By: MJ Harford, MA Counselor in Residence Acceptance is a key skill in managing and reducing anxiety. Acceptance doesn’t have to look deep or complicated, it can be as simple as identifying what is and what isn’t within our control. The COVID19 virus has changed all of our lives; things may be more difficult and more… Read more »
If you’re a parent of a Northern Virginia teenager, you are probably familiar with anxiety. Anxiety is such a prevalent, relevant issue in our community, which is why we’re excited to launch with summer group. Finding Common Ground is a processing group for teens with anxiety. This group offers a safe environment where we process… Read more »
As we’ve talked about before, mindfulness is an important tool that can help reduce anxiety, depression, and distress in the body and mind. It involves paying attention in the present moment to increase awareness, without judging your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Mindfulness exercises can be practiced anytime, anywhere. An easy way to start implementing mindfulness… Read more »
By: Colleen McCarron, LPC Self care is not a face mask. Face masks, bath bombs, candles, pedicures. We think of these things as self-care in an indulgent sense, catapulted off the “treat yo’ self” mentality. But, is self-care as extravagant as spending half the day at a spa? It doesn’t have to be. Self-care is… Read more »
BY: MJ Harford, Resident in Counseling Mindfulness is something many of us have heard of: it’s on the news and in the media here and there, some schools are implementing mindful moments during the school day, and doctors are recommending it to patients to support everything from stress reduction to diabetes management. Mindfulness is an… Read more »
By: MJ Harford, MA NCC The body is our vessel of life, our tool for engaging with the world around us, and our protector. For many of us, anxiety takes us out of our bodies and locks us in our thoughts about the past or the future. Observing our tendencies and understanding the physiological component… Read more »
By: Katie Clark, LPC and Jennifer Munroe, LPC Anxiety is incredibly common in children and adolescents. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 31.9% of adolescents meet criteria for an anxiety disorder with a median onset age of six years old. Despite this, it is frequently misunderstood by both the young children… Read more »