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january reflection: the value of rest
This past weekend, our Columbus team had a belated holiday celebration. We went to AR Workshop in Worthington to get crafty together, enjoy each other’s company, and reflect on 2022. North High Street in Old Worthington was quaint and idyllic as ever, and it was lovely to celebrate a year of growth for our practice — but also really nice to get a little taste of that holiday cheer now that we are thoroughly mid-winter.
As you may imagine, during January therapists help a lot of folks manage that dive from the height of holiday commotion into the part of winter that is less, well, dynamic. With that can come seasonal dips in mood, increased anxiety, and general malaise. And the truth is we are not immune to it either! Not that everyone experiences full-on Seasonal Affective Disorder, but most people feel a little “blah” this time of year. Maybe you have been, too.
There are the usual suggestions of course — exercise, rest, therapy, vitamin D, a sunlamp. But something else I’ve always encouraged my clients, employees, and loved ones alike to do during this season is to try to embrace what our environment is demanding of us. It is really, really hard to slow down in modern life. School and work and rehearsals and meetings and housework: these things do not really stop. But in the moments where we have a choice, rare as they are, it can feel really good to stop fighting against our bodies and the weather, and remember that there is value in rest.
I made a big change in January. I have stepped back completely from working with clients to focus on running Wild Hope. It was an excruciating decision to make. The new year started with saying goodbye to folks I had worked with for years – supported through having babies and live through an entire pandemic. Many are clients who stayed with me (thanks to telehealth) through two practices, a move from Columbus to Cleveland, and my own maternity leave. Part of this month’s reflection was intended to go more deeply into what we have planned for 2023. And it still will! But in order to make big plans for this year, and to make sure my clients would be getting services from a therapist who was 100% present for clinical work, meant letting go.
What does this have to do with winter malaise and seeking rest? Well, I’ve really had to take my own advice since concluding with a caseload of folks I’d been working with for almost 4 years. There’s been a lot of reflecting, a lot of self care, and a lot of giving myself patience as I reorient myself, personally and professionally, to be a full-time business owner. But that is the beauty of slowing down. It gives us the gift of pausing to process what has been, and for a bit, to just be still.
And from there, well, then you get to planning!
So what do we have in store after we’ve allowed ourselves to hibernate a little this winter? These are the things we are most excited to work on as a team in 2023:
Continuing to bring exceptional mental health care to folks across Ohio by collaborating and consulting as a team between our two offices in Columbus and Cleveland
Expanding our perinatal services through educational and supportive programming for pregnant clients and new parents; and providing comprehensive support and training to our dedicated perinatal team
Developing continuing education courses on topics such as perinatal mental health, trauma, and other specialties for our colleagues in the mental health space
Connecting with our local mental health community through organizations with similar missions and values; and engaging in advocacy as a team around the issues that impact our clients the most
As we gear up for snow and 17 degree weather this week here in Cleveland, I know I will be practicing (or trying to practice) acceptance, self-compassion, and doing what I can to focus on my family. And when I need that little bit of motivation or burst of energy to keep up with all of life's demands, I’ll be imagining and planning for all the things to come in 2023. From under my fleece, weighted blanket, of course.
book review: Atlas of the Heart
by: julie iuliano, lisw
I fell in love with Brené Brown's work a long time ago, and when her latest book Atlas of the Heart came out in the fall of 2021 I thought it would be similar to her other works around courage, bravery, and vulnerability. It is not. Atlas of the Heart explores 87 emotions we experience as human beings, and as Brown would say, “it was a game changer.”
I often say to clients when we talk about connection or how to express self-compassion that “we never got to learn this in school.” There was something very intimate about this book, and frankly hard to write about now, because it exposes so many vulnerable parts within us– parts that are possibly linked to previous painful experiences we might not have been given the tools to explore before. This naturally leads to the discovery or acknowledgement of what that part of the self was experiencing and might still need. Sectioned into chapters such as “Places We Go When We’re Hurting” or “Places We Go With Others,” the format of the book enhances this experience. This particular style of organizing the book’s main concepts serves to transport the reader to these “places” during the reading experience, and while you’re there, consider what might need to be healed.
It’s safe to say this book has become my translator for explaining and understanding emotional experiences. When I hear someone express an emotion or experience, I want to bring Atlas of the Heart into the conversation. Many of the concepts resonated deeply, such as: the difference between being overwhelmed and stressed or the useful reframing of “pride” as healthy. Particularly poignant was Brown’s application of the Bhuddist concept of “near enemies.” Used to describe emotions that are similar but in fact very different, near enemies helps us to see how we may be extending our own boundaries. An example would be kindness and selflessness. We valorize kindness and generally consider it good to be “good”; but not setting boundaries or not taking care of ourselves for the sake of others is harmful. The difference can be really difficult to catch if we don’t have language to label that fine line.
