Featured Columnists
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Who’s Side Are You On
Many fall in love with my colorful parrot and request to visit or take pictures with him. I have been trying to teach him to sing to make my bird even more of a star. I would take him into the shower, singing the same nursery rhymes to him every day to help him learn.…
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You Want Some Kitchen Cabinets For Your Loneliness?
It’s scary how much of our digital lives get shared. I was contemplating a small kitchen cabinet refacing project last month and submitted a quote to one vendor. Since then, my inbox and voicemails have been flooded with random contractors and remodeling agencies pestering me. Unfortunately, I inadvertently took one of those sales calls, and…
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4 Reasons for the Mental Healthcare “Workforce Shortage”
I am really tired of articles about “workforce shortages” in mental health. The questions these articles pose, such as:“How do we increase the workforce?”And “Where are the mental health professionals?”imply that:1. This problem just happened randomly.2. It would be solved if mental health professionals showed up. Those are the wrong questions and the wrong conclusions.My…
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Who Will Help?
As the founder of a nonprofit organization in the process of getting off the ground, I think it’s important to show vulnerability, but finding the line can be challenging. If you’re too vulnerable, people will be put off; lacking vulnerability is inauthentic. Maybe this is too raw. Maybe it isn’t. We are all fighting invisible…
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Behavioral Healthcare: Helpers in Crisis
Why is it so hard to get care? Behavioral healthcare is an umbrella term that includes treatment for mental health, substance abuse, learning differences, and disordered behavior resulting from mental illness or disability. Behavioral therapy and behavioral programs include talk therapy, detox and substance abuse treatment, occupational therapy, inpatient and psychiatric treatment, behavioral therapy for…
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Elephant in the Room – Rewarding Quality Care
It’s back-to-school season, and, I, like numerous other parents, am preoccupied with getting just the right classes or teacher assignments to help my kids’ chances of getting into a top university. My incoming sophomore is trying to get a waiver to take AP English on top of two other AP classes, and before we were…
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Sensory Tigger
Some children need more or less sensory input than others. Hyperactivity cannot be suppressed, only expended, and punishing children for being unable to sit still will not work. Find safe alternatives and join in!
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How To Make ABA Work For Your Family
There’s no cure for autism – and there is no need to cure autism. While therapies can bolster skills needed to navigate successfully in the world, they are not magic wands, and it’s crucial for parents enrolling their child in therapies to understand that their child will not “outgrow” autism, nor can professionals “fix” autism.…
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Who We Are
Our emotional wellness influences every aspect of our lives. It also affects our families, friends, communities, and employers. Behavioral and mental health is connected to educational outcomes, productivity, crime and life expectancy. Building their own and each others’ emotional wellness is in everyone’s COMMON INTEREST. We believe that people should have say in the usage…
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Get Me Some True Love
In fairytales, a true love’s kiss conquers all evils and vanquishes all illnesses, but true love isn’t always pleasant in real life. Love means allowing your kids to fail; setting boundaries so there would be long-term safety. It involves making difficult decisions and sticking by your loved ones even when they’re no longer so lovely.…
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I’m Not OK🥹
Dealing With The Suffering of My Beloved Cat I’m so sad. My cat is dying before my eyes from a very aggressive form of lymphoma. We are going through chemo and a demanding home care routine. There are so many injections to give and pills and syrups to shove down his throat. I wish I…
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I’m there for you–the whole you
Challenges and Reflections on Caring for a Dying Pet My cat in Taiwan was diagnosed with large-cell lymphoma last month. It’s a disease with a grim prognosis, even with aggressive and successful treatments. I know he is just a pet, but he helped me survive the difficult periods early in my marriage and move…
