Mental Health | Articles

There are 32 Articles in this Issue. Click a blue title to read the full article.

  1. A WORD OF GRATITUDE by The Rev. Frederick Rajan

    Summary: As we look to the future, first we look back with...Gratitude that we were able to launch Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Advocate Sherman Hospital making Advocate Sherman the first...

  2. NAMI MCHENRY COUNTY by Kathryn L. Ross

    Summary: NAMI MCHENRY COUNTY is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI provides educational programs and support for people with mental illness, their families, caregivers...

  3. FROM THE CO-PRESIDENTS – SCOTT CAMPBELL AND THOM FABER by NAMI-MCHENRY COUNTY

    Summary: It has been our pleasure to serve as the Co-Presidents of NAMI-McHenry County during the past year and into the new year ahead! Our past service to the NAMI Board of Directors has been as...

  4. SAMARITAN COUNSELING CENTER OF THE NORTHWEST SUBURBS – A SOURCE OF “HOPE, HELP AND HEALING” by Scott Campbell, ACSW, LCSW

    Summary: At Samaritan we provide both evidence-based, as well as faith-based approaches (when indicated), in treating a wide variety of mental health concerns. We believe in “The 3 H’s” – the...

  5. CHANGES TO OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM - WE CAN ALL BE INVOLVED by Richard Kirchhoff, DDS

    Summary: Many of us wonder about the changes taking place with our health care.  We hear many “alternative facts” in our media. At this moment in time, nothing changes, and we have a tremendous...

  6. UNDERSTANDING AND HELPING THE SUICIDAL PERSON by Scott Campbell, ACSW, LCSW

    Summary: Each year over 40,000 individuals die by suicide – this is over 110 individuals each day! More Americans die by suicide each year than by homicide. Another 1500 individuals attempt...

  7. RECOVERY-ORIENTED SYSTEMS OF CARE by Nanette V. Larson, BA, CRSS

    Summary: Many behavioral health programs refer to themselves as recovery-oriented, but would an actual person receiving your services agree? If I were a patient at your hospital or clinic or a...

  8. DEPRESSION HURTS: KNOWING THE WARNING SIGNS AND RISK FACTORS CAN SAVE A LIFE by Anne Gulotta

    Summary: Feeling down and out can happen to anyone, but when the blues fade to black and your mood goes with it then it’s usually a sign that that something more invasive is crowding your ability...

  9. BULLYING by Irene Corzo

    Summary: Bullying is a widespread issue that no longer happens just at a school or in the playground. The reality is that bullying affects children as well as adults and, with social networking...

  10. BULLYING IS NOT OKAY by Rev. Jeanne Hanson

    Summary: Name-calling, bullying, dismissing or degrading anyone is not okay. Being bullied can lead to low self-esteem and social anxiety. Kids as young as 4 develop stress-related illnesses and...

  11. SIGNS OF DEMENTIA: WHEN IS A NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION INDICATED? by Dr. Jennifer Wilson-Binotti

    Summary: There are many types of dementia, from the most prevalent, Alzheimer’s, vascular and Lewy body dementias, to the less common forms such as those that result from Huntington’s disease and...

  12. SENIORS AND DEMENTIA (ALZHEIMER'S) SUPPORTING OUR GERIATRIC COMMUNITY AND HOW THERAPY CAN HELP by Cori Moschberger MSW, LCSW

    Summary: We have a growing population of seniors dealing with dementia and the behavioral health community must be asking the question "How can we support our geriatric community and how can...

  13. OLDER ADULTS AND DEPRESSION by Dr. Katie Singer

    Summary: Older adults are particularly vulnerable to depression. It is not a "normal" part of the aging process, however, and should be addressed with the help of a mental health professional....

  14. HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IN THE 21ST CENTURY by Michael Hugo, MAPS, MSW, LCSW

    Summary: “Do we really need one more story on how to live healthy lives?”, you may be muttering as you see the title of this article. If there is one topic that the media spends gallons of ink and...

  15. MINDFULNESS by Dr. Denise Casey, Psy.D, CADC, NBCCHT, ACH, CCT

    Summary: The pace of life for most of us these days can be summarized in three words: stressed, busy, overwhelmed. Bombarded by technology and it's intrusive demand for immediate attention we are...

  16. IF YOU THINK YOU CAN’T… THINK AGAIN by Paula Briedis, LCPC

    Summary: My mother is a wise woman.  Among the myriad sayings I grew up with was ‘If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right’.  Maybe she had learned that our beliefs can help or...

