In February 2023, the Columbia Heights Police Department awarded Canvas Health and our embedded social worker team of Eileen Crosby, Erin Buller, and Jessica Torrey with the 2022 T. Nightingale Community Policing Award.
The award is named after retired police officer Terry Nightingale and is given to those who exemplify a strong relationship with the community as well as above and beyond service.
The text of the award is as follows:
The T. Nightingale Annual Community Service Award is reserved for up to one employee of the Columbia Heights Police Department, and up to one member of another city department, partner, stakeholder or member of the public.
This award may be given to a person who has provided a significant contribution, or several smaller contributions, in the area of Community Policing or service to the community. This person will have an above average relationship with the community. They will be service oriented with a willingness to go above and beyond, while considering no task too great or trivial to tackle. They will demonstrate an above average dedication to their role, project or partnership while showing a commitment to improving the Columbia Heights community. They will be known for their positive attitude and demonstrating the Community Policing philosophy in their words and actions.
“It is an honor for Canvas Health and our embedded social worker team to accept the T. Nightingale Community Policing Award from the Columbia Heights Police Department. This partnership is a beautiful illustration of the good that can come when law enforcement and mental health professionals work together to make our communities safer for everyone, even on their most difficult days,” said Dr. Khu Thao, Canvas Health CEO.
Canvas Health continues to be grateful to the Columbia Heights Police Department for their partnership and are honored to receive this award.
In February 2023, the Columbia Heights Police Department awarded Canvas Health and our embedded social worker team of Eileen Crosby, Erin Buller, and Jessica Torrey with the 2022 T. Nightingale Community Policing Award. The award is named after retired police officer Terry Nightingale and is given to those who exemplify a strong relationship with the community […]
Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services through Northeast Metro 916 Intermediate School District, Canvas Health’s school-based therapists are able to provide enhanced mental health groups in some of the school buildings. Beatrice Ajana, Canvas Health school-based therapist, recently partnered with her school’s social worker, Gaby Reeve, to start cooking classes for students at Metro Heights Academy.
All students at the school, whether or not they are actively involved in therapy, are welcome to join the cooking classes. The focus of the class is making and tasting diverse recipes. In their first class, students made a Mexican guacamole recipe. The next class is going to focus on a Nigerian meal from Beatrice’s family.
Goals of the cooking class include:
All of these goals are created with the overarching goal of improving mental health. For more information on how cooking can impact mental health, see articles below:
Cooking Is the Perfect Recipe for Mental Health | Psychreg
Mental Health Benefits of Cooking Your Own Food (verywellmind.com)
Kitchen therapy: Here’s how cooking at home can help your mental health (msn.com)
Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services through Northeast Metro 916 Intermediate School District, Canvas Health’s school-based therapists are able to provide enhanced mental health groups in some of the school buildings. Beatrice Ajana, Canvas Health school-based therapist, recently partnered with her school’s social worker, Gaby Reeve, to start cooking classes […]
Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services, ARMHS, is focused integrating community mental health and technology with ARMHS by working with persons who have serious mental illness to overcome their symptoms, to live independently at home and in the community. ARMHS Practitioners regularly meet with clients in their own spaces, allowing people to work toward their desired goals and better connect with their communities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, insurance companies expanded covered telehealth services, adding flexibility and consistency to mental health services. Technology has enabled us to broaden the scope of ARMHS and ensure that anyone who is referred to us has equal access to the service.
Canvas Health ARMHS is certified to operate in Anoka, Washington, Hennepin, Ramsey, Chisago, Dakota, and Isanti counties. Telehealth has allowed everyone in the ARMHS program to connect across distances, breaking down the potential barriers of transportation, location, and even Minnesota weather.
Technology also connects people to their home communities, as it allows ARMHS Practitioners to work with clients to better understand what resources are available to them.
Canvas Health ARMHS Practitioners are actively working on integrating community by educating clients on the skills they can learn and resources they can access via telehealth to work on their mental health and ultimately, to live more independently. ARMHS Practitioners are willing and able to help clients to improve their technological literacy so they are able to navigate resources and form deeper connections within their community.
Who Qualifies for ARMHS?
What insurance is accepted?
We provide ARMHS services as part of our community mental health certification. For questions regarding ARMHS eligibility criteria or the referral process please reach out to us!
