The Mental Health Blog
Building Secure Attachment in Relationships
My partner and I were recently having an argument. Truthfully, it felt like both of us were going around in circles and in doing so, I lost track of what I was upset about in the first place. I felt like he was not listening to me and despite my biggest efforts, he...
Featured on The Heidi Glaus Show with Josh Gilbert KTRS
KTRS 550am · Kristen Neal: Grief counseling for teens
Dungeons & Dragons Role-Playing Therapy: A Practice that Mirrors Those Who Are Unique and Epic
Therapy doesn’t have to look like it does in the media with a couch and a shrink… My favorite type of therapy involves unique-looking dice, a group of people with animated gestures, and miniatures on maps depicting realistic adventures—a therapy group that feels...
Featured on Big 550 KTRS (9-13-21)
KTRS 550am · ITK Ray Kristen Neal 9 13 21
Anxiety and Negative Thoughts: How to Spot Them and What to Do?
The past year has been full of huge adjustments for a lot of people. Hardships have included losing jobs and loved ones, as well as struggling to take life one day at a time and coping with feelings of overwhelm. During this period, many individuals are grappling with...
Master of Circumstance Podcast
Addiction and Relationships: Recovery from the Former Necessitates Healing in the Latter
What happens to relationships when one or more of those involved is engaged in active addiction? Research overwhelmingly shows that addiction takes an immense toll on a person’s relationships. Anyone who has experienced addiction—either themselves firsthand or in...
Trauma and the Arousal Cycle
When a traumatic event happens, there are parts of our brains that go offline, so to speak. What this means is that the parts of our brains that help us work through memories and our actions stop working in the way that we want them to—think spotty cell reception....
Modeling Healthy Habits to Kids
I was recently hanging out with a friend and her daughter before going to the pool when my friend said, “my thighs are fat!” Her daughter, being next to us, heard this interaction take place. Later that week, my friend’s daughter stated that she no longer wanted to...
“I’m Not Coming Back”: Understanding the Therapeutic Process and Relationship
It takes two—just like the old song says—though I am not referencing romantic relationships. What I am referencing is the therapy process. As a clinician, I often find myself frustrated by the way that movies and other media sources portray the counseling process as a...