Skylark Behavioral Health

Workplace and Stress 

Alexandria Henson, MA, LCPC, NCC

If you are in the workforce, this blog might be for you, as you probably have encountered some level of stress. While we all encounter stress from time to time, workplace stress feels different. It feels different because you typically spend anywhere from 30-40+ hours there each week, which is a huge portion of your precious, valuable time. 

Therapy or Psychiatry? 

Alexandria Henson, MA, LCPC, NCC

Let’s break down both. I often hear people ask what the difference is between therapy and psychiatry and while there are some similarities and overlap, there are many differences.

Tips for Managing Holiday Stress  

Alexandria Henson, MA, LCPC, NCC

The holiday season is a wonderful, fun, magical, exciting time for many. However, for others, it is stressful, depressing, and lacks excitement for many reasons. If you know, you know. Let’s talk about ways to manage expectations, self-care, and meet yourself where you are at during the holidays. 

Do I Need Therapy?  

Alexandria Henson, MA, LCPC, NCC

Maybe you have found yourself asking yourself this very question: Do I need therapy/should I go to therapy? I absolutely love this question for so many reasons. The quick answer is both yes and no (I know right?!), and here’s why.  

The End-of-Summer Scaries: Finding Your Rhythm Before the Days Get Shorter 

Jordan Hammes, MA, LPC

You’ve heard of the Sunday Scaries — that anxious feeling before the week begins. But right now, a lot of us are dealing with the End-of-Summer Scaries. It’s that gut-level sense that summer slipped away too fast, that we didn’t make the most of it, and that everything is about to get harder as the days get shorter. 

Are All Therapists The Same? 

Alexandria Henson, MA. LCPC, NCC

I often get this question a lot when I am seeing a new client. The short answer is no. The long answer is still no, but it is a lot more in-depth. This information is coming from my own, personal perspective. Some therapists, for example, come from a counseling background, while others come from a social work background. Both are equally important but have some similarities and differences. 

From Labels to Connection: Finding Meaning in Fad Psychology

Jordan Hammes, MA, LPC

You’ve probably seen it in a dating profile or office icebreaker: “I’m an INTJ. Scorpio sun. Enneagram 4w5.” In the age of curated identity, fad psychology has found a permanent seat at the table—and it brought charts, quizzes, and just enough existential insight to keep things interesting.

Mental Health and the 5 C’s

By Alexandria Henson, MA, LCPC, NCC

Mental health encompasses various aspects of our daily functioning. We all have mental health just as well have physical health. There are differing views on what the 5 C’s are but here the ones that stood out to me to share. 

Boundary-Setting 101

By Alexandria Henson, MA, LCPC, NCC

You may have heard of the term boundaries or boundary-setting, but what does it mean? What are boundaries? How do we enforce them? What if I break one? What if someone doesn’t respect my boundary? These might be some questions you encounter with boundaries. Today, we will go over all of these areas and hopefully shed some light into what this means. 

Navigating Father’s Day: Finding Meaning Through Change, Loss, and New Beginnings

By Jordan Hammes, MA, LPC

Father’s Day can evoke a wide range of emotions. For some, it’s a joyful celebration. For others, it’s a day of grief, awkwardness, or complicated reflection; recognize that this day may feel heavy for those facing a “first” — the first Father’s Day after the loss of a father, as a new father, or as part of a recently restructured family.

Here are a few perspectives on Father’s Day and mental health, along with strategies for managing emotional complexity with self-compassion and intention.

Depression and Anxiety: The Siblings of Mental Health Both in Function and Dysfunction

By Joel T. Meyer, MA, LCPC

In today’s culture, mental health concerns have become more prevalent than ever before.  In a recent study carried out by the Harvard School of Education, 39% of young adults reported that they had experienced recent feelings of anxiety; 29% reported recent feelings of depression.  This is the bad news.

The good news is that there’s also less stigma associated with living with mental health concerns than ever before.   There is significantly less shame and guilt associated with experiencing depression and anxiety, or with seeking professional treatment for these conditions.  Depression and anxiety are no longer thought of as evidence of being broken, sick, weak, or a person of lesser value.  What’s more, help for mental health concerns is more easily accessible than it has been in the past.   

But what is depression?  What is anxiety?  How are they related, and why does it matter?  This article will attempt to answer these questions from a practical perspective.

Mental Health Basics 101: Common Conditions and Diagnoses

By Alexandria Smith, MA, LCPC, NCC

Mental health is a phrase you might have heard of or be familiar with. Mental health encompasses so many aspects of ourselves. We all have mental health and owe it to ourselves to take care of this. I always tell my clients that mental health is just as important as physical health. Think of this – if you had a broken bone or ongoing stomach pain, it would be normal and common to get checked out by your doctor and seek the appropriate care to attend to the issue. If you were feeling sad, stressed, or finding yourself unable to cope through stressors why wouldn’t you talk with someone about this? Mental health and diagnoses or even medication can be very taboo or controversial topics.

Healthy vs Unhealthy Coping Skills

By Alexandria Smith, MA, LCPC, NCC

Last time around, we discussed the importance of coping skills with some examples. To recap, coping skills are healthy activities that you can utilize when stressed, sad, anxious, feeling down, or needing a pick-me-up. Coping skills can range from talking with a loved one, reading, journaling, going on a walk, or even watching a show, meditation/mindfulness, or coloring. There are so many wonderful and healthy skills that can support mental and physical health. While many coping skills are healthy, many are unhealthy.

Addiction as a Family Disease: Understanding the Impact and Path to Healing

By Jordan Hammes, LPC

Addiction is often thought of as an individual struggle, but the reality is that it affects entire family systems. When one member of a family develops a substance use disorder, everyone around them is affected—emotionally, psychologically, and sometimes even physically or financially. Understanding addiction as a family disease is crucial for breaking harmful cycles and fostering healing for both the individual and their loved ones.