There are always a handful of roles that each of us are juggling. If you are a parent, a student, an employee, a caretaker, someone struggling with a mental health concern, or are just feeling overwhelmed with the responsibilities of day-to-day life, the idea of taking time for yourself may seem unimaginable. Sometimes it can be difficult to even take basic care of ourselves — but there are small things that can be done to make self-care and taking time for ourselves a little bit easier. If you or someone you know struggles to take time for themselves and it is affecting their mental health, Mental Health America and the mental health professionals at Dakota Family Services offer the following tips for taking care of yourself.…
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Change is a guaranteed part of life. It's something everyone experiences at one point or another — good or bad. Sometimes that change happens in big ways when we aren't expecting it or aren't prepared for it. These types of situations can make navigating your path forward really difficult. By providing yourself with tools for processing change, you can adapt more easily. If you or someone you know are attempting to process big changes and it is affecting their mental health, Mental Health America and the mental health professionals at Dakota Family Services offer the following tips for processing change.…
It's easy to fall into negative thinking patterns and spend time bullying yourself, dwelling on the past, or worrying about the future. It's part of how we're wired — the human brain reacts more intensely to negative events than to positives ones and is more likely to remember insults than praise. During tough times, negative thoughts are especially likely to spiral out of control. When these thoughts make something out to be worse in your head than it is in reality, they are called cognitive distortions. If you or someone you know are struggling to get out of thinking traps that affect their mental health, Mental Health America and the mental health professionals at Dakota Family Services offer the following tips for challenging negative thoughts.…
In challenging times, you may find that you have little patience with other people or get upset over minor things. Anger and frustration are complicated emotions that often stem from other feelings, like disappointment, fear, and stress. Taking some extra steps to decrease your overall tension can prevent your feelings (and the reactions that they cause) from spiraling out of control. If you or someone you know are dealing with intense anger and frustration that affects their mental health, Mental Health America and the mental health professionals at Dakota Family Services offer the following tips for coping.…
We all face trauma, adversity, and other stresses throughout our lives. When people think of trauma, they often think of things like abuse, terrorism, or catastrophic events (big 'T' trauma). Trauma can also be caused by events that may be less obvious but can still overwhelm your capacity to cope, like frequent arguing at home or losing your job (little 't' trauma). Trauma of any kind can be hard on your mental health but working on becoming more resilient can help you feel more at ease. If you or someone you know are dealing with trauma that affects their mental health, Mental Health America and the mental health professionals at Dakota Family Services offer the following tips for healing.…
Sometimes in life, we end up in situations that we just can't change. Radical acceptance is all about fully accepting your reality in situations that are beyond your control. This doesn't mean you should approve of the situation, are giving up, or that it isn't painful. You are still allowed to (and should) feel however you feel, but by accepting that it is what it is, you give the problem less power over you and you can begin to move forward. If you or someone you know are going through a challenging time that affects their mental health, Mental Health America and the mental health professionals at Dakota Family Services offer the following tips for success.…
Falan Johnson, LMSW, recently joined Dakota Family Services, an outpatient behavioral health clinic with clinics in Fargo and Minot. Johnson provides therapy for children, adolescents, and young adults, ages 7-25, out of the Fargo location. She is also available to provide online therapy appointments.…
Sleep is as vital to life as the air you breathe, the food you eat, and the water you drink—an essential building block for your child's mental and physical health. Adolescents ideally need 8-10 hours of sleep each night, and most have poor sleep habits—staying up late and sleeping in when they can. Sleep can also be an issue for toddlers. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that sleep problems affect 25-50 percent of children and 40 percent of adolescents.…
Whether it's cancer, a heart condition, or another chronic or catastrophic illness, a new medical diagnosis is a stressful and sometimes traumatic event. If you're like most people, you start by imagining the worst-case scenario and focusing on the limitations and changes the condition will bring to your life.…
There is so much more to healing than finding the right medication. Try one of these ways to improve your mental health and well-being so you can become your best self!…