  17. THERE IS HOPE—RECOVERY AND RELATIONSHIPS by Chris Pickett, M. Div., MA, CADC, LCPC

    Summary: Wow! You are doing great! You recognized that your addiction was a problem, you got some help to get off the stuff. Great job you were able to get clean and sober and now life is great!...

  18. PANIC AND SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDERS by Michael May, LCPC

    Summary: Anxiety disorders are the most commonly diagnosed mental health problems, reportedly affecting nearly 40% of the adult population, and nearly a quarter of the child/adolescent population...

  19. INTEGRATING SPIRITUALITY WITH THERAPY by Paula Briedis, LCPC

    Summary: When someone new enters the counseling office, they bring their own expectations of what counseling will be like.  Maybe they’ve gotten their information from friends or family, or...

  20. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by Paula Briedis, LCPC

    Summary: Your neighbors look like such a terrific family – all happy and smiling all the time.  Perhaps you’re envious that they have great bonds and just love to be together.  And that couple...

  21. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? PART 1 by Paula Briedis, LCPC

    Summary: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3Self-esteem is defined as a confidence and satisfaction in oneself.  It is the inner picture, or concept we have that determines our sense of who we are....

  22. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? PART 2 by Paula Briedis, LCPC

    Summary: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3Have you ever gone into the House of Mirrors at the county fair?  Remember seeing your reflection change as you went from mirror to mirror?  Sometimes you saw...

  23. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? PART 3 by Paula Briedis, LCPC

    Summary: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3My life is taking a difficult turn – my mother is in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s.  Gone is the mother I used to know.  While there are still a few glimpses of...

  24. GIRLS (AND GUYS) JUST WANT TO BE HAPPY by Paula Briedis, LCPC

    Summary: Often when a new client comes into my office, the answer I get to my question ‘why are you here?’ is ‘I just want to be happy. Have you ever thought about what it means to be...

  25. CHILDHOOD ABUSE: TEAM APPROACH FOR HEALING HELP by Dr. Genevieve Nehrt, Psy.D.

    Summary: Trauma in children and adolescents is not always easy to spot and often masquerades in many different forms. There are children and adolescents who are resilient and have developed good...

  26. IT SHOULDN’T HURT TO GO HOME by Teresa Gielczynski, LCSW, ICDVP

    Summary: For most of us home is a place where we feel loved, respected and safe. A place where we can be ourselves and were we can hide from the stress of the outside world. But what happens when...

  27. TRAUMA AND ADOLESCENTS: ‘HOW CAN I HELP?’ by Kristine L. Vazquez, MA, LPC

    Summary: ‘She’s staying out all night with the wrong crowd;’ ‘He refuses to spend time with the family;’ and ‘I don’t know, it’s like she stopped caring about her future.’ Working as a mental...

  28. BYFS YOUTH OUTREACH AND LATINO SERVICES by Rita Rippentrop, MDiv, LCPC

    Summary: In addition to providing therapy services, BYFS has a history of providing youth outreach. Currently, BYFS offers three (3) mentoring groups: Pathways, Reflejos and Passages. Both...

  29. TRAUMA AND MENTAL HEALTH by Dr. Denise Casey, Psy.D, CADC, NBCCHT, ACH, CCT

    Summary: Watch 20 minutes of the news, read the headlines of any city newspapers, watch any special report on TV and you will see Trauma. We are bombarded with words, stories, images. The topics...

  30. TRAUMA ACROSS BORDERS by Jenny Jarrin, LCPC

    Summary: Trauma is a heavy word. Experiences with trauma can vary greatly from person to person as adverse experiences in the home, in relationships, in communities and so on. This word does not...

  31. LESS TALK, MORE ACTIVATION: EMDR IN THE TREATMENT OF TRAUMA AND BEYOND by Kari Mika, MA, LCPC, NCC, ICAADC, CCTP, ACS; EMDR trained

    Summary: Picture this: You’re sitting at a red light on a pleasant spring evening.  The sky is clear, and even though the sun is setting, it’s still light out.  Your windows are down as you enjoy...

  32. SYMPTOMS OF EARLY MENTAL HEALTH IN PRESCHOOLERS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN by Christine Spuhler, LCSW

    Summary: As families in the United States become smaller, averaging one or two children, parents are increasingly acting as companions and playmates to their children, when previously there would...