ARMHS Providers are certified to operate on a county level within Minnesota. Canvas Health ARMHS Program is certified in Anoka, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, and Washington counties. Please view our certification status here: https://mn.gov/dhs/partners-and-providers/policies-procedures/adult-mental-health/adult-rehabilitative-mental-health-services/armhs-certified-providers/ ”
Author credits: Tara Burklund, MSW, ARMHS Supervisor & Michael Mann, MPH, ARMHS Program Administrative Coordinator
Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services, ARMHS, is focused integrating community mental health and technology with ARMHS by working with persons who have serious mental illness to overcome their symptoms, to live independently at home and in the community. ARMHS Practitioners regularly meet with clients in their own spaces, allowing people to work toward their desired […]
Canvas Health is proud to be participating in year-round Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work, and as a part of that effort, our agency’s Diversity Committee has compiled historical context for the month as well as some ways for individuals to honor Black History Month (February) locally, or further their own study of African American History.
Black History Month began in 1926 when historian Carter G. Woodson of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) established the second week in February as “Negro History Week.” The second week of February was chosen because it includes the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass, who according to the ASALH are “great American symptoms of freedom.” The ASALH further states, “However, Woodson never confined Negro History to a week. His life’s work and the mission of ASALH since its founding in 1915 represent a living testimony to the year-round and year-after-year study of African American history.”
Please consider reading more about Black History Month and the ASALH’s 2023 Theme – Black Resistance.
Activities and Events:
Book Recommendations (consider purchasing from Black Garnet Books, a Black-owned and operated bookstore in Saint Paul):
Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality by Tomiko Brown-Nagin
The Desegregation of Public Libraries in the Jim Crow South: Civil Rights and Local Activism by Shirley A. Wiegand and Wayne A. Wiegand
All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America’s First Paramedics by Kevin Hazzard
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
Caste: The Origins of our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson
You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and The Black Experience edited by Tarana Burke and Brene Brown
Rondo: Beyond the Pavement – a student-produced film and podcast presented by Saint Paul Almanac, in partnership with St. Paul Neighborhood Network and High School for Recording Arts, chronicling the history of the Rondo community of Saint Paul.
Examples of promising work being done by other organizations and the Minnesota legislature:
Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood Facebook post: The CROWN Act
Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood Facebook post: Black trailblazers in Minnesota
Canvas Health is proud to be participating in year-round Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work, and as a part of that effort, our agency’s Diversity Committee has compiled historical context for the month as well as some ways for individuals to honor Black History Month (February) locally, or further their own study of African American […]
Team Mission Moment! What brings a mission to life are the people who exemplify it every day. Canvas Health team mission members are dedicated to providing excellent clinical care and making a positive impact in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Our team is motivated by a shared mission to help others and make a difference in the diverse communities we serve.
Meet some of the dedicated individuals who bring our mission to life through their work in the clinic, on staff, or as volunteers. We are grateful for their service.
“I am so proud and grateful to walk alongside my clients’ journey of growth and healing. Their ability to remain resilient, hopeful, and driven despite difficult circumstances of mental illness, grief, and trauma is incredible and astonishing.” ~ Sydney Bartz, MSW, LGSW; Outpatient Psychotherapist Practitioner
Learn more about Canvas Health’s Outpatient Therapy for all ages
“As a practitioner at Canvas Health I have been trained to not only provide counseling for my clients, but to also empower them. By providing professional guidance and connecting them with the wide variety of services available throughout our agency, we equip our clients with the tools necessary for them to thrive.” ~ Nina Mattson, MA; Mobile Crisis Practitioner; Scott County Mobile Crisis Response Team
Learn more about Canvas Health’s Crisis Response Services
“As the youngest of eight siblings, I came to the United States as a refugee at the age of 11 years old. I am grateful for all the help I have received in my life. I joined the Board of Directors at Canvas Health because it allowed me to leverage my experience, both personally and professionally, to provide help to those in need, just as others have done for me.” ~ True Thao, MSW, True Thao Counseling Services, Canvas Health Board Member
Learn more about Canvas Health’s Board and Leadership
Team Mission Moment! What brings a mission to life are the people who exemplify it every day. Canvas Health team mission members are dedicated to providing excellent clinical care and making a positive impact in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Our team is motivated by a shared mission to help others and make a difference […]
Communities across the Twin Cities, and across the country, are having conversations about how best to balance public safety with the needs of individuals in distress. More than merely talking about how police and social workers could work together, Canvas Health partnered with the Columbia Heights (Minnesota) Police Department to make it a reality. The Embedded Social Worker program teams law enforcement officers with social workers and mental health professionals to respond collaboratively when police are called.
