coping


Understanding disenfranchised grief: Coping strategies and support for those who are struggling

Imagine suffering a terrible loss and not having it be understood by hardly anyone. Sounds pretty awful, no? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what disenfranchised grief is—a profound and often overlooked emotional pain experienced by individuals following a significant loss that society does not fully acknowledge or validate.  Disenfranchised grief can have…

Healthy coping mechanisms and strategies: Behaviors that can set you up for success

Coping strategies (referred to interchangeably as coping mechanisms or coping skills) are behaviors that are designed to help us reduce the negative emotions associated with difficult events, situations, relationships, and more. Coping mechanisms may be learned both consciously or unconsciously.  Learning and implementing healthy coping strategies is a routine part…

Coping with the loss of a friendship: How these connections evolve in adulthood and a counselor’s advice on allowing yourself to grieve

My dad is a psychologist—growing up, I remember him helping all types of people, from inmates prepping for parole to other children and teens who were having behavioral issues. As someone from a poor family and a rough area of Chicago, his life lessons were always insightful, if a little…

Missing the tailgates and cheering from the stands? College football fans are taking a hard hit this season

As soon as talk about a looming global pandemic swept across the States, everyone took a hard, isolated hit. For fans of sports teams, this was an especially hard transition in a unique way. Most major sports seasons were halted or altered—which meant that fans of these sports teams weren’t…

Get the latest mental wellness tips and discussions, delivered straight to your inbox.