By Margaret Elle Wiggins, Ph.D. Stress and anxiety are common reactions to challenges that come up throughout our lives. However, when stress is experienced frequently or for extended periods of time, it can start to negatively impact our physical and mental health. Cortisol is a hormone that is released when the body experiences stress. In …
Written by: Margaret Elle Wiggins, Ph.D. As we step into the new year, many of us set resolutions with the hope of improving our lives – whether it’s increased physical fitness, learning something new, or making healthier choices. The challenge, however, is that these resolutions are often so lofty or specific that they can feel …
Written by: Beverly Sharifian, LPCC Neurodivergence has recently become a well-known term, as more and more people recognize that their brains may be wired distinctively. Those who are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can often feel relief after understanding why they may have felt different or faced particular challenges throughout their life. In this …
Written by: Beverly Sharifian, LPCC Many of us have heard of the immense benefits of meditation. There are great strides in neuroplasticity research indicating that our brains are malleable and have the ability to restructure themselves (Kabat-Zinn, 2013; Shapiro, 2022). What we often forget is that mindfulness, which is the ability to be aware …
Written by Beverly Sharifian, MA, APCC Many of us are unfortunately affected by cancer in some capacity- perhaps due to having battled with it ourselves, dealing with the diagnosis of a friend or family member, or having lost a loved one to it. Like many diseases, the physical aspects of care have been at the …
Written by Beverly Sharifian, APCC As the start of each new year approaches, most people set resolutions with good intentions. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take longer than a few weeks or a couple of months for well-intentioned people to stop persisting toward their goals. This is usually not a consequence of lacking motivation or enthusiasm for …
Written by Beverly Sharifian, MA, APCC The COVID-19 pandemic has had incredibly devastating and often lasting impacts both globally and on an individual scale. For some, it has even provoked a sense of chaos, making it increasingly challenging to make sense of the world. Historically, philosophers have tried to answer questions about the meaning of …
Written by Dr. V. John Nguyen I am not a productivity guru. As a matter of fact, if you look at my phone, you’ll see a graveyard of productivity apps that were once downloaded with such promise. I also have sticky notes that have fallen to the ground around my desk over the years …
Written by Sarah Jurick, Ph.D. For most of us, the last year and a half has been difficult for many reasons. Many have lost loved ones, fallen ill, cared for sick individuals, found themselves out of work, and missed celebrations of important milestones with friends and family. Not surprisingly, these adjustments have led to ‘tandemics’—epidemics …
Written by: Delia Silva, PsyD, ABPP-CN What is Long-Haul COVID? “Long-Haul COVID” is a term that has been used extensively in the media to describe people who have experienced persisting physical, cognitive, or emotional symptoms for months following recovery from the acute phase of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection. The reported symptoms have included: “brain fog,” …
Written by Stacy Ann Aquipel, PsyD If you’ve noticed yourself feeling more blah or meh in the past year, you’re not alone. Last April, a viral New York Times article identified languishing as possibly the dominant emotion of 2021. The term was coined by a sociologist named Corey Keyes, who compared it to the concept …
Written By: Angela J. Patino, Psy.D. The future is unwritten, 2020 is history, and one way we can improve our present is by reflecting on the lessons learned thus far. The following PNBC blog series will focus on highlighting lessons learned from the pandemic, with an emphasis on mental health. While we continue …
In a previous blog post, I discussed the emotional changes that may result from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Another consequence of TBI that patients may not recognize themselves are behavioral changes. It is crucial that loved ones pay attention to shifts in behavior in order to provide support and connect patients with the care they need. It …
“What is good for the body is good for the brain”. It’s a common adage that I typically tell patients, family, friends, or whoever will listen. I often discuss the positive impact exercise has on our ability to think—to learn and remember new information, focus, generate novel ideas, and be creative. Furthermore, exercise has positive …
You are what you eat. It’s a cliché phrase that most of us have heard but probably have not put much thought into. We know that certain types of diets can lead to health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol, but did you know that what you eat can also have an impact …
Having trouble sleeping lately? Whether it involves difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or feeling restless the next day, it is no wonder that with the ongoing pandemic, there has been a surge of troubled sleepers worldwide. Some experts are even coining the term “coronasomnia” for the increased COVID-19-related sleep issues, creating a vicious “insomnia-causes-stress-causes-more-insomnia cycle” …
It is hard to believe 2021 is less than 90 days way. This year, with all of the many challenges, seems to be flying by. With the transition to working from home, many employees have found themselves even busier than when they were working in the office. Add to that, school-aged and/or college-aged distance learners, and perhaps another adult or two also working from home, you can begin to feel like an afterthought in …
Survivors of traumatic brain injury are often left to deal with unforeseen changes and symptoms. Impact to various regions of the brain, such as the area responsible for regulating emotions, can cause survivors of TBI to sense a lack of control over their feelings. Adjusting to life after brain injury may also trigger stress and …
Have you been recommended a spinal cord stimulator (SCS) trial implantation by your treating physician? Are you wondering what to expect from the required pre-surgical psychological evaluation? Are you asking yourself, why is a psychological evaluation even required? Well then, read this article, you shall. What is a Spinal Cord Stimulator? In brief, an …
Anxiety is an emotion that we feel in response to a threat or a potential threat. Often, it helps us out. For example, anxiety can motivate us to practice an upcoming presentation for class, take a step back when standing at the edge of a tall building, or prepare for an important occasion like meeting …