Captain Erik Johnston of the Columbia Heights Police Department spoke about this partnership at our Valley Vine & Harvest Throwdown event in October.
“From the start, Canvas Health was an obvious partner for this program. Not only were they currently providing high-quality after-hours crisis response and support to our community, but they also quickly embraced the partnership and demonstrated the knowledge and passion to make a program like this work.
In the first 6 months of the program, 106 of 107 co-responses by social workers and police were resolved without the use of force. 103 of those situations were resolved without needing a transport hold.
During this same period, the social worker provided services to 183 clients and had nearly 800 interactions. Many of those contacts would previously have been handled by police. It has been clear to us that there is an unmet need for this type of service in our community. Additionally, both the officers and the mental health professionals are learning from each other and improving how we deliver our co-responder services to the community.”
Expanding the program to increase its impact
The goal is to expand this program to more police departments across the Greater Twin Cities area. In November, Canvas Health’s law enforcement embedded social workers, Eileen Crosby and Erin Buller, were proud to participate in the Criminal Justice Mental Health Summit hosted by Eckberg Lammers, P.C. Eileen and Erin worked directly with the Columbia Heights Police Department and participated in an “Embedded Social Workers in Police Departments” panel discussion with other agencies and social workers.
“I feel confident in saying at this point that our program has been a success, and that would not have been possible without the strong and generous support of Canvas Health, and my hope is for a long-lasting partnership going forward.” – Capt. Erik Johnston, Columbia Height Police Department
Communities across the Twin Cities, and across the country, are having conversations about how best to balance public safety with the needs of individuals in distress. More than merely talking about how police and social workers could work together, Canvas Health partnered with the Columbia Heights (Minnesota) Police Department to make it a reality. The […]
What is the “holiday spirit?”
When you boil it all down, it’s two things: It’s love. It’s hope.
It’s about loving our families and working towards a better tomorrow, even when it’s hard. The holiday season can be tough, especially for those struggling with their health or trying to provide basic necessities. But it’s important to make space for joy and the holiday spirit, especially for families with children. By prioritizing health and wellbeing and refusing to give up, we can find hope and love in the midst of challenges.
That’s why Canvas Health hosts an annual Fill the Sled Fundraiser to provide a special holiday for their clients and their families. This year, thanks to the generosity of their staff and donors, they were able to raise over $7,000 and provide gift cards to 30+ families in need!
With those funds, we are able to provide gift cards to 30+ families in need. Families like the Wallaces* who are progressing through our Children’s Mental Health Case Management program:
“The Wallaces exemplify the meaning of family. In addition to their grown children and grandchildren, they have extended their care to their grandchildren’s friends believing it is better to have them at their house than on the streets. Despite financial, emotional, and physical challenges, they have never given up. They see a glass as half full not half empty.”
Our staff also wrote about Corrine* and Marielle*, two other Canvas Health clients whose stockings were filled this year.
“Corrine has fought an amazing battle with her addiction to Fentanyl. She sought safe housing through SHARE for her children so she could complete inpatient treatment, and is currently in IOP Substance Use Treatment. Corrine is a wonderful mother who is committed to her sobriety and recovery for a better life for herself and her children.”
Learn more about Substance Use Disorder Services and Housing Services
“Marielle has struggled with receiving adequate and appropriate state/county services to make ends meet, but has remained resilient, hopeful and determined. Though working with her therapist, she has fought through intense grief and loss that shows remarkable strength and resilience.”
Learn more about Outpatient Therapy and Care Coordination
As with everything Canvas Health does, Fill the Sled is inspired by the community we serve. Staff from all service areas nominated patients for this program and included some of their stories. Despite their challenges, what stands out the most to us is that holiday spirit of love and hope.
*Client names changed to protect privacy.
What is the “holiday spirit?” When you boil it all down, it’s two things: It’s love. It’s hope. It’s about loving our families and working towards a better tomorrow, even when it’s hard. The holiday season can be tough, especially for those struggling with their health or trying to provide basic necessities. But it’s important […]
On December 2, 2022, Canvas Health and Wilder will present the 5th Annual Conference on Psychotherapy and Mental Health. Radical Healing for Racial Trauma: Applying Theory to Practice will be presented by Bryana French, PhD, LP from the University of Saint Thomas. The conference will offer up to 6.5 CEUs.
During the Radical Healing for Racial Trauma: Applying Theory to Practice conference, participants will learn to how to:
Register for this conference here.
