Did you know that November is National Family Caregivers Month? What an important time to remember and show gratitude for those who provide care for others. Being a caregiver is a challenging job and comes with many roles and responsibilities. Whether a stay-at-home parent, an in-home aide for a sick loved one, a compassionate friend of a person with mental health challenges, or providing care for an aging parent, being a caregiver comes in many forms and is an invaluable support.Â
When you think of Fall in Northwest Missouri, many think of football games and cooler weather, but if you grew up in a rural community, Harvest season is what first comes to mind. I grew up in a town of less than 300, which heavily relies on our farming community. ...I know the toll harvest season takes on farming families and the farmers who work all day and night to get the job done. I know the risks they take with safety and financial security. I know their mental health struggles that are often hidden, silent, and go unnoticed.Â
This October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. It is a month where we honor the lives lost and the families who are grieving. It is estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss. Therefore, it is likely that you have either experienced this unique type of grief yourself or have a loved one going through this experience.
The Summer 2024 Olympics is underway! While we are excited to be watching our favorite athletes wear their country's colors, it's crucial to recognize the mental health aspect of these games. Mental health, a topic gaining global attention, is now making waves in the sports world. This shift is largely due to the courage of many athletes who bravely shared their mental health struggles and took action to address and spread awareness about their struggles.
In honor of Pride Month, I wanted to call attention to the LGBTQ+ experience and how it relates to mental health concerns and treatment. As a counselor who works with people in the LGBTQ+ community, and as someone who is part of this community myself, I have yet to meet another from this community who has not experienced adversity along the way. What do we, as a community, know about these experiences?
This month is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month and PTSD Awareness Month, and I'm grateful because it allows me to bring attention to how PTSD and trauma affect men's mental health. A large number of men suffer from the impacts of trauma, and there are many ways that men may be hiding their suffering.
April is here, and that means Spring has arrived! I hope this message finds you and your family happy and well. Every April, we come together to recognize Child Abuse Awareness Month. Put your pinwheels out and wear your blue! Child Abuse is not an easy topic to think about or discuss, but it is a vital conversation to have in the community as it is such a prevalent issue.
Sleep day is on March 15th and serves as a reminder that sleep is an important part of health and overall well-being. We do a lot of promoting mental health but often overlook the importance of basic health habits and how they can impact our moods or functioning. I would guess that many of you reading this have struggled with falling asleep, staying asleep, or just not feeling rested. Sleep is a basic need, much like eating, drinking, and breathing. However, 1 in 3 adults report not getting adequate rest or sleep. When this occurs, we start to see a decline in productivity and an increase in health-related issues and illness.
Happy International Play Therapy Week from Embark Counseling Services! This year, the Association for Play Therapy’s (APT) International Play Therapy Week is from February 4 to 10, 2024. I am super excited to see how play therapists from around the country and even the world celebrate the therapeutic powers of play.
Happy International Day of Persons with Disabilities! Each year, on December 3rd, the United Nations and the World Health Organization come together to celebrate and discuss how far we have come in supporting and advocating for individuals with all kinds of disabilities. This topic is a conversation that needs to happen all year round.