The passages I refer to the most in sessions are around perfectionism, belonging, connection, and empathy (not surprising since Brown is famously a “shame researcher”). The book helped crystallize my understanding that perfectionism is an underlying fear of what others will think. It is a desire to experience as little vulnerability, and therefore potential pain, as possible. I know when clients talk to me about perfectionism that we have to talk about underlying shame and the need for empathy. This concept has helped to shape conversations about the larger social constructs that have told us we are only valuable or worthy if we meet arbitrary, unattainable standards.
In outlining each of these 87 emotions, Brown supports her theory of what creates meaningful connection. Brown posits that in order to build authentic connections we need to be curious about ourselves and the world around us–which is difficult because it is so easy for us to become judgmental of others or ourselves, and shut down. But meaningful connection is built on the ability to hold all emotions, the good and the bad. And to do this not just for ourselves but for the people we care most about.
Brown’s authentic presentation of these big concepts is what makes them so useful. The book acknowledges that we are not going to get it right every time. Most of us didn’t grow up learning these things, or how to handle our complex feelings. We are each imperfect humans, growing from our own lived experience. Atlas of the Heart suggests that the way forward is being vulnerable, building genuine relationships, and doing the work together.
setting healthy resolutions amidst diet culture
by: Ashleigh Roosz, LISW-S
The New Year often brings with it a variety of feelings such as hope, anxiety and the desire for change. For many people, this takes the form of a goal to lose weight. The way we see our bodies and how we judge them can be influenced or exacerbated by cultural pressure around ideal body types and beauty standards. And we are surrounded by it from social media, movies and tv, magazines, and even health providers. There’s actually a term for this widespread messaging and the assorted lifestyle choices, products, and plans that go along with it: “diet culture.” Diet culture capitalizes on people’s insecurities by promoting everything from gym memberships, weight loss supplements, cosmetic surgery, and of course, fad diets, especially through the New Year period. Even when dressed up in positive sounding, wellness-related language, any parameters set around ones eating suggest that food and eating have a moral value, resulting in shame and lowered self-esteem.
According to NPR, an estimated 45 million Americans go on a diet each year, and Americans spend roughly $33 billion on weight loss products annually. Further, most diets fail or result in temporary weight loss at best. Not to mention that resolutions surrounding weight loss, and dieting in general, can be triggering for those in recovery of an eating disorder.
The cycle of dieting contributes to feelings of failure, disappointment, guilt, and hopelessness–and therefore may increase symptoms of anxiety and depression. One way to develop more adaptive thoughts and feelings about our body is to practice body acceptance. Unlike body positivity, body acceptance doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to have enthusiasm for every part of your body right away. Instead, it encourages you to refocus on the many things your body does for you and all needs of its needs–including enjoying things like food and rest.
Similarly, intuitive eating promotes listening to and respecting your body when it comes to food, hunger, and movement. It also suggests that part of our difficult relationship with food often relates more to other unmet needs, unacknowledged feelings and difficult emotions, and emphasizes developing other coping mechanisms and sources of comfort. Intuitive eating does not mean adopting unhealthy eating patterns, but offers the concept of gentle nutrition–that food is to be enjoyed, and that we do not need to eat perfectly to be healthy. This allows for the enjoyment of food, and reinforces the idea that what we eat is morally neutral.
If you find yourself still getting drawn into the whirlpool of “diet culture,” here are some ways to redirect yourself.
If you’re thinking of starting a new diet, ask yourself “why?” Check to see if the answer is in line with your personal values and your other goals for yourself.
Set boundaries with yourself and others around your engagement with diet culture. You can change conversations away from weight loss and diet; unfollow social media accounts focused on diets; avoid body checking (progress pics, weighing, etc.)
Avoid using exercise as punishment. Reframe exercise as movement, and possibly find new things that feel good in your body (a dance class, walking, simple stretches, etc.)
Turn to your social supports when you’re struggling, and surround yourself with those who uphold the same values
Identify other comforts or coping skills for difficult moments. Therapy can help with this!
This year, consider an anti-diet culture mentality. Make space for the goals that are more aligned with your personal values and support your unique definition of health.
november reflection: create, nurture, grow
by: stephanie purdom, lisw-s
When we first had the idea for me to start a monthly reflection on wild hope therapy’s blog, it felt serendipitous. November is a special month for me as it contains both of my children’s birthdays.