Bryana H. French, PhD, LP, is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology within the Morrison Family College of Health at the University of St. Thomas. She graduated from the University of Illinois’ Counseling Psychology PhD program and completed an American Psychological Association (APA) Accredited pre-doctoral internship at the University of Maryland Counseling and Psychological Services Center. From there, she worked as an APA MFP Policy Fellow for SAMHSA and began her teaching career at the University of Missouri before moving back to her hometown, Minneapolis.
Her research, teaching, and community engagement focuses on racial and sexual trauma and recovery, specifically among Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Her recent first authored article from the Psychology of Radical Healing Collective, “Toward a psychological framework for radical healing in Communities of Color” published in The Counseling Psychologist (2020) is ranked in the top 5% on Altmetrics publication data with over 30,000 views and downloads in the first two years. Her research on men’s sexual victimization has been featured in several news outlets including Time, US News, and Huffington Post.
Her training interests focus on multicultural counseling development and social justice pedagogy, and she provides intersectional consultation for universities, nonprofit organizations, and corporations across the country. She also has a private practice, offering psychotherapy for adults. Dr. French has held multiple leadership roles in APA the including currently serving on the APA Council of Representative Leadership Team. Her work has been recognized with awards throughout her career, including the APA Minority Fellowship Program, APA Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology, APA Divisions 17, 35, and 45, the Minnesota Psychological Association, and the Minnesota chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists.
Register for this conference here.
On December 2, 2022, Canvas Health and Wilder will present the 5th Annual Conference on Psychotherapy and Mental Health. Radical Healing for Racial Trauma: Applying Theory to Practice will be presented by Bryana French, PhD, LP from the University of Saint Thomas. The conference will offer up to 6.5 CEUs. 5th Annual Conference on Psychotherapy […]
Just like humans are born with the right to be free, equal and safe, teens need to know they have rights within their romantic relationships and friendships. Healthy relationships are not a given, and as a school based therapist, I have become familiar with many examples of unhealthy – and even unsafe – relationships. Many relationships are plagued with jealousy, power, control, and manipulation.
Learn more or talk to a professional in Canvas Health’s Sexual Assault Education, Therapy, and Crisis Services.
Teenagers need supportive adults to help them learn about what a healthy relationship does and does not look like, and a conversation about this with an adult they trust can offer an alternative perspective from what they see on the internet and other forms of media.
One way to start a conversation about relationship rights is to ask the young person about what human rights are. You and the young person could even take a look at the Declaration of Human Rights put out by the United Nations. You could ask them what their thoughts are about education and health care, and whether or not they think those should be human rights. From this understanding of what human rights are, the conversation can easily shift to what rights in relationships should be.
Basic Human Rights for Self-Development is one resource that emphasizes that people in relationships have
Which of these rights would the young person prioritize on a wish list for a relationship? Are there any rights they realize they are not being given in a current relationship?
If you or a child you know might benefit from counseling, contact you can contact Canvas Health here or call (651) 777-5222.
Supporting young people in navigating relationships can help them understand their own worth as people while also helping them figure out what their own ideas and values about relationships are. Adolescence is a time of growth and self-discovery, and learning about what healthy and fulfilling relationships are about in high school can lay the foundation for safe relationships for a lifetime.
Author: Emily Johnson, MSW LICSW, School-Based Mental Health Supervisor
Just like humans are born with the right to be free, equal and safe, teens need to know they have rights within their romantic relationships and friendships. Healthy relationships are not a given, and as a school based therapist, I have become familiar with many examples of unhealthy – and even unsafe – relationships. Many […]
There are many factors that influence mental health, but lifestyle factors such as sleep and exercise are often overlooked. Sometimes lifestyle factors can be a quick or short term fix to help with symptoms while working through a lengthier intervention, or could be just what a young person needs for symptom relief. Being tired, hungry, or in pain can make the stress of anything else feel so much worse.
Here are some lifestyle factors to consider:
If you or a child you know might benefit from counseling, you can contact Canvas Health here or call (651) 777-5222.
If any of these areas is a problem, guiding young people toward a manageable goal like “I am going to increase my sleep from 3-4 hours per night to 5-6 hours per night,” “I am going to take my dog for a walk 2x a week,” or “I am going to smoke marijuana one night on the weekend instead of two” is more attainable than trying to achieve perfection right away in some or all categories. Successfully achieving small goals can be baby steps towards a larger healthy lifestyle goal.
