People shouldn’t have to give up mental health treatment just because they live in rural areas with limited mental health resources, have non-traditional work schedules, or can’t leave home due to disabilities or current COVID-19 pandemic precautions. A live online therapy session via video, online chat, or phone is similar to a session in a therapist’s office. The most significant difference is that the therapist is not in the same location as the patient, who is often participating from the comfort of their own home.

Couples counseling isn’t always a last-ditch effort to save a marriage or prevent a breakup. Happy couples find regular therapy sessions help them maintain and enhance their healthy relationships. Together, they learn how to work through disagreements and other relationship issues, improve their emotional and physical intimacy, and understand one another on a deeper level.

Most of us have never experienced a health epidemic like COVID-19 here in the United States, so of course, we don’t know what to expect or how to react. During any epidemic or disruptive event, it’s essential to take steps to maintain good mental health and overall wellbeing.

No matter how amicable your breakup, divorce can be one of the most challenging and stressful experiences you’ll ever endure. Like any significant life event, divorce disrupts virtually all aspects of your life.

For individuals with social anxiety, the social fears of rejection, judgment, or doing something embarrassing or wrong is so extreme that it feels like mortal danger and the stuff of nightmares. For people with social anxiety disorder, fear can be a response to almost any kind of social setting or instance.

Social media accounts aren’t a substitute for physical, social interaction. Spending too much time online can distract you from real-life social support and relationships. Sometimes it’s necessary to unplug yourself from your hyper-connected world of email, texts, and social media accounts to reset yourself and get your life back on track.

Working in a large city can present unique challenges. Commuting from the suburbs, competing with other well-qualified candidates for promotions or jobs, or achieving enough income to accommodate the high cost of living all add to a work/life balance that’s more skewed to the “work” side.

Also known by the oxymoron “festive stress,” the increased stress levels people feel during the last month of the year seem to increase with each passing year. This phenomenon has piqued the interest of mental health professionals, who have studied the stages, causes, and coping mechanisms for holiday stress.

Traumatic events like the death of a close family member, mental illness in the family, or the pain of your parents’ divorce can significantly impact your mental health going forward — so can the types of relationships you formed with your parents and friends.

Creativity is a good thing, too. Scientists are continuing to uncover encouraging evidence that engaging in creative activities — from painting to potting plants to planning parties — is beneficial to your mental health and well-being.