapy as a part of pain management. Below is the transcript of the podcast linked above.

Sometimes, challenges with mental health are hard to navigate. Even more so when the things that you’re feeling seem like they could be easily caused by a few different conditions.

One of the most common examples I see on the daily: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety, and Depression. Is it one? Two? All three? Without knowing some of the differences, it can cause one or all to be missed.