Author: Emily Johnson, MSW LICSW, School-Based Mental Health Supervisor
There are many factors that influence mental health, but lifestyle factors such as sleep and exercise are often overlooked. Sometimes lifestyle factors can be a quick or short term fix to help with symptoms while working through a lengthier intervention, or could be just what a young person needs for symptom relief. Being tired, hungry, […]
Canvas Health CEO, Khu Thao, was recently featured in the Gustavus alumni magazine about young people’s mental health. Read the Q&A below or click here for the full article.
THAO: I would say the kids are resilient, but the kids need support to continue to be resilient and to thrive. Our kids have had to go through COVID, social unrest, war, and lots of other social changes and challenges. They survived and they thrived. Our kids are resilient, but we need to continue to provide them with the support that they need in the evolving environment that they live in.
THAO: It makes such a big difference, not just to the child, but for the entire family. For providers, before you can even start helping the child, you have to help the parents or guardians feel comfortable with who you are. If they don’t feel like their therapist or provider understands them, or has the capacity to invite diversity and differences, they’re not going to come for services, and seeking and accepting services is one of the biggest barriers in healthcare. As a person of color who is also a therapist, that’s been the biggest factor to success with clients, being able to be open to diversity, being flexible to different cultures. That openness opens so many doors.
THAO: Human beings are very complex; and that’s a little bit different from being complicated. When something is complicated, it means that you don’t understand it. If it’s complicated, with time, you can understand it, and then it’s no longer complicated. But when something is complex, it means that there are many things woven together. It’s this tangled ball of yarn. Adolescence is a complex time. The best way that I can describe the support adolescents need is “allow space”—for discovery, for some of this complexity to work itself out. And, we have to listen. That’s the biggest thing—just listen. Ask them what part of that big, old, tangled ball of yarn they want to start with.
THAO: Even though we’ve gone through a lot, even though young people today have experienced things that we’ve never imagined and have never experienced before, there is just so much positivity with our adolescents. I need people to understand that this is our future, and they are so bright and resilient. And with some help and some support, and by listening to them, they will take us to places we’ve never imagined.
For the full article, click here for Gustavus Quarterly.
Canvas Health CEO, Khu Thao, was recently featured in the Gustavus alumni magazine about young people’s mental health. Read the Q&A below or click here for the full article. From your perspective as a practitioner and a parent to two adolescents—how are the kids? THAO: I would say the kids are resilient, but the kids […]
Mood disorders are very common mental health diagnoses in teenagers, but they still carry a lot of stigma. The first step in getting past a teen’s negative perception of their depression diagnosis is to provide some education on the topic. I like to think of depression as having three major contributing factors:
A family history or genetic predisposition is what people are talking about when they refer to depression as “running in the family” or “a chemical imbalance.” When a genetic predisposition is present, a person’s brain is not able to effectively move and use hormones that contribute to mood, such as serotonin, dopamine, or norepinephrine.
Environmental factors are a wide range of stressors that contribute to a person’s mood, such as a significant loss, failing in school, divorce, trauma, bullying, and more.
Finally, the way a person perceives their world and thinks about what happens to them has an impact on their mood. If a person has a more negative mindset, or views “the glass half empty”, they are more susceptible to depression.
The two most common forms of treatment for depression are medication and therapy. Both of these methods have pros and cons, but the most important thing to remember is that neither medication nor therapy works as a magic wand to address all aspects of the problem at once. Medication, for example, can help significantly with the genetic predisposition or “chemical imbalance”, but can do nothing about stress in a person’s environment. There is no pill on the market yet that can help someone process a bad breakup, or explore feelings of shame around being the “bad kid” in the family. Therapy can be very helpful in processing environmental stressors and helping a person learn to think about things differently, but can’t alter the chemistry in the brain. This is why doctors often believe that a combination of medication AND therapy is the best treatment for depression.
If you or a child you know might benefit from counseling, contact you can contact Canvas Health here or call (651) 777-5222.
The therapeutic process requires time and a willingness to participate, and medications can’t work unless the right one is found and it is taken as prescribed. The good news is that the majority of depression in teenagers is situational, meaning that once life starts improving, they find symptom relief. But a depression diagnosis sometimes means a long road of ups and downs. The measure of success isn’t only symptom relief, but progress in a healthier direction. Success might simply mean that the lows don’t get as low, don’t last as long, and can be dealt with until the feelings pass.
