In Step Behavioral Health

*In Step Insight**

“Grief”

This March marked the 1year anniversary of the covid 19 pandemic. During this past year, there have been many changes in our lives. These changes are life losses. Life losses are anything that causes significant change to our lives. Grief is a highly personalized and normal response to life losses. Taking time to look at how we have been dealing with grief allows us to increase our awareness of our patterns in our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. Some unhelpful ways of coping include: distracting ourselves, avoiding issues of loss

Grief presents opportunities to grow. To become resilient. To find meaning and hope.

How can you move towards growth while in grief? By acknowledging it. By attending to it. By taking a look at how you have been responding to the pandemic and to the life losses and the significant changes in your life. By engaging in the active process of mourning and grieving, you are supporting yourself and engaging in the process of building resiliency. An opportunity to shifting from a victim stance to survivor stance and eventually to a conqueror stance.

A few questions to ask yourself as you are going through this pandemic are:

Have I experienced any significant changes to my life during this pandemic?

Would I consider them to be life losses?

Have I experienced grief this past year or am in grief currently?

Have I attended to myself and supported myself?

Following is a list that includes but not limited to helpful support that you can obtain for yourself in the community:

Support groups: Grief support groups, Faith based care groups, AA/NA support groups, hobby/interest related groups

Faith / Spirituality: faith-based services and events at your local place of worship – church, synagogue, temple, mosque

Faith based counseling by clergy

Therapy – individual, couples, family, and group therapy

Websites: Resources

https://mindfulnessandgrief.com/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychological-trauma-coping-and-resilience/202012/3-ways-grieve-when-your-grief-has-no-place-go

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/bravery-in-bereavement/202004/what-do-the-covid-19-pandemic-and-grieving-have-in-common

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-the-generations/201904/4-types-grief-nobody-told-you-abou

Nive Christodoss LCPC, CCTP is a licensed clinical therapist and certified clinical trauma professional with over 2 decades of experience providing psychological services. Nive specializes in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) , ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) and faith-based counseling to adults 18 and above. Nive develops individualized patient-centered treatment plans that utilize evidence based interventions and skills to

What Do the COVID-19 Pandemic and Grieving Have in Common? There are many parallels between pandemic stress and the bereavement process.

*Instep Insight**

A message from Dr. Rao...

“Today I am introducing the first installment of The Power of Wisdom; What it is and How to Harness it.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to review this brief message showing the relationship between wisdom and knowledge. You will also learn some basics of using self-reflection in your journey toward continually improving your decision making and taking actions based on wisdom.”

Knowledge and Wisdom:

A couple of well-known anecdotes is all that’s required to differentiate knowledge and wisdom.

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in the fruit salad.”

And, on a more practical level, we have:

“Knowledge is knowing what to say. Wisdom is knowing when to say it.”

Simply put, wisdom can be defined as having experience, knowledge and good judgment.

Self-Reflection:

Self-reflection is the process that leads to self-awareness. To better understand the varied components of your behavior, practice self-reflection by considering the following:

Needs, motivations and emotions.

Response to stress, anxiety and criticism.

Strengths, weaknesses and areas of self-improvement.

Ability to practice self-compassion.

Beliefs, values and how you see the world and you in it.

Purpose in life and that which brings your life meaning.

Tips on Practicing Self-Reflection:

Write it down! The process of documenting events of your day or life is a proven way to help you see relationships you might otherwise miss.

Gain a new perspective by reviewing your emotions, thoughts and motivations driving your actions and events around you.

Be a good listener and ask open-ended questions of yourself and key people in your life that you value.

If, after trying the suggestions above, you feel unable to self-reflect, I recommend trying an inspirational book, contacting a coach or mentor or consider working with a mental health clinician. In Step clinicians are here to help.”

For more information, please refer to the following:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201609/self-reflective-awareness-crucial-life-skill

Bangen K, et al. American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry. Defining and assessing wisdom: Review of literature

For more information on today’s topic please call (630) 262- 2640 or email [email protected].

About Dr. Rao

Dr. Georgina Srinivas Rao is an adolescent, adult and geriatric psychiatrist at In Step Behavioral Health, S.C. She is dedicated to learning, educating and collaborating with her clients and colleagues towards the goal and advocacy of mental wellness.

Click here to unsubscribe from these notifications

Self-Reflective Awareness: A Crucial Life Skill This blog defines self-reflective awareness and identifies its key domains.

*In Step Insight**

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!

With 2020 in the rearview mirror, did you make new year's resolutions or set goals for 2021? Or did you simply opt out, waiting for a return to normalcy?

Now is a good time to reflect on and gauge inner strengths that you might be underutilizing during these ongoing trying times. Ask yourself the following:

Do you take time to reflect on your thoughts and gain understanding from them?

Are you able to manage your emotions in a healthy way?

Do you have the emotional bandwidth to be kind to yourself and/or to others?

Are you able to be okay with others having morals and values other than your own?

Do your spiritual beliefs give you inner strength?

These questions are directly linked to key components of wisdom as identified by neuroscientists. Growing your wisdom will help toward setting and meeting your goals for 2021. Over the next several weeks I will provide an overview of the following elements of wisdom and offer tips to help you apply them in your daily life.

- Self Reflection

- Self Regulation

- Compassion for self and others

- Flexible mindset

- Spirituality”

Jeste-Thomas Wisdom Scale:https://medschool.ucsd.edu

Bangen K, et al. American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry. Defining and assessing wisdom: Review of literature

Treichler: International Psychogeriatrics 2020. A pragmatic trial of a group intervention in senior housing communities to increase resilience.

https://wiserthebook.com/

Call (630) 262- 2640 or email [email protected] for more information.

For more information please visit our webpage: www.instep360.org

In Step Behavioral Health, S.C. We provide expertise in the treatment of a wide array of psychiatric disorders ranging from depression and anxiety to thought disorders for populations 18 years of age and older. During all phases of consultation and therapy we listen closely to our