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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

When you’re a disabled person, it can be really difficult to find a community of peers who get it.

Like…maybe you need to find a solution to something. Maybe you need validation. Maybe you need someone to tell you you’re not the only one experiencing something. Communication is a large part of our lives. In fact, it’s a human need. But when you’re disabled, for some reason, finding the right community of people to communicate with and about things, is sometimes just a bit more difficult.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rev. Amelia Richardson Dress of UCC Longmont to chat about my blog post 7 Ways on How to Mentally Survive Your High School Lockdown. Below is the transcript of the podcast linked above.

Are you (or if you’re a parent, your teen) feeling stressed? You’re not alone. All people experience some sort of stress, but teen stress is reaching an all time high. From school to social media, our friends to our parents…the pressures of every day life just keep on growing. And while some level of stress can be healthy, high levels of stress can interfere with our abilities to learn, to create and sustain relationships, and even to manage our own emotions and overall mood.

If you’re a teen or even the parent of a teen, the fear and anxiety of a school lockdown or school shooting is all too real. In 2018 alone, more than 64 school lockdowns turned into school campus shootings. It’s as if school lockdowns and school shootings are becoming our new norm, establishing an all-too-familiar cycle of fear, devastation, and loss.