It was my son James’s birth five years ago that inspired me to move into private practice in the first place. The allure of a flexible schedule as a new parent, along with the desire to connect more deeply with my clients after experiencing such a deep emotional shift during my own matrescence, led me to make the transition shortly after he was born. Further, it was my experience with both prenatal anxiety and postpartum anxiety and depression that inspired me to become a perinatal mental health specialist. (Within a year of his birth, I attended PSI’s certification training.) And it was during my second pregnancy, beginning in March of 2021, that I decided to build a group practice.
I spent my entire pregnancy with Iris building Wild Hope. From hiring my first employee (now our clinical director, Maggie Reinmann) to scouting and furnishing offices, writing mission statements, learning business basics that they most certainly do not teach you in graduate school — all while navigating the pandemic, moving to a new city, and raising my sweet son.
I’ve sometimes questioned that decision and wondered if I should have slowed down and let myself experience that pregnancy more mindfully, or caused less chaos for my family, or had more time to set up our new home in Cleveland. So much of the work I’ve done with perinatal clients (and parents in general) is figuring out how to support your family while still maintaining your own goals and interests. But as my brain went down that path, I had to remind myself of something else that’s come up in sessions repeatedly. Amidst the exhaustion, the preparations, and sometimes, the complications — pregnancy and parenthood can also be a time of creativity, when the exhilaration of bringing your baby into the world makes you think of what else you could accomplish.
So when I carried my now one-year-old daughter down the stairs and into the kitchen this morning, and my husband, son and I sang her “Happy Birthday” as she giggled and bobbed, smiled and sparkled, I thought not just of the miraculousness of her and her first year of existence, but of all that had been born and nurtured since we first found out we’d be welcoming her.
It’s really cool to see your children grow. Like, it’s probably — no, it is — the coolest thing I’ve ever witnessed. But I can’t deny the similar excitement I feel as our practice has grown as well. Our team of two has grown to a collective of 14 incredible professionals, all committed to providing trauma-informed, affirming mental health care. A once-completely virtual operation now has physical locations in both the Columbus and Cleveland areas, while still providing accessible and reliable telehealth. Next month I will share more of what this amazing team has accomplished in 2022, but also what we hope to create, grow and nurture in 2023.
november is Native American Heritage Month
Madison Eagle, LSW, provides an Indigenous approach to therapy, which provides space for processing the effects of systemic and institutional oppression on communities of color and all marginalized identities. In this post, Madison reflects on the history of Thanksgiving and experience of Indigenous people in the Ohio area.
Content Warning: genocide, oppression
November is recognized as Native American Heritage Month[1], it’s a time to bring awareness to issues facing Indigenous peoples and the history of colonialism in our country. This week families will also be gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a time to be with loved ones, to show gratitude, and to eat an excessive amount of food. For many Indigenous peoples and families, it is a day of mourning[2]. A day where we gather to honor ancestors and Indigenous resistance to colonialism from the past, present and future. In the United States we are taught a simplistic and false narrative about the origins of Thanksgiving as a gathering between pilgrims and Native Americans as friends to celebrate and express gratitude[3]. In the historical record, the actual Thanksgiving is highly debated, one date that many focus on as a potential origin was the 1621, which a gathering did happen between colonizers and the Wampanoag tribe, however the time was marked with massacres, disease and violence toward Indigenous tribes.
In the reconstruction era, Abraham Lincoln utilized a mythological version of Thanksgiving that we have come to know today, as the happy and friendly dinner between two groups that had many differences. This narrative was meant to promote unity between the North and South following the Civil War[3]. This selective historical memory goes beyond Thanksgiving to Columbus Day, and other historical moments. It is these false stories that have contributed to the invisibility of Indigenous peoples in the present day. Painting a picture that Indigenous tribes are relics of the past, that the expansion of America was destiny and was morally righteous.
Ohio is geographically and intellectually distanced from Indigenous communities and issues. Ohio has no Federally recognized tribal nations, and the population of Indigenous peoples here is .03% or about 35,398 people based on the 2020 census results.[4] These numbers enable a perceived invisibility for Indigenous families and communities.
