The Mental Health Connection
Welcome to The Mental Health Connection!
I personally want to thank you for trusting us with your clients.
At Help Therapy, we strive to find the best, most qualified mental healthcare providers that fit each client’s particular needs and desires. We also want the process of referring clients to Help Therapy to be quick and easy while providing the best customer service for all of our stakeholders.
You may have noticed that back in June 2020 we made some changes. We changed our name from Help Therapist to Help Therapy and changed our look. To keep up with our growing client base, we improved our technology—adding even more security, a more user-friendly experience and more marketing capabilities for our mental health practitioners, including enhanced bios. If you haven’t had a chance to see all the changes, visit helptherapy.com.
Another change we are making is creating a monthly newsletter for you, our valued network of practitioners and referring agencies.
We keep on top of the latest news and research surrounding mental health, as well as upcoming local events that may be of interest to you and other members of the mental health community. We want to share some of this information with you. We also want to give you the opportunity to share your accomplishments with our community members, such as patient success stories and presentations.
We hope you will find The Mental Health Connection informative and engaging. Let us know what you think. We are here for you.
Sincerely,
Annette Conway Psy.D CEO Help Therapy
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
The Mental Health America organization started mental Health Awareness Month in 1949. It’s a time to remember that mental health is an essential component of overall health and that we need to show compassion for those living with mental health challenges.
As we celebrate Mothers’ Day this month, consider how many mothers suffer from Alzheimer’s, dementia and other serious mental health diseases and challenges and how their families are affected. Treasure the time you have now with your mother, or as a mother yourself, and cherish those memories.
Telehealth for Mental Health
Face-to-face interaction has always been the standard for mental health care. Communicating by email or phone has usually been reserved for quick questions or emergencies. But times are changing. Now, consultations and sessions via video conferencing are becoming a preferred method of communication for many.
In 2016, less than 1% of all Medicare beneficiaries used a single telehealth service. But, between March and June of 2020, telehealth use by Medicare recipients soared to more than 20%, equating to nine million people using a telehealth service during this timeframe*.
But is the quality of care compromised for these telehealth sessions? According to one study done by McMaster University, telehealth cognitive behavioral therapy—including video conferencing, email and text modalities— proved to be more effective in treating depression than traditional in-person therapy.
Especially now, it’s reassuring to know that patients have options. They have more flexibility to get the care they need when and where they need it, without the added stress of arranging for time off work, childcare or transportation.
We understand that it can sometimes be difficult for someone to seek the care they need for a variety of reasons. Besides dealing with mental health issues, many need to juggle work, family and other demands. Regularly traveling to appointments may prove to be too much, causing appointment cancelations and less frequent sessions.
Our network of providers offer convenient and confidential video and phone appointments with no hidden costs or commitments. And, unlike many other telehealth services, Help Therapy providers are right here in your community. So patients can still meet face-to-face with their therapist, in-office or in-home.
Plus, patients are not restricted to just one way to connect with their therapist. A patient may prefer face-to-face sessions but schedule a video appointment when she can’t make her regular weekly office appointment.
At Help Therapy, our goal is to help people get the therapy they need. Telehealth opens the doors wider, making it more convenient for more people.
“We have a huge opportunity in this moment to create a better system that supports a balanced approach to telehealth, and we need to capitalize on it by designing a new future for telehealth that works for patients and providers.”
Sean Cavanaugh
Former Director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Here are just a few Help Therapy provider partners offering telehealth services.
Negar Nazari, Ph.D. Specialties: anxiety, depression, relationships, trauma, body image, eating disorders, chronic pain, academic/work challenges, identity and culture, family of origin and life transitions
Genevieve Gonzales, LCSW Specialties: anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, domestic violence, couples, sexual abuse, young adults, agoraphobia, art therapy, life transitions, cancer, relationships, seniors
James Goethel, LMFT Specialties: Depression, substance abuse, trauma, PTSD, ADHD, men’s issues, autism
Prioritizing Sleep in your Self-Care Routine
May is Mental Health Awareness month. In honor of this, we want to dive into one of the most important parts of mental health—self-care. Self-care is a very personal journey as we create habits that benefit our own physical and mental health. What is the best thing for you right now may not be the best for someone else.
That said, there are many self-care strategies that can apply to all of us. Today, we’d like to focus on one aspect of self-care that can have a significant positive impact on all of us — sleep.
Sleep and mental health are closely linked. It is something that many of us don’t associate with routines and strategies. You are not alone if you struggle with your sleep journey. Those with mental health problems are also more likely to suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Because sleep is so pivotal to our mental and physical health, it is important to dedicate time to ensure that you have the best recipe for success.
So, how do we create a self-care routine for better sleep?
This Month's Tip: Visualize the Results
Visualization is a tool that can be used to relieve stress and influence situational outcomes. Many successful athletes, musicians and artists attribute visualization to their success.
When using visualization, you can imagine detailed scenarios where you experience a situation precisely the way you want it. This intense detail forms an emotional connection. Your nervous system actually mimics the responses that are present when physically engaging in the scenario.
The more this visualization is practiced, and the more details are included and experienced, the more real it becomes to your#589900 brain. This technique often influences personal performance and situational outcomes. As a result, it’s helpful to practice visualization in preparation for important events, such as interviewing for a job, giving a presentation, or competing in a sport.
Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
- Mother Teresa
Featured Practitioner
Dyan M. Savery
Dr. Dyan Savery is a licensed clinical psychologist who has earned doctorates in both Clinical Psychology and Forensic Psychology. She was born and raised in Hawaii, which provided an environment of broad diversity and beauty. Dr. Savery came to San Diego, California to begin her college studies at UCSD and has remained in San Diego ever since.
She has over 20 years experience working with a variety of mental health issues including; depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, relationship problems, and autism. She also has worked extensively with teens and children with behavioral difficulties. Providing therapy continues to be Dr. Savery’s passion. Other services she provides includes; diagnostic clarity for patients including psychoeducation and understanding of a mental health condition and how to treat it, assessments and testing. In her spare time she is also a singer and songwriter.
Community Events
4th Annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium
May 6, 2021 • 10:00 AM
See NCO for more information.
CAHM Conversation: What is the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT)? Webinar
May 17, 2021 • 4:30 PM
See Community Alliance Healthy Minds for more information
NAMIWalks Creative Fundraising Virtual Event
May 22, 2021 • 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM
See NAMIWalks for more information
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.
What would you like to see in this newsletter?
Do you have a topic you would like discussed?
Have questions?
Want to learn more about Help Therapy?
Visit helptherapy.com, call 858-481-8827 or email info@helptherapy.com