Because of the impact of the global pandemic on our mental health, more and more people are reaching out for online therapy appointments. However, with such an increased need for counseling appointments, many therapists’ schedules are completely filled and they’re not able to accept any new clients. This can make it challenging for you if you are reaching out for counseling support but aren’t able to find a therapist who can fit you in. Here are three options to look at if you can’t find a therapist with an open appointment time.
Hurricane Ida and COVID-19: The Perfect Storm for Mom Anxiety and Overwhelm
Hey there, NOLA mom, how are you?
I’m going to guess the answer is, “I’m really not okay.” I hear ya. It has been a really rough last few months, and not many of us are “okay.” And guess what? THAT is okay!
To say that life has been rough since March 2020 is an understatement. Most of us have been operating in survival mode since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between trying to figure out balancing the roles of homeschool teacher, childcare provider, and lunch and snack lady, plus working a full-time job and trying to keep the house in some kind of livable condition, there has been little physical and mental space to decompress and heal from the stress and trauma associated with COVID-19
This Isn’t What You Expected: Pregnant and Giving Birth During Hurricane Ida
For any woman who has found herself pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, expectations have had to be adjusted based on the requirements and guidelines of the doctors’ offices and delivery settings. And while these adjustments have required pregnant women in New Orleans to shift their expectations, there has been a fair amount of time to process and accept those changes and disappointments.
But one thing that no expectant mom was prepared to deal with is the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. For women who are still pregnant and for those who are newly postpartum, life is currently filled with so many unknowns, so much worry, anxiety, and sadness. Where you are in your pregnancy or postpartum experience may impact the intensity of those emotions and the types of questions you find your anxious mind mulling over.
Three Things Simone Biles Can Teach Us About Maternal Mental Health
The Benefits of Online Therapy vs. In Person Therapy
While COVID-19 has brought online therapy to the forefront of counseling options, many people don’t realize that telehealth therapy has been around for many decades prior to the pandemic. As more people are beginning to get vaccinated and life starts to give some sense of normalcy, you may be wondering if you want to continue to meet with your therapist online or try a traditional office setting.
4 Tips for Coping With the Stress of a PCS as a Military Spouse
For most families, the summer months are a time of vacation and relaxed schedules. But in the world of military families, the summer months are known as “PCS season.” A Permanent Change of Station (PCS) is most definitely not a stress-free time. Having PCS’d several times – and being currently neck-deep in the midst of one! – I know first-hand the amount of overwhelm, exhaustion, and anxiety that can come from a military move.
Coping With COVID-19 Anxiety As The World Opens Up
For over a year, we have been told that we need to stay apart, that in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones, we need to stay home, stay apart, and stay masked up. These protective steps have been vital in trying to slow the spread of COVID-19. But they’ve created a sense of chronic hypervigilance that can lead to anxiety.
The Benefits of Online Therapy for Women Living in Rural Louisiana
Choosing to reach out to a therapist can be a really hard thing to do. When you’re at the point of seeking counseling, it’s often when you are not feeling your best. You may be experiencing anxiety after having a brand new baby, deep sadness after the loss of a friend, or a sense of emptiness due to ongoing life transitions and changes. Taking the step to reach out to a therapist and say, “I need help” is an amazing first step toward caring for your mental and emotional health. But, when you live in a small town, it can be hard to find the mental health support you are looking for in your area. Online therapy is an amazing option for women with anxiety in rural Louisiana.
Should I Take Medication For My Anxiety?
Breastfeeding and the Impact on Postpartum Depression & Anxiety
Coping with Stress as a Mom During COVID-19
So many moms are still having to wear all the hats (work hat, chef hat, educator hat, etc.), while also navigating the numerous challenges COVID-19 brings to daily life. Many of us are experiencing COVID fatigue and feeling burnt out from parenting during a pandemic. And let me validate those feelings: This burnout is real.
What is Postpartum Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Pregnancy is a time of expectation and dreaming. The anticipation of your baby’s arrival is typically filled with excitement about the moment when you will finally get to hold your little one in your arms. When your pregnancy or birth don’t go as expected, you may find yourself struggling emotionally and mentally. While the birth of a baby is a natural thing that the female body was designed to do, it is an experience that is ripe with opportunity for things to not go as planned. When things don’t go as expected, it can be traumatic.
Is it Postpartum Depression or the Baby Blues?
Coping with Grief Over the Loss of Your Holiday Traditions During COVID-19
How to Talk to Family Who Doesn't Share Your Beliefs on Social Distancing
Family dynamics during the best of times can be complicated and stressful. Now, many women are struggling to cope with anxiety caused by family members who don’t want to practice social distancing or ignores COVID-19 guidelines. Having awkward and potentially stressful conversations about your COVID-related boundaries with your extended family may be filling you with dread. Especially now that the holidays are quickly approaching. Maybe, you’re worried that your family may get their feelings hurt or be angry when you share your plan for social distancing. Or, perhaps you’re concerned they may even try and convenience you that you’re being irrational. But, your primary goal right now is keeping your family safe and healthy.
What Is Postpartum Anxiety?
In the last few years, there has been a greater recognition and increased discussion about what women experience during the postpartum period. Women are becoming more comfortable sharing about their own struggles with postpartum depression and how they were able to seek help.
While a dialogue has opened up about postpartum depression, there is one thing that is often missing from the discussion: postpartum anxiety.
Postpartum Support for Military Spouses
While the unpredictability of pregnancy is universal for every woman, the reality is that military spouses face an additional level of unpredictability due to military life. Being married to a member of the military means learning how to adapt and adjust to frequent uncertainty. Deployments and field trainings can be thrown at you without much notice, which leaves scheduled plans a distant memory. And while the military’s demands frequently ruin plans, those demands also leave military spouses alone without the support of their companion during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.
How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Help Your Anxiety
If you’ve ever searched for a therapist or counselor in New Orleans or Metairie, you’ve probably come across the terms “cognitive behavioral therapy,” or “CBT,” and may have wondered what the heck that is. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a style of therapy that can be very beneficial in treating anxiety. But what is it, and how does CBT work?
Coping with Anxiety: When Meditation Doesn't Work
I’ve heard a similar response from many people: “I tried to meditate but I just can’t get my mind to stop. It just doesn’t work for me.” If you’re someone who has tried to meditate but struggled with this practice, what can you do to still be able to get the same benefits that quiet meditation provide?
Overcoming Self Judgment of Anxiety
While the openness of people in the public spotlight has begun to normalize the discussions surrounding mental health struggles, in my conversations with friends and colleagues and in my work with clients, I have found that many of us still hold self-judgment and shame over our own struggles with anxiety and depression. As I’ve talked with other women, there are three common narratives many women seem to believe about themselves and their mental health that make acceptance of one’s anxiety and depression extremely challenging.