Despite the low population numbers, Ohio has many markers that allude to the history of the land once being inhabited by only Indigenous peoples. We have named cities, counties, landmarks by using variations of Indigenous languages:
Cuyahoga: Mohawk, Meaning “Crooked River”; Seneca “place of the jawbone”[5]
Wapakoneta: Shawnee; Meaning: “Place of White Bones” [6]
Sandusky: Wyandot; Meaning “Water (within pools of water)” or “At the Cold Water” [7]
Ohio: Seneca; Meaning “Great River”[8]
Before colonialism and European contact, this area was home to the Shawnee, Potawatomi, Delaware, Miami, Seneca, Peoria, Ojibwe and other migratory Tribal Nations[9]. And their ancestors were the Moundbuilders. They created huge, beautiful, ingenious mounds, cities, gathering points, and trade markets. Some of these mounds have been preserved and we are able to visit them to see the mastery, and brilliant scientific feats that Indigenous people put into creating these works. The Newark Earthworks[10] and Serpent Mound[11] are remarkable examples of their ingenuity. The mounds were built in alignment with astrological movements, eclipses, solstices, constellations. These were massive sites, requiring planning, mapping and coordination dated to about 320 BCE and utilized until approximately 1100 CE.
The land that we call our homes now, has always been and will always be Indigenous land. The United States and European governments stripped the people from this land through the 1795 Treaty of Greenville[12] and then the forced and violent removal of Tribes in the 1830 Indian Removal Act[13]. While the original peoples were pushed west, they left their marks here to never be forgotten.
One of the struggles of Indigenous peoples in the United States and Ohio is feeling that we have been forgotten. We are told that we don’t exist, that Native Americans were all killed off, or that we only live out west. Indigenous peoples are still here, we have always been here and we will always be here. I encourage you to spend time this Thanksgiving reflecting on our shared history and support Indigenous peoples who are here now[14].
This November you can do just that, recognize and celebrate the First Peoples of this land and help Indigenous communities continue to thrive.
Here are some places to start your education and supporting Indigenous creators and businesses:
Social Media:
Books:
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
Podcasts:
Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo
Movies/TV:
Blood Memory: A Story of Removal and Return
Shop/Buy:
Wado (Cherokee: Thank you)
Niyaawe (Shawnee: Thank you)
Citations:
https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/cuyahoga-river
https://www.wapakoneta.org/wapakonetas-native-american-history/
https://ohiohistorycentral.org/index.php?title=Ohio&mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop
https://cbsc.osu.edu/about-us/land-acknowledgement
https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/browse-historical-sites/newark-earthworks/
https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/browse-historical-sites/serpent-mound/
https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Treaty_of_Greeneville_(1795)
when gratitude becomes toxic positivity
Well, it’s almost Thanksgiving and that means every other social account (including ours!) is going to be posting about gratitude. Gratitude is one of those ever-present suggestions from therapists, like deep breathing and regular movement, that, although simple, just works. Simple and evergreen as these tips may be, they also aren’t always easy to implement or keep up with. Like any self-care practice, forced gratitude not only won’t work, but can increase feelings of anxiety, depression and shame.
What is a gratitude practice and how does it help?
There are many ways to practice gratitude. Generally, the difference between expressing gratitude for people and experiences in our life sporadically and practicing gratitude is repetition. Activities that can be incorporated into a gratitude practice might include:
Keeping a gratitude journal
Meditating on people or experiences for which you are thankful
Doing something kind for someone else
Telling others you are grateful for them
Discussing the things you are grateful for with friends and family
This works because by doing something over and over we build new neural connections in our brain. Gratitude specifically is shown to produce serotonin and dopamine, the neurotransmitters responsible for making us feel “good.” This also supports “cognitive restructuring,” or the reframing of our negative thoughts.
All of this leads to greater appreciation for our positive experiences, higher tolerance for the negative ones, and increased connection with the people who mean the most to us.
Okay but what is toxic positivity?
You know those times when you just cannot make yourself believe something positive? When, even if you can think up a positive spin on a situation, it doesn’t change how you feel? Well, that is ok. If you are feeling down, having trouble seeing the good in life, or have negative thoughts about yourself and others consistently for a week or more, that is a sign of depression and you should seek support from a mental health professional. However, feeling down from time to time – and having negative experiences – are a normal part of life. Sometimes it is more effective to practice distress tolerance and radical acceptance over toxic positivity.
Verywell Mind defines toxic positivity as “the belief that no matter how dire or difficult a situation is, people should maintain a positive mindset.” If you don’t believe a statement of gratitude, it is not going to have the same impact on your mood and outlook as something that feels true to you. And worse, if we think we should have complete control over our thoughts and emotions at all times, when we are not successful we can feel even worse about ourselves than we already did.
What can you do instead?
