We’re in the heart of May, and one reason May is so important to our team here at Flourish Psychology is that it is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been just that – an opportunity to:
Spread awareness of different mental health conditions
Show how common it is to struggle with mental health.
Provide wellness tips and information to support mental health recovery.
It’s 2023. Most people now are aware that people struggle with mental health. There are more resources now than ever, and there are entire communities dedicated to understanding anxiety, depression, ADHD, and more. So why is “mental health awareness month” still so important?
Underdiagnosed, Undertreated
Even with all the resources we have available, only a small fraction of the people that struggle with mental health seek treatment. Fewer than 50% of people seek treatment for anxiety, for example, and “seek treatment” means any type of treatment, including those that are not effective or evidence based. The number of people that seek an evidence based treatment, like therapy, is surprisingly small.
Normalizing mental health and normalizing seeking out and treating these conditions is critical, because the more normal it is, the more likely people will feel comfortable and confident getting care. In addition, one of the reasons people seek out ineffective treatments is because some treatment options, like therapy, have stigma that prevent people from getting the care they need.
So Mental Health Awareness Month remains a very important month, and it’s so important that anyone that believes in the importance of mental healthcare feel comfortable and confident in sharing their experiences and the benefits they’ve felt from therapy.
Learn more about Mental Health Awareness Month or contact Flourish Psychology if you’d like to start treating your mental health.
Hobbies are important. More important than we give them credit for. Research into the idea of “leisure hobbies” indicates many potential benefits of maintaining hobbies for your mental health.
Hobbies are a great way to engage in a passion. They can also be a great way to make money. Many businesses started as hobbies. Etsy, for example, was a business literally started because its owner needed a way to sell these handmade wooden computers he made in his spare time. Bob Ross was just painting as a hobby before he made a name for himself as a television personality.
We live at a time where “hustle culture” is all the rage – what can you do to make some extra money? Are there hobbies that you have that can provide you with some extra money? Can you become a professional dog jogger because of your love of running? Can you rent out your home to photographers because of your amazing interior design skills?
There’s nothing wrong with trying to make a bit of extra money with your hobbies. Life is expensive. If you can make a bit of extra cash here and there doing something you love to do, go for it.
But it’s important to remember that you also don’t need to make every hobby of yours something you can make money off of. Sometimes, it’s just good to have a hobby.
The Benefits of a Hobby that Isn’t Monetized
It’s great if a hobby can make you money. But it’s also great to have hobbies that do not. That is because research into hobbies has shown that monetizing a hobby can reduce the joy of that hobby. This has even been proposed as a way to reduce childhood addiction to video games. Give them a few dollars to play, and eventually they’ll find playing less enjoyable.
Hobbies that you do just for fun – hobbies that you do just for YOU – have many benefits, including:
Improving your self esteem as you become good at something.
Teaching you to turn off your mind to outside distractions.
Giving yourself moments of fun in a stressful world.
You can monetize anything you want if you feel like you’re ready for it. But it is also perfectly reasonable to just have a hobby you can enjoy. Paint without worrying if someone will buy it. Craft something without worrying about someone buying it from you. Write a book without worrying about if someone reads it. If it brings you joy, then it has value that extends beyond money – value that you will experience for months and years to come.
The English Language has about 170,000 words that can be used to express everything from how to fix a Mustang to rocket science to love. But even 200,000 words is often not enough to fully convey what we’re experiencing, how we are feeling, and what we need to share. There are feelings and emotions and struggles where the English language is simply not enough, and unless we want to all learn dozens of other languages hoping to find the words we need to share how we feel, we need other ways to convey what the English language cannot.
That is why some patients find that what they need isn’t words at all. What they need is art therapy.
Why Art Therapy Exists
Art therapy is designed to do what words can’t. It’s designed to give people a way to convey things without worrying about whether or not they know the words to do it. Patients with trauma, that may have trouble expressing themselves, can use art to do it so that they do not have to find the words.
