Exploring the world of music therapy by Alexandra Cromer, LPC | Feb 20, 2025 | Beginning Therapy, Mental Health Topics Music therapy is a recognized form of psychotherapy used to help clients process experiences, express emotions, and develop healthier coping mechanisms. It is especially beneficial for those who struggle with verbal communication, have experienced trauma, or face medical conditions that hinder self-expression. Read on to learn more about how music…
Seasonal depression will peak the first full week of November in 2024 by Taylor Bennett | Oct 18, 2023 | Depression, Mental Health Topics, Research The health and wellness community has long used data trends to accurately predict spikes in colds, flu, and other ailments. Similarly, for the third year running, Thriveworks has analyzed Google data and weather patterns from the past several years to predict the peak and severity of this year’s seasonal depression….
There is no trust in my relationship — can we still make it work? by Emily Simonian, M.A., LMFT | Apr 19, 2022 | Ask a Therapist, Mental Health Topics, Relationships Q: I went through my boyfriend’s phone. All the girls he talked to while we were together are saved in his phone and social media, so while he was sleeping I deleted and blocked those girls. He got mad at me because he’s saying that I am trying to entrap…
How to have a creative renaissance! (Even when you have artistic burnout. And kids. In a pandemic. When everything is awful.) by Wistar Murray | Jan 25, 2022 | Mental Health Topics, Psychology, Self-Improvement For every Taylor Swift flourishing artistically during the pandemic, there are millions of suffering and burnt-out people who aren’t composing songs or painting portraits or writing novels. What have they been doing instead? Well, if they’re anything like me, they’ve been drowning in domestic labor, work, anxiety, childcare, and other…
How to relax when you’re feeling tense: Master these 5 tips by Taylor Bennett | Mar 19, 2020 | Mental Health Topics, Self-Care, Stress Sometimes, nerve-racking situations make us feel tense, such as the emergence and spread of COVID-19. It can feel like there’s nothing to do but wait it out; however, there are proactive ways to relieve your tense feelings now. First, try going for a walk: Spending time in nature will help…
Music can help kids better grasp concepts in math and science (Video) by Taylor Bennett | May 30, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Research Music can help kids excel in complex subjects like math and physics. Many kids are intimidated by these subjects in school. But music can help them better understand difficult equations and theories, according to researchers from the Athena Research Center’s Institute for Language and Speech Processing. For example, students used…
You can improve productivity at work by listening to music! (Video) by Taylor Bennett | May 17, 2019 | Mental Health Topics, Self-Improvement, Work & Careers Listening to music increases productivity and happiness at work. This, from researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University. The research team analyzed emotional and physiological responses to music, as well as how these responses affect work performance. They found that all music helps productivity and increases happy feelings at work, but certain…
Music and mindfulness can supplement stroke recovery! (Video) by Taylor Bennett | May 15, 2019 | Mental Health Topics, Psychology, Research Listening to music and practicing mindfulness can aid stroke recovery. Researchers from the Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and East Anglia recruited 72 participants who had suffered from a stroke and divided them into three groups. One group listened to music, another to audiobooks, and the final group to music as…
Music doesn’t enhance our creativity—it impairs it (Video) by Taylor Bennett | Apr 10, 2019 | Mental Health Topics, Psychology Despite popular belief, music doesn’t always enhance creativity. In fact, it can produce the opposite effect. Researchers from Lancaster University found people who listened to music experienced a dip in creativity. This study presented participants with verbal tasks in either a quiet environment or one in which they listened to…
New Study Supports the Belief That Music Is a Universal Language by Taylor Bennett | Feb 2, 2018 | Media Use, Mental Health Topics, Research When I was a junior in college, I studied abroad and taught English to hundreds of kids in Rwanda for five weeks. Those five weeks were the most exciting and influential weeks of my life—but they came with a fair amount of difficulties. Among those difficulties: learning to communicate with…
How Sadness Can Actually Make You Happy by Jon Negroni | Aug 28, 2013 | Feelings & Emotions, Mental Health Topics Get In Touch With Your Emotional Side It seems counterintuitive, but sadness can lead to happiness. If you want to thrive this week, consider getting in touch with your emotional side. To be clear, sadness does not always lead to happiness. Sometimes, you are just sad. Still, scientists have confirmed…
3 Types of Music That Can Improve Your Life by Jon Negroni | Aug 13, 2013 | Media Use, Mental Health Topics Music Makes Things Better Most of us are aware that music can have a bit of an effect on our emotions. Typically, we use our tunes to foster emotions we already have. If we’re feeling energetic, we like to listen to energetic songs. When we’re upset, we like to listen…