Again, if you are consistently experiencing low mood and negative outlook, it is time to seek support from a mental health professional. But it is also healthy to acknowledge your authentic experience of a situation and try to hold your negative feelings. Some ways to do this are:
Journal about what you are thinking and feeling
Apply “radical acceptance” – the practice of non-judgement of an experience. This does not mean you are endorsing the negative experience. Instead we acknowledge the reality of what we are feeling, accept what we cannot control, and identify what options we do have.
Distress tolerance skills: Movement, deep breathing, and coping thoughts are all examples of skills that help us increase our ability to handle negative emotions until they pass.
Share with a trusted friend or family member
Rest or get some sleep
Talk to a therapist specifically about the experience of holding negative feelings during a time when you feel pressured to be grateful
As the year comes to an end, it can be a rewarding and joyful experience to think of what we are grateful for and celebrate all that we have. At the same time, part of mental wellness is knowing that holding our negative feelings will not negate the positive ones. And our ability to feel the full range of human emotion is truly something to be grateful for.
how to cope when everything feels out of control
by: amanda winck, lsw
When I chose to write about anxiety and current events, my mind was spinning with a million things I could talk about–covid, monkeypox, gun violence, climate change, racism, sexism, inflation–and then I realized that the problem is being exposed to all of these problems, every day, all of the time. When we have our own anxieties, like work stress, relationships, and family, it can be challenging to make any more emotional room for the anxieties of the world. With unlimited access to the news through social media, we are often bombarded with these topics whether we want to be or not. We are constant consumers of information, and it is taking a toll on all of us.
So, how do you know if you’re anxious? You might have racing thoughts, increased heart rate, and shallow breathing. You might also find it difficult to concentrate, or feel unmotivated. You might get angry easily or feel irritable most of the time. Anxiety can stem from feeling ‘out of control’, and being out of control in many ways has been our reality for years; So, it isn’t surprising that we are feeling our anxiety increase.
Anxiety can sometimes feel like the enemy, but it’s important to remember that it also serves a purpose. It helps us survive by allowing us to assess potential threats around us, referred to as the ‘fight-or-flight response’. Our anxiety is just trying to protect us, even if the same threats our ancestors faced are no longer a threat in modern society.
What if your anxiety feels unmanageable, or is impacting your ability to function? Here are some coping skills that anyone can use to help reduce anxious symptoms:
Focus on what you can control- it can feel like we don’t have control over anything when our anxiety is high. A simple exercise that can help is the ‘circle of control’ exercise. Make a target on a piece of paper- in the center circle, write out things that are inside your control (Ex. what you say, what you do, your behaviors and reactions), and in the outside circle, write out the things that are outside of your control (Ex. what other people think and feel, how others behave). Refer back to this when it feels like you don’t have control.
Limit the amount of time spent online/reading the news/using social media- The news cycle is 24/7, but we don’t have to be! The news will always be there, and it will always be updating. It’s okay to limit the time you allow yourself to stay up-to-date on the latest news. Maybe allow yourself 1 hour per day of online activity, or maybe only 5 minutes! Whatever time feels right to keep your life balanced.
Make time for yourself- I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘self-care’ being thrown around a lot these days, suggesting that if you take a bubble bath and get a pedicure, you’ll feel better. And that might work for some, which is great. But self-care can also mean:
Saying no to invitations, extra work, or social hangouts–no explanation necessary! Remember that “NO” is a complete sentence.
Listening to guided meditations
Engaging in mindful movement, like yoga or walking
Unplugging from technology, even for an hour- a little goes a long way!
Lighting your favorite candle
Get out into nature (your yard counts!)
Hydrate
Shower or bathe
Stretch
Clean your work area
Spend time with your pet
Rest
Schedule worry time- One of my favorite coping strategies is to schedule worry time every day. This is about giving yourself permission to worry, but only for a limited amount of time. For example, you could set a timer for 30 minutes and allow yourself to worry, either through thinking or writing. When the timer goes off, stop thinking or writing and move on with your day. When worry thoughts come up again (and they will!), tell yourself “This is not worry time, I’ll save this for later”. This can also be helpful when trying to sleep, because anxiety tends to increase during bedtime when we are processing and storing things away- thanks brain!
Anxiety impacts all of us at different times and on different levels. The coping strategies listed above are by no means an exhaustive list, but it is a good starting point! If you’d like to process your own anxieties and have a safe space to process world events, reach out to a therapist at Wild Hope!
what is short-term therapy or brief therapy?
There is a movement in the mental health community around short-term care. Oftentimes this is due to insurance coverage or Employee Assistance Programs, but sometimes it can be exactly what we need in a certain stage of life.