Author: Emily Johnson, MSW LICSW, School-Based Mental Health Supervisor
Factors of Depression Mood disorders are very common mental health diagnoses in teenagers, but they still carry a lot of stigma. The first step in getting past a teen’s negative perception of their depression diagnosis is to provide some education on the topic. I like to think of depression as having three major contributing factors: […]
We are incredibly grateful to our Valley Vine & Harvest Throwdown sponsors! Their support helps make everything we do at Canvas Health possible!
Mercury Trading Company
Eckberg Lammers, Attorneys at Law
Kelly Fenton
Ahola, Mack & Associates, Ltd.
Valley Agencies/First State Bank & Trust
Khu Thao, Canvas Health CEO
Tom Ruter, Canvas Health COO
Hilke S. Riechardt-Martinez, Canvas Health CFO
Kurt Seestrom and Denise Heuer
We are incredibly grateful to our Valley Vine & Harvest Throwdown sponsors! Their support helps make everything we do at Canvas Health possible! 3M Andersen Windows Mercury Trading Company RBC Wealth Management Eckberg Lammers, Attorneys at Law Kelly Fenton Lake Elmo Bank M-Health Fairview Ahola, Mack & Associates, Ltd. BWBR The Credit Department Prime Therapeutics […]
The human experience is full of emotional ups and downs. It is absolutely normal for a young person to experience a wide variety of emotions. Adolescence is an extra emotionally intense time due to changes in hormones and rapid brain development, but without the “pause button” of a fully developed pre-frontal cortex.
The phrase bi-polar is often casually used by high schoolers as a way of saying that they struggle with mood swings, but fails to be a truly accurate description of most high schoolers’ state of mind.
Bipolar disorder is characterized by major depressive episodes accompanied by manic episodes. True mania is actually quite different than a period of feeling happy or an absence of depressive symptoms. In a true manic episode, a person’s elevated mood would be accompanied by other symptoms such as pressured speech, racing thoughts, a feeling of grandiosity, psychomotor agitation, an increase in dangerous or risky behavior, or even psychosis. Bipolar disorder is difficult to diagnose, so if there are concerns about abnormal moods, refer the young person to a mental health professional.
But even normal teenaged mood swings can cause problems, like if the young person is unable to tolerate them or find healthy ways to cope. Encouraging teens to remember that all feelings are in the realm of normal, and they eventually pass, is important. Supporting teens to “hang in there” and “ride the wave” of an emotion rather than making an impulsive decision in response to it, will help them learn to self-regulate.
If you or a child you know might benefit from counseling, you can contact Canvas Health here or call (651) 777-5222.
In the meantime, how can the young person take care of themselves and think about what message the emotion may be communicating to them? Do they need some space, or need time to think something through? Do they need to take a walk or talk to a trusted friend or adult? Do they need professional support, a hot shower, a journal, or a workout? Can they express how they are feeling through an artistic medium like painting or music? Do they need to have a good cry (or a good laugh)? Or would a good night’s sleep help?
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
Because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
— Jellaludin Rumi
Author: Emily Johnson, MSW LICSW, School-Based Mental Health Supervisor
The human experience is full of emotional ups and downs. It is absolutely normal for a young person to experience a wide variety of emotions. Adolescence is an extra emotionally intense time due to changes in hormones and rapid brain development, but without the “pause button” of a fully developed pre-frontal cortex. Bipolar Disorder Meaning […]
The transition from summer to back to school can be difficult for any child. After weeks or months of having a less structured sleep schedule, fun-filled vacations or day camps, and freedom from the demands of daily homework, you might find that your child is approaching the upcoming school year with dread, avoidance, or outright resistance.
While all of these reactions are normal, here are some tips for making the transition easier:
While it’s normal to be dreading the first day of school, here are some signs that your child might be struggling with their mental health:
If you find your child is struggling with any of the above symptoms, there is help available. Canvas Health has school-linked mental health services at several Twin Cities metro schools, and we also have outpatient clinics throughout the metro.
Even if your back-to-school doesn’t look like the happy photos you see on your friends’ social media posts, just remember that kids are resilient and that early intervention can help get your child back on track. Don’t hesitate to give us a call or reach out to your school social worker for resources.
Author: Danielle Hance, MA, LPCC, REAT – Canvas Health school-based therapist
The transition from summer to back to school can be difficult for any child. After weeks or months of having a less structured sleep schedule, fun-filled vacations or day camps, and freedom from the demands of daily homework, you might find that your child is approaching the upcoming school year with dread, avoidance, or outright […]