‘One Foot in the Present, One Foot in the Past:’ Understanding E.M.D.R.
The New York Times
With E.M.D.R., the added component of bilateral stimulation theoretically anchors the patient in the current moment as they’re engaging with a trauma. “We use the phrase: one foot in the present, and one foot in the past,” said Marianne Silva, a clinical social worker and E.M.D.R. practitioner at the V.A. New England Healthcare System. The bilateral stimulation needs to be compelling enough to distract patients, but not so overwhelming that they totally focus on it.

Justin Perry is a member of NASW-NC:
Push for more mental health services in Black and minority communities
Spectrum Local News
Justin Perry is a licensed clinical social worker who helped Amos during this dark period. He had his own struggle with depression when he was a teenager. “Some people didn’t realize how much I was struggling,” Perry said. “And because of how resilient I was in the past, I didn’t realize how much I was struggling.” He says during his youth emotions were not something often discussed in his family.

Susan Lager is a member of NASW-ME:
When One Spouse Wants Out of the Marriage But the Other Doesn’t
PsychCentral
Discernment counseling is a short-term therapy “designed to help couples on the brink of divorce gain clarity and confidence about deciding on a direction for their marriage,” according to Susan Lager, LICSW, a psychotherapist and relationship coach who conducts discernment counseling in Portsmouth, N.H. Specifically, couples decide whether they’d like to stay in the marriage as-is, pursue a divorce or reconcile and repair the relationship, she said.

Katherine Walsh is a member of NASW-MA:
6 Tips For Fighting Those Sleepless Nights
BlackDoctor.org
We all need an adequate amount of sleep for our overall health, but for people with breast cancer, sleep is even more crucial. “Studies show about one-third of individuals treated for cancer experience anxiety that impacts their quality of life,” says Katherine Walsh, PhD, LICSW. “Worrying about health, the emotional impact of your cancer on your family, financial costs of treatment, and whether your life will be shortened are all very common concerns among individuals with cancer.”

Alexandra Solomon and Kayti Protos are members of NASW-CT:
Gender-affirming care in CT and antiquated ideas of mental health
CT Mirror
While the article does explore some of the obstacles to gender-affirming care in Connecticut, it does a disservice to the readers by omitting the very concerns this group of providers raised in an August 17 press release which detailed additional barriers enacted by DSS for Husky clients seeing gender-affirming care, namely the requirements of letters from mental health providers to support the request for care. Our concerns begin with those professionals quoted in the article.  The quotes are all from reportedly white cisgender experts on trans care; the reporter did not consult well known transgender providers of gender-affirming care in this state.

Courtney Tracy is a member of NASW-CA:
Chairside Connection: Mental health and the oral connection
Dentistry IQ
I had the opportunity to talk with oral-systemic expert Jo-Anne Jones, RDH, and Courtney Tracy, LCSW, PsyD, about how oral health and mental health are connected. As mental health continues to lose its stigma, research is increasing in this area. To begin with, when someone is struggling with mental health issues, oral health care can fall by the wayside. It’s difficult for someone to engage in daily living activities when they’re simply trying to make it through each day.

Juan Rios is a member of NASW-NJ:
[Video] Metrofocus: Facing Suicide
PBS-NJ:
Suicide is a leading cause of death impacting virtually every demographic with 130 Americans dying every day.  The new PBS documentary and impact campaign, “Facing Suicide,” is pushing to destigmatize this public health crisis.  Tonight, the steps we can take to help those in crisis and save lives.  Plus, what is being done to prevent suicide among currently and formerly incarcerated people, an issue The WNET Group explores as part of this initiative in “Learning to Live: The Resilient Path After Prison.”  Joining us for this crucially important conversation are James Barrat, director of the PBS documentary “Facing Suicide”; Stephen Thomas, who is featured in “Learning to Live” and discusses his lived suicide experience while incarcerated; and Dr. Juan Rios, a licensed psychotherapist also featured in the film.

Julie de Azevedo Hanks is a member of NASW-UT:
5 Ways to Maintain Boundaries with Difficult People
PsychCentral
Maintaining healthy boundaries with difficult people can be, well, difficult. That’s because they don’t want you to have boundaries in the first place, said Julie de Azevedo Hanks, LCSW, founder and executive director of Wasatch Family Therapy, a private practice in Utah. It may not be a conscious decision. “It’s often the only relationship strategy they know.” But regardless of whether it’s intentional, the result is the same: Your boundary has been violated.

Stephanie Jacobson and Pedro Silva are members of NASW-CT:
Combating social worker shortage through inter-college connections: Quinnipiac partners with Albertus Magnus to offer masters in social work
Quinnipiac Chronicle
“(Albertus Magnus MSW students) will have nine credits that double count toward their undergrad at Albertus Magnus, and then those nine credits will be part of the graduate credits when they come for the master’s program (at Quinnipiac),” Jacobson said. Pedro Silva, a third-year graduate student pursuing his MSW at Quinnipiac, is the president of the Social Work Association of Graduate Students and the former president of the Connecticut chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Veronica Needler is a member of NASW-IN:
[Video] Therapist: sadness, anxiety could be caused by climate change
WISHTV.com
Even subtle changes in the weather caused by climate change could affect your mood. “People have this sense of something dreadful, something looming, something coming, but maybe it feels far enough out they think more about their children,” licensed clinical social worker, Veronica Needler said. Needler runs a practice in Carmel, and lately she’s seeing patients experiencing anxiety and helplessness caused by climate change. One example is when weather causes flights to be grounded.

Cassie Peck is a member of NASW-ID:
Telehealth: Improving access to behavioral health care for Idahoans
KIVITV.com
Therapist Cassie Peck, a licensed clinical social worker who is part of Optum Idaho’s network, practices in Sandpoint, a town in the Idaho’s mountainous Panhandle region. Her 20 or so family clients reside in the surrounding rural areas and most are Medicaid participants. The families are often physically and socially isolated. “I work with families who have very limited support. They may not have family in the area. Or they have family that they are estranged from. Or they are families who do not have close friends. Other than talking to me, they might not really have anyone to talk to,” Peck says.

Vanessa Vaughter is a member of NASW-TX:
Trauma Bonding: What You Need To Know—And How To Get Help
Forbes
“The use of the term trauma bonding has expanded in cultural vernacular, referencing any time one person bonds with another in abusive situations,” says Vanessa Vaughter, a licensed clinical social worker and staff therapist with The Center for Integrative Counseling and Psychology in Dallas.

Richard Brouillette is a member of NASW-CA:
Six Signs of Failure Schema
Psychology Today
Failure schema begins early in childhood as the child learns how to do things in the world, including talking, bodily dexterity, coordination, self-control, and tasks. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for caregivers to be insensitive (or worse) regarding a developing child’s need for unconditional love and support as they go through a core learning experience: trying and failing and trying again. By getting love and support and cheering on when they fail, children learn that failure isn’t “bad” or a reason to feel rejected.