Short term care can be beneficial in many scenarios:
You are seeking space to check in around a specific topic or concern.
You’ve had long-term counseling previously and just need to brush up on some coping skills.
You’ve had long-term counseling previously, and have noticed a recent increase in symptoms that were previously managed.
This is your first time attending counseling and want support in a life transition such as a new relationship or changing your career.
You want to prepare for an upcoming event or transition.
Wherever you may find yourself, a shorter term of care can feel supportive through the identification of specific goals and direct, intentional problem-solving.
Brief therapy usually lasts eight to ten sessions. You and your therapist will decide on 1-3 short, realistic, and focused goals. These goals can be related to a pattern of behavior you might be noticing, but will also address the underlying learned beliefs and messages about yourself and the world.
Short-term work asks for a willingness to have honest check-ins with yourself. Your therapist will provide accountability planning to make sure you are sticking to your chosen goals, while also creating space for goals to be changed or modified. Brief therapy means rolling up your sleeves and recognizing how your thoughts, feelings and sensations can impact your behavior. It is intensive work that will inform a strategy for change that lasts well beyond your 8-10 session.
One evidence-based approach used in brief therapy is Solution-Focused Therapy. Solution-Focused Therapy focuses on, you guessed it, the solution. This therapeutic technique offers scaling questions to determine your own goals, motivations, and confidence towards change. Additionally, the client is empowered to decide what the solution looks like, not the therapist. This creates a higher level of intrinsic motivation, resulting in the changes of behavior you wish to see.
If a brief, focused approach feels right for your personal style or stage of life, consider a short-term therapeutic care approach. Julie Iuliano, LISW uses this style of therapy in her practice and offers a free consultation to find out if brief therapy is right for you.
building awareness around perinatal mental health
From conception through the first year after birth, known as the perinatal period, is a time filled with highs and lows for most growing families. For 1 in 7 new mothers, 1 in 3 BIPOC mothers and 1 in 10 new fathers this time may also be wrought with a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder (PMAD).
PMADs include postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD and postpartum psychosis. Perinatal therapists also may treat Bipolar II disorder brought on by pregnancy. These diagnoses are unique in that their symptoms begin or increase in severity (ranging from mild to severe) during pregnancy or in the year postpartum (after birth). It’s important to note that although challenging, PMADs are often TEMPORARY and TREATABLE.
“Becoming a parent can be the most joyful and most challenging experience of a person’s life. A new mom is wading through an incredible amount of transition while also trying to meet the needs of a new baby who didn’t come with instructions,” said Sara Parko, LSW, who specializes in perinatal mental health at Wild Hope Therapy in Columbus, Ohio.
Perinatal mental health treatment focuses on addressing the symptoms experienced through psychoeducation and evidence based, client centered treatment aimed at supporting a new or new again parent. “As a perinatal therapist I work with my clients to identify their challenges, whether it be anxious thoughts that impact their ability to bond with or care for their newborn, or a belief in their need to be a perfect parent; we then explore their strengths and resources to overcome the challenges and help each new parent meet their goals,” Sara said.
Another way that Sara works to increase support for new parents in the Columbus area is by planning and hosting Postpartum Support International’s annual fundraising and awareness building walk, Climb Out of the Darkness.
“Climb Out of the Darkness is such a great event that brings the community together and allows a new mom to see that there are plenty of other mamas with similar mental health journeys, 1 in 7 actually – which is a whole lot of women,” Sara said. “Most importantly, however, I hope they see that they don’t have to go forward on their journey alone. I think this is especially important after the amount of isolation that new parents have felt over the last two years.”
Sara added, “we just don’t talk about the hard stuff enough and that can be really dismaying for a new parent. My hope is that through increased awareness of perinatal mental health and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, the conversations can begin, the stigma can begin to fade, and communities can increase support for new families through connection and therapy when necessary.”
This year’s Climb Out of the Darkness event will take place on June 25, 2022 at 10 a.m. at Fancyburg Park. To register to walk and/or donate please visit https://climbout2022.causevox.com/team/cotd-columbus-oh
the capacity to heal: therapy for trauma
In some ways, trauma can be better understood as a response to an event than the event itself. When our brain senses danger, it sends signals to the rest of our body to go into survival mode. If we are not able to process this event completely, the memory of this experience can get “stuck,” and when triggered, our brain and body will react as if the event is happening in the present. As Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris says, this system is incredible for escaping immediate danger like running from a bear. But when sufficient processing does not occur–especially when the event is interpersonal and repetitive–we will continue to respond in the same way to people or situations that trigger that memory.
