The Mental Health Blog
Talking to My Teen About Marijuana- Teen Therapist in St Louis
Teens are primed to seek novel stimuli because they are at a point in their development where they can learn very easily and at a fast rate. In the teen mind learning is heightened, fun feels more intense and pot just amps up the intensity that their brain is already seeking out. When a teen smokes pot it reduces the stress they feel from their senses being naturally heightened all the time, while also making fun seem way more fun. The problem? When they come down off marijuana, life doesn’t have the luster it did before, nothing seems as interesting, so they smoke more pot. Volia, you have habitual use and then addiction.
Reduce Intense Anxiety in 20 Minutes
Here is what to do:
Step 1- Find a quiet place to lay down or sit. Make sure your legs are not crossed and that you are comfortable.
Step 2- Develop a Calm/Safe Place in your mind. Think for a few minutes about a memory, experience, person, or place from the present or past that gives you a feeling of safety, comfort, acceptance, etc. You can even use something imaginary if you need to. The goal here is to have something your mind can focus on that incorporates good feelings.
Pregnancy and Expecting in a Time of COVID-19
I want to address the experience of pregnancy, not just from a professional mental health perspective, but also on a personal level. As someone who is still (somewhat) newly pregnant at 13 weeks…
Keeping Depression Away: St. Louis Therapists Tell You How
…remember that you do not have to be alone, even if you are isolating. Reach out. Therapists are just a phone call or email away.
Useful Tips for Home Schooling during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Schools across America have been closed for up to 3 weeks now, meaning parents get to play the teacher role. For many of you, you are juggling working from home, cleaning, cooking, and guiding your kids through their daily lesson plans. While each school district has...
Is This Therapy or Play Time? St. Louis Therapist Clears the Air
When hearing your child recounting sessions, it may seem like you're spending your hard-earned money for a stranger to just play games or baby-sit your child. Why Play therapy? Where do games and activities fit into the therapeutic process? It’s normal for parents to...
I Don’t Want My Ex Back But I Feel Guilty That My Family is “Broken”-Find Online Therapy
If it was so great you would certainly be with your kid’s other parent. It wasn’t working and splitting up became necessary, but you feel an intense guilt or, longing even, that it could be put back together so you could have the happy, in tact family that you and your kids deserve.
These feelings can create all sorts of behaviors in the person that is experiencing them; and they are COMPLICATED.
NPR Spotlight- Frustrated, Angry, Depressed: Pandemic Takes a Toll on Mental Health
Kristen Neal, LPC goes live with National Public Radio (NPR). Thanks to Nancy Fowler for conducting the interview. You can follow Nancy on her website. Click to hear the story
How Do I Ease My Child’s Fears During COVID? – Greenway Therapy
3- Limit exposure to the news, commercials and radio. This goes for you too. Your family needs some normalcy. Keep it to Netflix and CD’s for a while to get a break from the doom and gloom. Play bord games and limit their time on the internet. The more your child is connected to normalcy and positive messages, the more at ease they will feel.
4- Keep adult conversations away from tiny ears. Sometimes you just need to let all your fears out, and that is okay. The issue with kids is that they believe every word you say and take it seriously. Freak out with friends and family away from the kids or after bedtime!
Grief and Loss – COVID-19 – St Louis GreenwayTherapist
Start by finding a little piece of meaning in each day. Meditate to clear your mind. Rewrite your routines.
Know that moving towards something positive will require you to work through the resistance that has been playing in the background. You are face to face with it now. Now is a time of adjustment and acceptance. If you are lucky, life will go back to normal in a few months, maybe if you are even more lucky, life will settle on an even better, new normal. You must be open to it.
Customer Reviews
I have known Ashley Rickert for multiple years as she was one of my classmates in grad school. Having known Ashley for as long as I have, I've had the pleasure of seeing her therapy skills in a variety of scenarios (through practicum and internship, as well as her post graduate work).
She is immensely knowledgeable and professional. Lately, she has been described as "quiet, but mighty!" Most of all, she is respectful of our clients and genuinely cares for them.
Honored to share the space with her!
No doubt this is the BEST place to get the BEST counseling service in ALL of St. Louis area.
