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sparkler – New Year’s Eve

How to Break Out of Social Anxiety During the Holidays

Many people enjoy attending holiday and New Year’s parties and mingling with old and new friends, but some people dread these kinds of social interactions. Some believe that they are the only ones suffering with social anxiety, when in fact, about 7 percent of the population External link  suffers. The good news is that there are effective treatments to help people reduce their anxiety and regain a sense of control over their lives. 

Maintain Your Body and Mind Through the Season of Transition

Cozy winter still life: cup of hot coffee and opened book with warm plaid on vintage windowsill against snow landscape from outside.

Seasonal transitions can be difficult for many reasons and can have an impact on your mind and body, often referred to as stress. If you live in a cold climate, the shift from fall to winter means fewer daylight hours and more cold days. It also means shifting into the holidays, a brand-new year, and flu season. The following tips can help you focus on your mind and body during stressful seasonal transitions.

Preparing for an Effective Parent-Teacher Conference

Teacher having meeting to welcome parents and student

Parents have varying goals when they go to parent-teacher conferences. They may want to advocate for their child, understand the teacher’s expectations, or learn about their child’s progress. Some parents may not receive the information they need because of the short amount of time scheduled for the conference, which is often only about 10 minutes. This can cause frustration and a disconnect between parent and teacher. To help you make the most of this time, here are fives things you can do to prepare for an effective parent-teacher conference.

Halloween and Paranormal Issues in Counseling

Things that go bump in the night. Seeing something out of the corner of your eye. Feeling as if something is behind you. Having a feeling that something is not quite right.

 

These are things that countless people around the world have experienced. Some attribute these experiences to a sixth sense while others believe that there are sound, scientific explanations for them. However, for clinicians the question remains: What is the proper approach of a counselor with a client reporting paranormal issues? 

Youth and Concussions: Insight on Prevention and Protocol from Athletic Trainer Amanda Khor

A big rush from the running back gets the team closer to the end zone!

Fall is in the air, and that means football season is here. Along with the tailgates and touchdowns come concussions. A form of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), concussions are common in many sports and have received more attention lately as former professional athletes have come forward with their stories about long-term struggles that resulted from multiple concussions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention External link  estimates that between 1.6 million and 3.8 million sports- and recreation-related concussions happen annually in the United States. People who have concussions can experience headaches, personality changes, motor control problems, depression, and insomnia, to name a few symptoms.

Counseling and William Shakespeare: An Interdisciplinary Blog Entry in Five Acts

William Shakespeare Engraving

Don’t judge a book by its cover. At first glance, the counseling field and works of William Shakespeare may seem to have little in common, but looks can be deceiving. Beneath the cover, both are defined by an interest in the human condition: What makes us tick? What drives us? What confounds us? Let’s explore the connection in a little more depth.

Back to School Stress: How to Mentally Prepare for Tryouts

Summer is coming to an end, students are heading back to school, and sports tryouts are right around the corner. Athletes of all ages experience jitters when it comes to tryouts or being scouted. No matter your level of play, these four tips can help you prepare your mind so that you can confidently perform under pressure during tryouts.

How to Maintain a Healthy Relationship: Tips for Couples from The Family Institute

Couples in romantic relationships frequently receive advice—solicited or not—from family, friends, and even strangers. Such suggestions can be vague and unwarranted, providing couples with little quality information. For couples that want concrete and realistic advice, The Family Institute at Northwestern University publishes a “Tip of the Month External link ” series on relationships.  

Mental Health of Affluent Teens: The Challenge of Prosperity

Our society is the most affluent in the history of the world, but wealth does not protect children from being at risk. Everyone knows someone whose child has seriously faltered, who has fallen into addiction, depression, or a more amorphous sort of “failure to thrive.”

Self-Care Solutions: Your Body Sitting at a Computer

How you sit and how long you sit can affect how balanced a life you lead, and as a result, how long of a life you live. Sedentary lifestyles can cause a host of physical and mental health issues. Even weekend warriors and those who manage to squeeze in a morning workout before a long day of sitting are not completely out of the woods. So, what are we supposed to do when school and work are so central to our lives? Here’s a closer look at what happens to your body when you sit, and how you can make some healthy changes.