It is the ability of art therapy to help share thoughts and ideas in situations where words are not enough that makes it so valuable. Art is expression, and so using art therapy to express ends up giving the patient the ability to show the therapist what they need to say and work through those emotions together.
That is what makes art therapy so valuable. But it is also not the only benefit. Art:
Gives the patient a chance to process their emotions and traumas in a safe, productive way.
Takes it slow. Art isn’t fast, which means that art therapy doesn’t overwhelm the patient.
Starts a conversation. Working with a trained art therapist allows the therapist and the patient to have a starting point for the conversation.
Art therapy also does not have to be the only type of therapy. It can be a complementary therapy to other treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Combining therapies is thought to make the process more effective, allowing the patient multiple avenues to recovery.
The English language may have 170,000 words. But sometimes, all you really need is a paintbrush. Learn more about art therapy and how it allows for better self-expression by contacting Flourish Psychology, today.
We are thrilled to introduce a new therapist here at Flourish Psychology: Keshia Webb-Lavergne.
Keshia is a profoundly gifted therapist capable of addressing common concerns with anxiety, depression, stress, grief, and relationships/couples. As a woman of color, she is also both intimately familiar with and trained to provide support for issues such as race-related stress, racial identity, and an understanding of the unique needs of black couples in today’s environment.
Keshia views therapy as a “collaborative journey.” She is warm and comforting, and will create an environment where you feel seen, welcomed, and supported. She also strongly believes in moving you forward and helping your progress. She views patients not as diagnoses, but as people that are looking to improve their life and take control of their wellness.
Together, the two of you will work to accomplish your personal goals and learn more about yourself in the process. Keshia is amazing, and we are so excited to have her as a part of Flourish Psychology. Start working with Keshia by contacting Flourish Psychology, today.
The Gottman Method of couples counseling has many interesting concepts that address some of the ways that our behaviors play a role in relationship satisfaction. One of those concepts is called “bids.” Multiple times throughout the day, a partner uses these “bids” with the other partner, and how the other partner responds to these bids plays a key role in how happy both partners feel about each other.
What Are Bids?
“Bids” is shorthand for the need for some type of positive interaction with a partner. When a person makes a “bid,” they are typically asking for something like attention, love, support, affection, or intimacy. Examples might include reaching for a partner’s hand or asking the partner to cook with them. Sometimes, the bids are not necessarily a request, but the beginning of something, like asking a question to them when they walk into a room like “how was work?”
Bids occur many, many times during the day, often by both partners.
What Are “Bid Responses?”
When one partner makes a “Bid,” the other partner is tasked with responding. According to the Gottman Method, bids may receive the following three response types:
Turning Towards – Turning towards the bid is the act of responding to the bid at all. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the person engages with each bid, but it does mean that there is a positive acknowledgment, gesture, or some type of interaction that indicates that the bid has been received.
Turning Away – Turning “away” in this case means ignoring the bid or not responding positively. For example, not moving when someone reaches to hold hands or staring at their phone instead of responding to a question. Turning “away” is not necessarily a hostile gesture, but showing disinterest or not prioritizing the response to a bid.
Turning Against – Turning “against” is actively rejecting the bid. These have a bit of a hostile component, such as purposefully moving a hand away, negatively responding to a question, or pushing someone away when they move in for a kiss.
Turning away or turning against are both potentially damaging to the relationship. But it should be noted that these actions are not always conscious or designed to be hostile. Sometimes, it is an action taken because they do not have an awareness that their partner is making a “Bid.”
How Responding to Bids Can Improve Relationships
When a couple is having problems, the therapist may look at examples of these bids and work with the couple to teach a higher frequency of positive bid responses. The goal is to teach the idea of “turning toward” more often. Couples that “Turn Toward” and respond more positively to bids are more likely to feel positive and more connected in their relationship. By improving this intimacy, the couple is more likely to feel happy and satisfied with their partner.
Location: 300 Cadman Plaza West Floor 12 - Brooklyn, NY 11201
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