When our brain believes that it is constantly in danger, it will continue to do what it needed to do to survive in the past. This is why so many symptoms of trauma go overlooked. Symptoms such as angry outbursts, shutting down, avoidance, hypervigilance, defensiveness, dissociation and substance use are all behaviors that at one point helped us to survive but become maladaptive later in life.
Lindsey Vargo, LISW-S, a trauma therapist at Wild Hope Therapy in Cleveland, OH, advocates for a deeper understanding of trauma symptoms. “It isn’t about choosing to hold onto the past. It is truly an involuntary response that can be so overwhelming with physical symptoms outside of one’s immediate control,” she says. Lindsey uses a strengths-based approach to treating trauma, and helps clients to amplify their inherent wisdom and skills. Her approach acknowledges that shame and isolation inhibit healing and encourages radical compassion. “I wish we viewed surviving adversity on any scale as the strength that it is, rather than the shame and isolation that often accompany these experiences.”
Lindsey began her career as an advocate, working with victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking on an on-call basis. She has also worked in substance abuse treatment throughout her career. “I have found that the core of the work also relates back to trauma for many clients especially when approaching the maintenance stage of recovery.” Lindsey focuses her work back to trauma, as it often is the root cause for the behaviors her clients are hoping to change.
Lindsey primarily utilizes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy for the treatment of trauma. EMDR therapy doesn’t remove traumatic memories, but helps the client to stop responding to the memories as if they are happening in the present. EMDR relies on the brain’s ability to heal itself throughout the lifespan by building new neural pathways, also known as neuroplasticity. “I love working within the trauma specialty because of the capacity to heal and the resilience of the clients,” Lindsey says.
Something else that keeps Lindsey committed to trauma treatment is the belief that everyone is worthy of the chance to heal from their past. “Individuals deserve the opportunity to work through the past and feel empowered in moving forward in their future” she says. “It is inspiring and humbling to witness and I feel very fortunate that so many clients have been vulnerable in allowing me to assist in the journey.”
may is mental health awareness month!
Did you know that Mental Health Awareness Month was started in 1949? In some ways, it feels like mental health is becoming less and less taboo, and more accessible than ever before. Social media platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram provide experts open forum and easy access to information for consumers. The ubiquity of telehealth fueled by the pandemic makes therapy more convenient but also more accessible for folks in rural and underserved areas. But in certain contexts, mental health still carries a stigma that keeps those suffering isolated.
The statistics will be everywhere this month: 1 in 5 adults experience a mental illness and 17% of youth 6-17 years of age experience a mental health disorder; 1 in 5 people report that the pandemic negatively impacted their mental health. And still only 45% of adults and 51% of youth actually receive treatment.
As a therapy practice in Columbus, Ohio, the state of mental health and treatment options in our state is particularly concerning. In the 2022 The State of Mental Health in America report, MHA reported that Ohio has slipped from 11th to 25th in state rankings based on prevalence of mental health issues and access to care.
If we’re still dealing with stigmatization and limited access to treatment, it’s hard to know how to impact mental health awareness. Depending on where you are in your mental health journey, it is most important for you to first identify your own needs and boundaries. If connecting with others around issues of mental health, whether it be through advocacy or interpersonally, feels adaptive to you, there are many ways to contribute to mental health awareness.
Connect with friends and family: Simply being open with trusted friends and family members about our experiences can help others to see that it is common to need support for their mental health. Connecting with others we respect and trust helps to normalize the experience and increase likelihood of seeking out care.
Follow and share social media accounts that provide supportive messages from a variety of voices: There are so many contributors to the mental health side of social media, especially on IG. There are countless diverse and informative creators such as Nedra Tawwab, Lisa Olivera, and Make Daisy Chains.
Get active in your community through advocacy: engaging with local mental health organizations such as NAMI, POEM or Climb Out of The Darkness increases visibility and supports the organizations doing work to ensure everyone gets the help that they deserve in your community.
'grief comes in waves': therapy for trauma and loss of all kinds
In the last few years, loss has been more present than possibly ever before for many of us. There has been incredible loss of life, but also loss of experiences, time with people we love, and normal life milestones. As we begin to slowly return to some semblance of life before the pandemic, the things we have lost and the things that will never be the same are more and more apparent.
