By Monica Guilhot Chartrand A caregiver is a family member or paid helper who regularly looks after a child or a sick, elderly, or disabled person. Family caregivers refer to family of origin, extended family, domestic partners, friends, or other individuals that support another person. Family provides 80% of the...
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Resilience or the ability to adapt well to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress, can help children manage tension and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. As parents, teachers and caregivers, we all want to raise resilient kids and help to develop their strength so they can...
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October is National Depression Awareness Month. One of the more common misconceptions about depression is that depressed people are simply very, very sad. Consequently, people suffering from depression are often told to “cheer up” or “try to think positively” as if that will make their symptoms disappear. The truth is...
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At any given time, 1 in 17 adults and 1 in 6 youth are considering suicide. Most persons with thoughts of suicide go unrecognized—even though most all are, directly or indirectly, requesting help. Learn how to TALK: Suicide TALK - Tell Ask Listen Keep Safe Tell people you trust your...
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by Dr. Genalin Niere-Metcalf I am a spiritual director. I am a clinical psychologist. I am both. I am present to both of these parts of myself whether I am doing spiritual direction or psychotherapy, but I first had to learn the distinctness of both and honor their place and...
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SamaraCare wants the importance of mental health, access to mental health and the pursuit of mental health to be pervasive. Â Brandon Marshall's open and honest dialogue goes a long way towards putting the stigma far behind us. Â Click here to read Brandon's thoughts on "The Stigma" ...
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Everyone regularly experiences anxiety, from minor concerns such as getting the grocery shopping done on time to major stress such as the health or safety of a loved one. It is not surprising, then, that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the United States. However, the...
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by Ken Potts  I had a chance the other night to watch one of my all time favorite flicks ‑ "Ordinary People."  I especially appreciate the character portrayed by actor Judd Hirsch. As a psychotherapist, Hirsch is caring, empathic, encouraging, and supportive. His character epitomizes to me what psychotherapy is supposed...
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SamaraCare wants the importance of mental health, access to mental health and the pursuit of mental health to be pervasive. It’s time to talk about mental health openly and honestly, and put the stigma of mental health far behind us.  The following was written by SamaraCare board member Amanda Spear...
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by Reverend Dr. Ken Potts Healing takes time. And often healing emotional and spiritual wounds takes more time than healing those which involve other parts of who we are. I pulled one of my all time favorite movies - “Good Will Hunting,” out of our DVD library over the weekend....
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SamaraCare helps people achieve their greatest potential by being compassionate and spirit-led counselors, consultants and advocates.  We know mental health is a difficult subject for some, but it doesn’t have to be! When dealing with mental health, like physical health, one needs intervention when systems are not operating correctly. Normalizing...
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by Rev. Dr. Kenneth Potts, D. Min, MS, LCPC, LMFT Every so often, I hear things like: "Sure I've got some things bothering me. I'd like someone to talk them through with, but I don't want people thinking I'm crazy! Or, "I told my wife that we need to see...
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Our staff was asked to share words of wisdom with a confirmation class. Here is what they had to say! Be nice Be humble Be determined Dedication and persistence pays off Don’t take yourself too serious . . . no one else does Be respectful of everyone! There’s a lot...
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The holiday season can be a time of joy and celebration, but it can also be a time when many of us succumb to the stress of expecting the “perfect” holiday. Just how stressed do you get during the holidays? A recent poll indicated that 41% said they find the...
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Depression probably makes you think of symptoms such as feeling sad and anxious. While those are common symptoms, it’s important to remember that depression can cause physical symptoms, too. People sometimes spend a lot of time researching the causes of their symptoms, only to find no physical source and instead...
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What drives people to suicide? Most people respond, “depression.” But it’s such a broad term, used so frequently, that it isn’t very helpful. I’d like to say, “tunnel vision.” Tunnel vision is when one looks at the future, sees only one option, and that option is bad. Roger shot himself...
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By Philip Vedova My neighbor is in his 70's and still gets his small motor boat on the lake several times a year, so he can tell me and the rest of the neighborhood fresh fishing stories. He and his wife enjoy their kids and grandkids when they visit, which...
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By Ken Potts, D. Min, MS, LCPC, LMFT This really happened - I've got pictures. During a trip to the Children's Zoo, my then three year old decided to befriend a rather large cow. She started with a cautious pat on the brow. Receiving a positive response from her...
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by Karen Hurula, Psy.D. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is frequently talked about in the context of returned military veterans, but wartime trauma is not the only trauma that can develop into PTSD symptoms. Single, isolated events can also bring on the symptoms and it’s important to identify them. In fact, cording...
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by Nancy Kratz, PhD Summer’s here!!! Mornings at the park, family bike rides, afternoons at the pool, and lots of free time…or is that SCREEN time? I often get asked by parents how to manage screen time during those long summer days. And while we often hear about the dangers...
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