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Dr. Teresa Smith

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Nurturing Positive Relationships With Friends

The importance of having positive friendships in your life cannot be overstated. Healthy friendships can help you feel happier and more self-confident, reduce your stress levels, and prevent you from feeling lonely or isolated. When times are good, friends can help you celebrate. And when times are bad, they can help pick you up and provide a kind shoulder to lean on.

Unfortunately, for many adults, it can be tough to make new friends and even more difficult to ensure that those friendships enhance their lives. With that in mind, here are some tips for how to build healthy relationships with friends:

  • Be an active listener. Communication is key to a positive friendship, but many of us aren’t great at listening, which can leave our friends feeling ignored and unvalued. When talking with friends, make an effort to face them, focus on what they’re saying, and ask follow-up questions. You should also avoid interrupting them and zoning out as you plan what to say next.
  • Offer advice without judgment. At some point throughout the course of your relationship, your friend will likely come to you for help with a problem. While you should be honest about how you feel, you should also try to empathize with them and respect that that might have a different opinion.
  • Make time for each other. In today’s busy world, it can often be difficult to schedule time with friends, but getting together is crucial. If you live near each other, pencil in a weekly dinner or even a monthly coffee date. Or, if you live far apart, plan a time to talk on the phone or, better yet, videochat.

Start Building Healthy Relationships With Friends

If you struggle to maintain positive friendships, you’ve come to the right place. We have extensive experience helping patients nurture healthy relationships with friends, and we’d love to do the same for you. Contact us today to schedule a therapy session.

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The Benefits of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA Therapy)

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a form of therapy that is often used with children and adults who have been diagnosed with autism and other mental health conditions. ABA focuses on improving specific behaviors such as social skills, communication, learning aptitudes, hygiene, motor dexterity and domestic capabilities, to name a few. ABA is often used in a variety of settings including homes, clinics, schools and workplaces.

The National Institutes of Health has stated that ABA is a popular and effective form of treatment used by mental health and educational professionals. By focusing on increasing desired actions and decreasing undesired ones, ABA can be a catalyst for profound change.

Here are just some of the many benefits of ABA: 

Improves Independent Living Skills

The goal of every child is to someday grow up and become self-sufficient and independent. This independence can be a challenge for children on the autism spectrum. ABA allows teachers and parents to teach independent living skills such as dressing, washing, brushing teeth, etc. 

Empowers Parents and Teachers 

Therapists who have been trained in ABA can share their knowledge with parents and teachers, empowering them to provide the best care for their students and loved ones. Often, parents and teachers are run ragged, simply trying to get through each day without any “meltdowns” or “disasters.” But ABA provides them with tools and skills to do more than hope for a good day. 

Increases Life Satisfaction 

There is no better gift to an autistic child and his or her parents than the ability to truly enjoy life. Because ABA helps parents help their children grow to become capable and independent adults, there is a true sense of life satisfaction. 

If you would like to work with a therapist who has been trained in ABA, please get in touch with me. I would be happy to work with you and your child or student to empower everyone. 

SOURCES: 

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National Women’s Equality Day

August 26th is National Women’s Equality Day; a day to acknowledge how far women have come on their journey toward equality and how much more work is still to be done. While the greatest gender gaps are found primarily in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, according to the World Economic Forum, there are still areas of inequality women in this country feel they face on a daily basis. One way women can spread awareness and get more involved in the fight is to take part in National Women’s Equality Day.

Here are some ideas on how you can participate and celebrate this meaningful day:

Volunteer

The National Women’s History Alliance offers resources that can be downloaded and shared with others. You may want to print and share brochures with your local library, schools, and places of worship. 

If you are a teacher or community leader, you may also want to consider making history come alive with a special presentation or performance. 

Join

Consider joining the Women’s History Alliance so you can stay involved and participate in ways that bring meaning and change to everyone you interact with. 

Commit

Taking on such a big fight as women’s equality is a challenge and one that requires every woman to commit to self-care. Much like pre-flight, parents are instructed to put on their oxygen masks before attending to their children, women must ensure their own well-being so they have the strength to fight the good fight.

Sadly, studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that women are more likely to experience mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. Luckily, women are also far more prone to ask for help in dealing with whatever is troubling them. And often what is troubling them is feeling they are living in an unfair world, where the genders are still not totally equal.

If you feel depression or anxiety in relation to gender discrepancies in your own life and would like to explore treatment options, please get in touch with me. I would be more than happy to discuss how I may be able to help.

SOURCES:

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How Your Self-Esteem Affects Your Mental Health

Having a low self-esteem is something many people of all ages deal with. While a low self-esteem is not considered a mental health condition itself, the way we think about ourselves directly impacts our mental health and overall well-being.

What is Self-Esteem?

Self-esteem refers to the way people feel about themselves. Someone with a healthy or high self-esteem thinks positively about themselves and their abilities. They believe they are deserving of respect and have no problems setting healthy boundaries.

Individuals with low self-esteems do not feel very good about themselves. They constantly measure themselves against others and always come up short. They may not think they are worthy of love and respect and will typically not set healthy boundaries, allowing others to take advantage of them.

How Does a Low Self-Esteem Affect Mental Health?

The following are some ways a low self-esteem can impact a person’s mental health:

Poor Relationships 

Human beings are wired for connections. But when we have low self-esteem, we tend to not put ourselves “out there” socially and even tend to isolate, which can lead to poor relationships and loneliness.

Addiction

Studies have indicated low self-esteem in childhood can lead to addictions later in life. Mandy addicts use alcohol and other substances as a way to cope with negative feelings about themselves.

Depression and Anxiety

Living with low self-esteem day after day, week after week, can very much take its toll and eventually lead to the development of depression and anxiety.

How to Build Your Self-Esteem

Building self-esteem is important for mental health and to live a happy life. But it’s not necessarily easy to do it. It’s not like losing weight where you can say I am going to eat less and move more.

That is why I recommend working with a trained therapist who specializes in helping people build their self-esteem. A therapist can help you identify your core negative beliefs and determine where they came from. He or she can then help you develop a new, realistic self-esteem that reflects who you truly are.

If you or someone you know is suffering with low self-esteem and would like to explore treatment options, please get in touch with me.

SOURCES:

https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/July-2016/Why-Self-Esteem-Is-Important-for-Mental-Health

https://www.hormona.io/why-self-esteem-affects-your-mental-health/

https://fherehab.com/learning/self-esteem-mental-health

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