• Soul Food Sunday

    SOUL FOOD SUNDAY #1

    After Are You Feeding Your Soul? went live, many people chimed in with their favorite self-care practices and soul food. So far, #soulfoodsunday has dominated IG with posts of food and comfort dishes. Let’s reclaim the hashtag with a different twist! In honor of the *new* Soul Food Sunday, Rise and Thrive will be sending off the weekend with a list of 10 soul food tips and tricks, including those suggested from readers throughout the week! SOUL FOOD SUNDAY: 10 IDEAS Practice meditation. Bring out the essential oils. Fan faves: lavender, sacred frankincense, cedarwood, or blends such as peace & calming, tranquil, & stress-away Go for a walk! Suggestions included…

  • Soul Food

    Are You Feeding Your Soul?

    You feed your body every day… … to sustain optimal performance. … to enjoy the taste of foods you love. … to maintain physical health. … to provide yourself comfort and support. Feeding our bodies is crucial to healthy living, but why do we not put the same importance on feeding our mental and spiritual selves? It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary. Mandy Hale Soul Food: A Definition Just like our physical bodies, our minds also need care to sustain optimal performance and maintain our mental health. Our mind needs for us to provide it with “food”…

  • Mindful Minis

    Mindful Mini #1

    Need a little spring pick-me-up? 👉🏼 Try this Mindful Mini: Imagine you are holding a beautiful, fragrant flower (or use a real one, if possible). Notice the scent of the flower. Let the fresh fragrance fill your nose, your lungs, and your body as you inhale deeply. As you exhale, imagine your breath gently blowing on the flower’s petals and leaves. Check in with your mind and body. Notice how you are feeling. Repeat as needed.

  • Finding a Therapist

    In the Market for a New Therapist? A Guide to Letters and Licenses

    What is the difference between a counselor and a therapist? How about a psychologist and psychiatrist? Better yet, what type of provider should you be looking for as you start your search? And what on Earth do those little letters after their names mean? If you glimpse at the pie chart below, you can see the pool of mental health providers is diverse. The letters after a provider’s name (their credentials), their title, and the license(s) they hold can be really helpful if you know a little bit about them. The following sections provide a brief guide to the mental health providers you will most likely encounter during your search.…

  • Finding a Therapist

    In the Market for a New Therapist? Three Questions to Help You Find the Best Fit

    It is okay to “shop around” to find a therapist. Just like you would not want to see a back specialist for your knee pain, finding a therapist that fits your needs is important. In fact, the relationship between the client and therapist has been found in numerous research studies to be one of the most important factors in effective therapy. Asking the therapist these these three questions during the first point of contact, whether meeting face to face or talking over the phone, may be helpful in choosing a therapist that is the best fit for you. Can you tell me a little more about you/your practice? This question…

  • Parenting Chronicles

    The Parenting Chronicles: Struggling with the Baby Blues

    Bringing a baby into this world should be one of the most exciting, beautiful moments of your life. You should be bathing of the afterglow of childbirth and all of your baby’s firsts that are beginning to happen. Right? Wrong. The reality is that, while childbirth can certainly be beautiful and wonderful, it may not necessarily be the most exciting, joyous time of a mother or father’s life. Unfortunately, many parents believe it should be, and they are often left with embarrassment and shame when it is not the case, only deepening their despair further. The statistics are staggering. They show us that it is actually more common to be emotionally struggling after…

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