Dakota Family Services, a highly trusted and respected behavioral health clinic, announced today they have partnered with North Dakota Autism Center, Inc., a pioneer in providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy in ND, to provide well-rounded, collaborative mental and behavioral health and ABA.…
Simply put, children on the autism spectrum have difficulties relating and responding to others. In more “clinical” language, autism involves impairments in social interaction, relationship-forming, and communication, along with restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior. In other words, their relationships tend to be one-sided.…
At Dakota Family Services, we understand that working with kids who are on the autism spectrum is not a one-size-fits-all approach. While many kids have things in common, it doesn’t make sense to assume the same approach will work with all children. It is called autism “spectrum” disorder because the symptoms vary from mild to severe, indicating the level of impairment and need for intervention.…
We’d love to get you started on a year of reading by giving you a free copy of the children’s book, “Project: Kids, Let’s Be Superheroes,” to provide children and their parents with information about mental health and emotional wellness. The book helps children understand their feelings, teaches them it’s normal to be anxious about change, and helps them find ways to cope with their emotions. Start the conversation about mental health and emotional wellness with this free book from the mental health providers at Dakota Family Services.…
One day last summer, I was reading a book and came across a line that spoke to me. In her book, "The Tenth Island," Diana Marcum wrote, "It had been a tumultuous week, and it occurred to me that in all levels of crisis, it is a good idea to lie down outside and look up."…
The Robert E. Herman Charitable Trust granted $43,000 to Dakota Family Services to be used for Virtual Behavioral Health Care and Education.…
When life throws a wrench in your plans, it can be difficult to feel grateful for the little things. We tend to focus on what we want and don't have, over what we want and already have. For example, it's common for people to focus on their lack of material blessings while forgetting about the blessings of a good friendship or caring family members.…
The long-term effects of being bullied or of being a bully are very real, and they can be quite severe. Kids who experience bullying are more likely to develop depression and anxiety disorders that can last into adulthood. They often have more physical illnesses, lower self-esteem, poor school performance, and disrupted sleep.…
Yoga for me is first and foremost a way to relax, unwind, and feel as though I am still improving my overall physical health. Yoga combines physical activity with mental calmness and provides a safe place for our minds and bodies to relax.…
April Morris recently joined Dakota Family Services, an outpatient behavioral health clinic in Fargo. Morris, a Licensed Master Social Worker, will provide behavioral health therapy for adults and adolescents 16 and over.…
It can be easy to get caught up in your emotions as you’re feeling them. Most people don’t think about what emotions they are dealing with, but taking the time to really identify what you’re feeling can help you better cope with challenging situations.…
Picture this; you have this big thing in your life coming up and it is going to be glorious. You have it all planned out and have pictured how it will go in your head just shy of one million times. And then…something changes or gets in the way of your perfectly imagined outcome. Taking the following steps will help you stay on track when something doesn’t go as planned.…
Art is a powerful medium for healing, and if you come into my office, you'll see I do a lot of art with my young clients. Sometimes it's too difficult for kids to access words to describe the hurt they feel inside. Art gives them an alternative way to communicate their thoughts and feelings that is less threatening and easier to access. Art is a way to open up a conversation in a non-confrontational manner.…
One in five adults and children experiences a mental illness in any given year. Those problems can contribute to onset of more serious long-term conditions such as major depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Approximately one-half of chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14. Unfortunately, long delays—sometimes decades—often occur between the time symptoms first appear and when people get help. These delays lead to problems at home, at work, in school, and in forming relationships. If someone in your life is going through a challenging time that affects their mental health, Mental Health America and the mental health professionals at Dakota Family Services give the following tips for being helpful.…
Having a baby can be the most miraculous event of your life. But what happens when that miracle is followed by depression? YOU ARE NOT ALONE. As many as one in nine women experience depression after having a child. It can cause serious symptoms, including the inability to fully care for yourself or your new child.…