Bright Horizons Family Counseling, LLC

Beautiful day for sessions at the office today 💚

A few visitors during today's sessions 🐴🐈🌿

So happy to be back at Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue for nature-informed sessions!

If you or a young adult you know is dealing with grief, check out the The Umbrella Project! Registration is open for their next trip!

Registration is now open for our late spring hike!

Therapists Trade the Couch for the Great Outdoors (Gift Article) Mental health practitioners are hiking, camping and braving the elements with their clients — all in an effort to help them connect with the Earth, and with themselves.

Distance and detachment from nature is believed to contribute to psychological distress, and has been labeled “nature deficit disorder” (Louv, 2010) by some researchers.

How often do you spend time in ways you consider being nature?

ID: a vibrant orange sunset, the bright sun dropping behind a rise of green trees with the Annapolis Rock formation in the foreground.

Camp Jamie's Teen Grief Retreat is a special opportunity for grieving teens to come together to talk about their feelings related to the death of someone special, and learn coping skills for dealing with those feelings. Please share with someone who might benefit from this no cost event held by Frederick Health Hospice.

Application available at https://form.jotform.com/230523837251048.

Nature encourages feelings of awe, wonder, and of being connected to nature and others. It can inspire spirituality for some, with feeling connected to a higher power, and strengthen awareness of your surroundings. Nature can even influence you to "experience positive feelings of self, love, peace, and increases in emotional well-being (Sweatman & Heintzman, 2004)."

What thoughts and emotions do you typically experience when you are in nature?

ID: The rocky formation at Lambs Knoll along the AT, overlooking bare, winter trees in the valley below.

There are so many benefits of nature, spanning many aspects of wellness. Exposure to nature can reduce symptoms of stress, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression and anxiety, decrease recovery time from illnesses, and improve positive outlooks on life, concentration, and productivity (Guite, Clark, & Ackrill 2006; Maller,Townsend, Pryor, Brown, & St. Leger, 2005).

What ways has nature benefitted you?

ID: Gray clouds over the blue ridge mountains. A stone barrier in the foreground with bare trees and brush.

Happy New Year! Instead of setting “resolutions,” consider choosing a few intentions to focus on throughout the year. My 2024 intentions (both professionally & personally!) are to do less, share more, and trust. Have you set intentions for yourself for the year?

ID: Text reads "2024 Intentions: Do less (slow down so as to be more present in all things), share more (connect to share the benefits of nature) and trust (having faith in the processes of therapy, growth, nature and connection)." Background is a rocky gorge with waterfalls and greenery.

🎉 Happy New Years Eve! 🎉

The new year can be a great time to “reset” and evaluate the habits we have, as well as try out new ones. It’s important to remember that whether we change, form, or maintain habits, all of these things take time. As 2023 comes to an end, and we welcome in the new year, try to extend kindness and patience to yourself as you “reset.”

Happy Winter Solstice!

Today is the first official day of winter ❄️ ⛄️ Today is the shortest day and longest night of the year! With the extra darkness tonight, take a moment to go outside and breathe in the crisp, cool air that only winter can bring.

This season can be so joyful, and it can also be very hectic. This is why taking time to “reset” is so important. One way we can “reset” is by taking time to rest. Resting can mean taking breaks when you need them, or even spending quiet moments in nature. See if you can find some time where you can “reset” by doing the things that you consider to be restful.

December is here which means winter is right around the corner! As the season changes, notice how nature almost resets itself to get ready for the colder temperatures that are coming. For example, plants will “reset” by going dormant again, like they did last winter, to survive the upcoming cold. As winter approaches, take time to consider what things or habits you would like to “reset” again or try out!

I'm excited to share that I'm now trained in Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)! This is a treatment protocol created by Yale Child Study Center's Eli Lebowitz. It's just as effective as CBT in treating childhood anxiety (including social anxiety, OCD, phobias, and PANS/PANDAS) and is designed to be done with parents only, so kids/teens who aren't on board with working on their own anxiety don't have to be involved if they don't want to be. Parents focus on changing their own actions to support their children and reduce the anxiety.

Check out Dr. Lebowitz's TED talk and the SPACE website ( https://www.spacetreatment.net/ ) to learn more.

Reach out to Bright Horizons Family Counseling, LLC to see if SPACE can help your family!

Watch (and share!) the new TED SPACE Talk!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExVvAn9hcjY

Showing ourselves gratitude might seem unnecessary, but it is just as important as showing our gratitude for other people, places, and things. One way we can engage in self-gratitude is by noticing and appreciating the things that make us uniquely ourselves. It may be awkward to do this at first, but try to take time today to extend gratitude to yourself🧡

During this season, it’s important to remember that there is not a “right” way to express gratitude. For some, we may keep a gratitude journal and jot down what we are thankful for. For others, we may be intentional about noticing and appreciating the things in nature that bring us joy. Take time today to consider how you usually practice gratitude and what other ways you would like to try out!

The holiday season can be difficult for some, but we're here for you - 24/7/365. Text 988 whenever you need someone to talk to.

There are so many ways to express gratitude, and doing so can actually help our mental health! Did you know that the part of our brain that processes gratitude is also the same part that processes anxiety? This means our brain struggles to be grateful and anxious at the same time, and when we engage in gratitude, our anxiety levels decrease. Next time you feel anxious or stressed out, try practicing gratitude and experience its benefits!

The month of November often reminds us how important it is to practice gratitude. Being grateful can mean showing appreciation for someone, someplace, or something. For example, we may be grateful for a friend, the beautiful spots in nature, or simply waking up this morning. Take time today to consider what you are grateful for 🧡

Are you a teen that is feeling helpless overwhelmed, and alone during the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza? Join us for this free and virtual workshop that will help you feel connection to others that are feeling the same way. You will leave with a greater sense of community, reminding you that you are not alone in this struggle. You will also gain actionable steps to keep moving forward as you center humanity and peace- within yourself and among others.

Any teen age 13-19 is able to join, from wherever you are located! Send us an email to [email protected] to get the link to this workshop.

Grieving the changes in our lives can elicit many emotions. Sometimes, we may need time to simply sit with the emotions we feel before we can move forward in the grieving process. The next time you need to sit with your emotions, try finding a comfortable spot outside where you can process your anger, sadness, or any other emotion you may feel.

Enjoying the fall colors at Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue during today's outdoor sessions 🍁

In addition to anger, grieving the changes in our lives may also result in feelings of sadness. Just like anger, feeling sad is a normal part of the grieving process. Take the time you need to recognize and process the emotions you genuinely feel when faced with changes.

There are many ways to experience nature. For some people, they prefer to go on strenuous hikes. For others, they prefer to simply sit outside and enjoy the nature around them. Like nature, everyone experiences grief in their own way and at their own pace. Remind yourself today that it is okay if you grieve differently than someone else.

Our high school group wrapped up this week! We reflected upon the changes we've noticed in our sit spots and our own lives, walked along the trail, and worked together to safely build a fire. Keep an eye out for announcements about upcoming groups!

As things change we might need time to grieve how things were, before we can accept what things are like now. This grieving process can be difficult and we might experience anger. Feeling angry is a normal part of grieving and suppressing this anger may prevent us from moving forward. When you grieve changes, remember to take the time you need to process the emotions that are authentic to how you feel.

This week was our 5th high school group! We noticed the changes in our sit spots, and talked about ways we can handle things when they don’t go as planned. We also walked along the trail and played games that showed us again how people have different communication styles.