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There has long been a debate in the fields of business and education about what factors contribute more to success in school, at work, and in life. It has been coined as the “IQ vs. EQ” debate. IQ is short for intelligence quotient, while EQ stands for emotional intelligence. The basis behind traditional IQ tests is to measure the genetic potential for learning and believed, for the most part, to be unchangeable. The presumption is…

We often don’t equate school performance with what our children eat and we should. Studies from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) link healthy eating habits with higher academic achievement. It is important to remember that the brain consumes 20% of the body’s energy and needs to be fueled. Think of your car. Without the proper fuel it runs sluggishly or not at all. It’s the same with our children. Neurotransmitters are the fuel of…

When building a house, it is necessary to begin with groundwork and infrastructure. I recently watched a Youtube video on how to build a foundation, and I don’t even want to go in to how much work it is. Suffice it to say that you have to spend a lot of time, use good strong materials, and make sure you add plenty of support and reinforcements! If you think of mental fitness as a house,…

So, the Governor said we should stay home as much as possible.  This is very difficult for some, and downright untenable for others!  You may find yourself needing someone to talk with about your stress level, anxious, and/or depressed feelings.  We can help.  We have therapists ready and waiting to provide you with quality therapeutic services through Telemedicine. I know that you said you didn’t want to bother with it – that you’d rather wait…

I was riding my bike through the neighborhood this afternoon as I so often do, but today was not per usual. There were many more people outside than I am used to seeing in the muddy, wet, and chilly month of March in Minnesota, as we all dream about spring finally coming! I could feel a different energy in the air. It reminded me (obviously, I am a baby boomer) of waking up with excitement…

It becomes pretty easy to isolate ourselves from the world, especially when the CDC is encouraging people to avoid large groups due to the coronavirus epidemic. With spring break right around the corner, you might be frantically cancelling your cruise in hopes of salvaging some of that refund that they said was 100% refundable. After all your hard work cancelling all the plans you spent so much time organizing, you might be feeling defeated and…

  “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies” – Aristotle   I vividly remember a phone call I had one day with my older sister, as a young man, having recently met Sandy, my girlfriend, as a coworker in a busy restaurant. As big sisters do, she wanted to know all about her. “What makes her so special” she asked? “I don’t know; it’s hard to explain. I feel her all over.…

Thank you to Anne Floyd and Rob Winkler and  for authoring this article! It speaks to the value of Mental Fitness and how to Nurture your Mental Health. In a society that is often focused on material things, it’s easy to justify spending that improves our attractiveness. We have a natural incentive to care about what we look like: physical appearance is emphasized as the end-all be-all virtually everywhere we get our media. We buy…

When are you finally going to use that brain of yours? Think before you speak! Think before you act! Parenting teens can be very frustrating. Your children may not fully appreciate you now, but if you hang in there, they will in the end. I certainly appreciate mine for not yelling too loud after staying at the ice rink so long that I froze my toes; or the day I took a dare to immerse…

I was recently tasked to provide psycho-educational support to a high school that experienced a teen suicide. Three months prior, as a parent with a high school teenager, my community experienced a tragic teen suicide. Most of us have been touched by teen suicide in one way or another and we all grieve when children in our communities decide to take their life.  Our children’s sense of security can be threatened when they lose a…

I recently facilitated a counseling session with a couple who pushed back when I advised them against yelling at their 13 year old son. They informed me that they had been to a previous therapist who told them that they needed to “match” his energy when he misbehaves. I related some personal experiences of yelling at my son when he was 14. I was frustrated with some new (teen) behaviors he was exhibiting. As a…

Statistics show that Teen Depression is a common problem: About 20 percent of teens will experience depression symptoms before they reach adulthood Between 10 to 15 percent of teenagers have some symptoms of depression symptoms at any one time About 5 percent of teens are suffering from major depression at any one time As many as 8.3 percent of teens suffer from depression symptoms for at least a year at a time, compared to about…

Talking to a counselor is not just for the hard times in life! Here are ten good reasons to talk to a counselor ANY time.

How do you know if you or someone you know is suffering from anxiety? Here is a checklist that will help you identify some common symptoms.

How do you know if you or someone you love is struggling with depression or anxiety? Here is a checklist of symptoms that you should look for.