Julie Iuiliano, LISW specializes in working with grief at Wild Hope Therapy in Columbus, OH. Julie helps her clients to understand that “we can experience grief even if it’s not around someone we lost.” Similarly to our collective experience of adjusting to life two years into a pandemic, those who are processing trauma often find the need to grieve what they lost or missed out on due to circumstances out of their control. Things like a relationship with a caring caregiver, a playful childhood, typical emotional development, and other milestones may all need to be labeled and mourned as part of the process of addressing trauma and loss.
Grief and trauma often go hand-in-hand, and therapy for both concerns can be similar. Julie became focused on grief therapy through her work with children who lost family members to murder. Julie noticed that grief is something that is often done in isolation, and those who are grieving can feel pressure to appear “ok” long before they are actually ready to acclimate to normal life. “It reminded me that we hide grief away societally, and it is a universal experience whether it is processing the loss of someone we love or managing life transitions,” Julie says.
In The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion said “Grief is different. Grief has no distance. Grief comes in waves, paroxysms, sudden apprehensions that weaken the knees and blind the eyes and obliterate the dailiness of life. Virtually everyone who has ever experienced grief mentions this phenomenon of ‘waves.’” Rather than promising to help someone feel exactly like who they were before the loss, Julie sees grief work as a process of adaptation and integration. She says “I enjoy watching someone understand how to integrate their grief, and find new ways to identify who they are.”
When working with both grief and trauma, Julie does not shy away from the fact that the work can be difficult. But she believes that therapy can help to create acceptance and resilience. Of her previous work with children with adverse childhood experiences, Julie says “I enjoyed noticing the resilience and healing that therapy could provide.”
It also can be difficult to open up about grief and trauma, but the role of a grief therapist or trauma therapist is to support the client in developing trust and a sense of safety. Julie finds that providing education about how the body responds to stress and using that to develop coping strategies can be effective for clients. “Often, individuals do not wish to share their stressful experience, but understanding the stress response in our body, and speaking about our emotions and identity, is something I am honored to journey with clients on.”
Recovering from loss and trauma is a process of creating meaning out of your experiences. Julie helps her clients to feel safe and supported as they embark on this difficult journey because she feels passionate that healing is possible, even if it is hard. She says “This process might be hard because it’s soul work.”
why "fit" matters in therapy
If you have a consultation with any Wild Hope Therapy provider, they will reiterate again and again the importance of “fit” between therapist and client. Our values as a practice include being accessible and authentic in our work with our clients for this reason. Study after study after study has shown that the most predictive factor in a positive outcome from therapy is a strong therapeutic alliance. In other words, the better the relationship and connection you have with your therapist, the more effective therapy will be. We want to make sure that we are able to develop a real relationship with our clients because that is what is most predictive of real change for you.
While therapeutic alliance is the primary predictive factor of success, it’s important to know what goes into a successful relationship with a clinician, or what makes a “good fit.” Back when I was first starting in private practice I came across this article that I thought was helpful for anyone searching for a therapist, whether for the first time or the 100th time. Some of my favorite tips from this piece include: treating your consultation like a first date (chemistry matters!) and looking for affordable options (talking about money is hard for everyone, but a good therapist should lay out your options for you to make an informed decision.) I wanted to add a few of my own tips for this process:
Take your time and interview as many clinicians as you need to feel confident. I work with a lot of clients on assertiveness, so what better first step than hiring (yes, hiring!) the best person for a job that only you can define.
Check out their website and social media presence. Not all practices have these things, but if they do this is a low stakes, low anxiety way to get a sense if the clinician’s approach and values are in line with your own.
Be clear on their treatment approach and that it is the right one for you. While the relationship is more predictive than the approach, you still should make sure that the clinician you're meeting with has the tools in their toolbox that you hope to use. If you want a trauma-informed, social justice-based approach, the clinician you’re consulting with should be able to speak to that. Really wanted to try EMDR? Ensure this therapist can provide that specific therapy and is properly trained.
Ask what experience the therapist has with concerns similar to yours. I don’t always have experience with the exact concern my clients present with, but I’m always willing to admit that, share relevant experience, and explain how I would educate myself to properly support them. A good clinician will also admit when they are NOT comfortable or equipped to treat a certain concern.
Don’t know what you’re looking for or how to assess “fit?” Just feeling nervous or anxious about your first time with therapy? You can say that, too. A therapist who is going to be able to attune to your needs and communication style throughout your work together should be able to guide an initial conversation that helps you both feel comfortable moving forward working together.
Every therapist at Wild Hope is prepared and eager to have these conversations with new clients. The importance of this process is why we offer a free consultation. Therapy is all about learning how to make choices in life that we can feel proud of. A great start to that journey will begin with allowing yourself the time, information, and space to decide who to partner with along the way.