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Protecting Our Mental Health from a Divisive Political Climate

Protecting Our Mental Health from a Divisive Political Climate 1800 1200 Long Island Counseling Services

We’re witnessing an epidemic of division in America, one that’s grown rapidly since the 2016 election and continues to snowball. This intense polarization affects all aspects of life, but it’s especially harmful to our mental health. In psychological terms, “polarization” describes when beliefs become more extreme after discussion. Think about that: after we debate a point, we’re often more entrenched in our stance, even when it’s unhealthy. The constant divisive rhetoric we’ve seen since 2016,…

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How to Combat Election Stress

How to Combat Election Stress 1500 1000 Long Island Counseling Services

We’re less than a month away from the November election. While not everybody calls themselves “political,” those that are political often find that the weeks leading up to the presidential election can be some of the most stressful they experience in their day to day lives. Election seasons often bring heightened emotions, political debates, and media saturation, all of which can contribute to stress. Known as election stress, this type of stress can impact individuals…

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Why Is Mental Health Moving Away From Diagnoses and What Is the Benefit for Patients?

Why Is Mental Health Moving Away From Diagnoses and What Is the Benefit for Patients? 2476 1651 Long Island Counseling Services

We talk about mental health in terms of conditions – anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. These conditions correspond to official diagnoses that many people receive in the context of their care. But the mental health world is also moving away from diagnoses. We still use them here in many situations, but we also believe that diagnoses can be inhibiting as well, both for treatment and for the patient. We might use the words “anxiety” and “depression”…

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What is the Impact of Parental Frustration on Children with ADHD?

What is the Impact of Parental Frustration on Children with ADHD? 2250 1639 Long Island Counseling Services

Parenting is *always* a challenge. Kids have a way of testing our patience, especially when it comes to being a good listener, behaving in public, doing what they’re told, respecting boundaries, and more. Children with ADHD and executive function disorder are no different, in the sense that they are likely to challenge you as will in ways that can lead to frustration and tension. One issue, however, is that many children with ADHD can cause…

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Dietary and Exercise Benefits for ADHD Symptom Presentation

Dietary and Exercise Benefits for ADHD Symptom Presentation 1500 1488 Long Island Counseling Services

ADHD is not preventable. There is very little a parent can do – or did – for their child to have developed ADHD. While things like limiting screen time and taking prenatal vitamins *may* decrease the risk of ADHD, it is believed to be entirely a developmental disorder that occurs no matter the behaviors of the parent. Once a child has ADHD, it is also not something that can be “cured.” But it may be…

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Watch Clinical Director Stacy Pellettieri on PIX11

Watch Clinical Director Stacy Pellettieri on PIX11 150 150 Long Island Counseling Services

The clinical director of Long Island Counseling Services, Stacy Pellettieri, was featured on PIX11 to discuss some of the challenges facing children in today’s schools that are still being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch Stacy discuss the missed social opportunities, anxiety, and other forms of learning that children missed out on during their formative years, and what the New York educational system may need to do to help address it:

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A Therapist for Back to School Season – Prepping Your Family’s Mental Health

A Therapist for Back to School Season – Prepping Your Family’s Mental Health 1562 1315 Long Island Counseling Services

We are on the cusp of back to school season, and that means that many families are preparing for the year ahead. They’re buying clothes. They’re picking up supplies. They’re navigating schedules. They’re trying their best to figure out how to make sure their child succeeds, and how to do so in a way that doesn’t impact their own lives. Even for those that are *more* than ready for back to school season to happen,…

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Seeing a Therapist for Sex and Intimacy – How a Psychotherapist Can Provide Support for Arousal and Longevity

Seeing a Therapist for Sex and Intimacy – How a Psychotherapist Can Provide Support for Arousal and Longevity 1563 1042 Long Island Counseling Services

Relationships are complicated, and so is sexuality. But in relationships where one or both partners desire sex with their spouse, sex and intimacy contribute to the both emotional and physical well-being of both partners. However, issues related to arousal, intimacy, and sexual longevity can arise, leading to stress, dissatisfaction, and strain in relationships. A psychotherapist, particularly one specialized in sex therapy, can offer valuable support in addressing these challenges, helping individuals and couples navigate the…

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Heat Related Depression and the Effects of Climate Change on Mental Health

Heat Related Depression and the Effects of Climate Change on Mental Health 1872 1248 Long Island Counseling Services

We typically talk about seasonal depression as a winter-disorder and, in some ways, that’s true. It has been linked to issues like isolation, light exposure, and much more. But “seasonal depression” is a more complicated than that, and a person can have season depression at any time – even during the summer months. These days, many people are having a different form of seasonal depression – not one caused by a lack of sunlight, but…

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How Therapy for Yourself Alone Can Save a Marriage Or Improve a Relationship

How Therapy for Yourself Alone Can Save a Marriage Or Improve a Relationship 1671 1136 Long Island Counseling Services

When a marriage is struggling and the couple wants to try to find ways to heal, they traditionally look at couples counseling. Couples counseling is one of the most effective solutions we have to help two people communicate more effectively and learn to love each other more strongly, and so it is natural to want to use couples counseling when you find that your relationship is struggling. But many people find that the real solution…

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