Mental Health Archives - Page 4 of 13 - Healthy Minds Philly®

No Feeling Is Final

Imagine you are at your doctor’s office. The nurse takes you back to see the doctor – what do they do next? “Let me get your temperature, blood pressure, check your height and weight.” A process we are all used to: checking vital signs Imagine you’re a client of mine now (I’m a psychotherapist, or simply, a therapist). You come into my office. I’ll check your mental health vital signs: How are you sleeping? How's your appetite? Your mood? Are you having fun? Are you hanging out with people? So [...]

Janine Monico2022-08-22T20:45:40-04:00September 12th, 2022|Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health, Stress, Suicide Prevention|

Breastfeeding and Mental Health – It’s Personal

The arrival of a little bundle of joy brings heart-stealing smiles along with many opinions and advice about breastfeeding. Undoubtedly, nursing creates a physical and emotional attachment between mother and baby. It strengthens babies’ immune systems, and for moms, can reduce the risk of disease and bring joy and fulfillment. But not always. For some mothers, breastfeeding is extremely painful. Others cannot supply enough milk, which can lead to extreme feelings of guilt. Breastfeeding and anxiety often go hand in hand as infants on breast milk require frequent feedings. The [...]

Janine Monico2022-08-14T21:51:06-04:00August 4th, 2022|Family & Youth, Mental Health, Support, Women's Health|

Accessing Mental Health Services in Philadelphia

July is Minority Mental Health Month. While we celebrate the gains made by minoritized populations in the United States, much remains to be done. Notwithstanding the increased national dialogue around racism following the death of George Floyd, structural and interpersonal racism persist, with lasting effects on life expectancy and wellness of minorities. These disparities are endemic and affect access to and quality of healthcare and social and economic opportunities. Some concerning facts about health and wellbeing of minorities in the United States: Although suicide rates went down during the pandemic, [...]

Janine Monico2022-06-16T10:30:18-04:00July 1st, 2022|Mental Health|

The Search for Culturally Competent Care

Fans of the award-winning TV series ‘This is Us’ may remember the episode where Randall decides to switch therapists. The character—a successful commodities trader turned Philadelphia City Councilman—is African American, was raised by a white family, and struggles with anxiety and PTSD. He admits that he isn’t comfortable sharing many of his feelings with his current therapist. His new doctor is “cool, smart, funny, Black, young father... we got a lot in common,” Randall explains. Does your therapist ‘get’ you? The answer to this question is a key factor in [...]

Janine Monico2022-07-05T13:10:15-04:00July 1st, 2022|Mental Health, Racial Equity|