The Mental Health Connection
I’d like to start out this month by thanking all of you who have nominated Help Therapy as one of San Diego’s Best in The San Diego Union-Tribune’s readers poll.
We’ve been nominated in not just one, but two categories: In-Home Medical Company and In-Home Non-Medical Company!
Voting is open through Thursday, June 10th. If you haven’t yet voted and would like to cast your vote for Help Therapy, you can vote for us in the In-Home Medical Care category here and In-Home Non-Medical category here.
We’re here for you and will continue to do our best in providing you with the most qualified mental healthcare providers, outstanding customer service and quick and easy referral processing.
Sincerely,
Annette Conway Psy.D CEO Help Therapy
June is LGBTQ Pride Month and Immigration Heritage Month
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated each June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan.
The Stonewall Uprising was a series of events between police and LGBTQ protesters that stretched over six days beginning June 28, 1969. The confrontations between police and LGBTQ protesters and the events unfolding over the following six days changed the nature of LGBTQ activism.
The first event honoring this movement was the Pride march in New York City on June 28, 1970— the first anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. The purpose of this commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
Today, community and nationwide celebrations include parades, parties, concerts, educational workshops and more. Memorials are also held during this month for those lost to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS.
June has also been recognized as Immigrant Heritage Month since 2014. During this month, especially, we are encouraged to explore our own heritage and celebrate the shared diversity that makes up our unique country.
Immigrant Heritage Month was initiated by FWD.us, an organization that fights for reform in the immigration and criminal justice systems. FWD.us strives to influence policymakers and thought leaders to make policy changes that create opportunity for all and empower people from all backgrounds to achieve their full potential.
Adjusting to the New Normal
The pandemic has hit many struggling with mental health issues the hardest. But countless people are newly experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues due to the pandemic—including children.
Before the pandemic, children developed their social skills through interacting with other kids in and out of the classroom. Teens, often the most social of all, spent much of their free time socializing in small and large groups.
Under normal circumstances, many teens and younger children are seldom without one or more friends by their sides. COVID-19 changed all that.
As the pandemic persists, it’s difficult to maintain friendships, especially among children. Although it’s still been possible to keep in touch virtually, it’s been hard to maintain friendships without activities, events and experiences to talk about, let alone participate in.
For more than a year, these impressionable youths have been denied the in-person social interaction they crave. Many learned to accept this new way of life and have grown accustomed to it—too accustomed to it.
Now, innumerable people face the lifting restrictions with fear and anxiety, especially those who are more introverted. Where do they start? How do they re-establish friendships? How do they try to fit in? Time will tell just how far-reaching the pandemic has affected our children. Right now, it’s important to give them the support they need in adjusting to the new normal after COVID-19.
Outdoor Summertime Activities for Mental Health
Summertime is synonymous with sun and fun! And there’s no better time to spend time outdoors than Spring and Summer.
After being cooped up for so long, it’s time to get out in nature and experience its uplifting and rejuvenating benefits. Commit to spending more time outdoors this Spring and Summer. Experience new places and activities. We often get stuck in a routine—even when it comes to having fun. We go to the same parks. We walk the same route. We play the same games.
Why not try something different?
This Month's Tip: Keep Your Brain Young—Learn Something New
As we grow older, it’s not just our physical bodies that change and show signs of age. Our brains change too, and along with it, our mental functions. This change can have far-reaching consequences, including decreased memory and depression.
But we don’t have to accept these changes as part of getting older. We can do things right now that will keep our brains young as the years progress. One effective tool for keeping your brain young is learning something new.
Learning a new language, developing a new skill or starting a new hobby are all ways to keep your brain young by giving it new challenges.
Stimulating and challenging your brain is important at any age but becomes vital for our mental health as we approach our senior years.
"He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything."
— Thomas Carlyle
Featured Practitioner
Dr. Martin Landau-North, LMFT, Ph.D; Psy.D
Inspired by Plato, who said, “that only the dead see the end of war,“ he has recently committed himself to a predominantly telehealth practice dedicated to our veterans’ needs. He has also worked intensively with Navy SEALS and their families for many years.
He’s a Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress, a Certified Addiction Specialist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. His specialties include Trauma, PTSD, Anxiety, Addiction, Couples Therapy, Sex Therapy, Hypnotherapy and Medical Animal ESA letters. He is Chief Examiner for the American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders.
Notably, Dr. Landau-North’s Therapy Dog, Simba, has clocked many hours as a faithful co-therapist — offering support when needed. Dr. Landau-North has lectured to hundreds of nurses, psychologists, medical students and psychotherapists during his career.
Dr. Landau-North has lectured to hundreds of nurses, psychologists, medical students and psychotherapists during his career.
He enjoys nothing more than thinking and catching up on his reading in his limited spare time, including searching for recipes to support his 15 years as a Vegan. “Dogtor” Simba, however, remains a devoted carnivore.
Dr. Landau-North is in private practice in Solana Beach, CA.
Community Events
Exposure & Response Prevention to Aid in Treating Gender Dysphoria Webinar
June 4, 2021, 8:30 A.M - 11:30 A.M
See San Diego Psychological Association for more information.
Integrated Behavioral Strategies for Pain and Opioid Management Webinar
June 9, 2021,10:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.
See American Psychological Association for more information.
#Equity Flattens The Curve Check-In Webinar
June 10, 2021, 1:00 P.M.
See American Psychological Association for more information.
Race-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Ethnic Minority Populations Webinar
June 18, 2021,10:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.
See American Psychological Association for more information.
National PTSD Awareness Day
June 27, 2021
Learn about National PTSD Awareness Day here. To learn more about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, visit The Department of Veterans Affairs website or search their database of hundreds of PTSD articles directly.
Do you have something to share?
We’d love to hear about your successes and accomplishments!
Have you:
Written an article?
Given a presentation?
Been featured on a podcast?
Contact us at info@helptherapy.com.
We welcome your feedback.
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Want to learn more about Help Therapy?
Visit helptherapy.com, call 858-481-8827 or email info@helptherapy.com