Are you "SAD" in Winter?

Did you know sunshine - or lack of it - can actually affect your mood? When we consistently enjoy sunshine, we are more likely feeling happy. Lack of sunshine, especially during the winter months, can cause a progressive melancholy mood.

It is common to experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) that starts in the beginning of the dusky season of fall and increases during the dark months of winter. As spring comes into view, one usually starts to feel better; and as the sunny summer months come along, one usually feels they are getting back to their normal self again. However, it is very common for the SAD cycle to repeat itself again the next New Year.

Thomas J. Boud, MD, states SAD symptoms can include “depression, hopelessness, anxiety, loss of energy, social withdrawal, fatigue and oversleeping, loss of interest in activities, carbohydrate and sugar cravings, weight gain, and difficulty concentrating."

The positive aspect is that there are skills and techniques one can learn and use to work through SAD, to diminish the cycle!

For questions, information, and therapy on recognizing and preventing SAD, contact Monica Forsman, M.Ed., LAPC at Resilient Solutions, Inc., in Bountiful, Utah.

Monica can be reached at (801) 604-5040 or email at: monica.lapc@gmail.com

Join one of our grief groups

If you are grieving the death of a loved one, you are not alone.

Teen Grief Group - Monday, 4 - 5:15 ($20/group session).  Contact Melanie Holt, LAPC for more information at 801.718.9840

Adult Grief Group for those who have had a loved one die from suicide.  ($20/group session).  Contact Melanie Holt, LAPC.  This group meets Tuesdays 5:30 - 6:45.

Mom's Grief Group for those who have had a child die.  ($20/group session).  This group meets every other Monday from 11-12:30.  Contact Becky Andrews, LPC, 801.259.3883 for more information.

All groups meet at Resilient Solutions, Inc. 1355 N. Main, Ste. 1, Bountiful, Utah 84010

Mindfully Grieving Grief Group will begin in February.

Seeing Beautiful

This is a beautiful
blog in Seeing Beautiful in ourselves and others.

Our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.  Brene Brown

To meet with one of our therapists at Resilient Solutions, Inc in Bountiful, Utah visit us.

Dragons & Music Therapy. Michael Van Dam, LCSW

Billie Bixbee was rather surprised when he woke up one morning and found a dragon in his room. It was a small dragon, about the size of a kitten. The dragon wagged its tail happily when Billy patted its head. Billy went downstairs to tell his mother. "There's no such thing as a dragon!" said Billy's mother. And she said it like she meant it. In Jack Kent's children's book, "There's NO Such Thing as a DRAGON" we learn that this dragon that Billie insisted was real but that his Mom refused to acknowledge, by the afternoon, filled the whole house with its head hanging out the front door, its tail hanging out the back, and there wasn't a room in the house that didn't have some part of the dragon in it. Only when Billy's Dad came home who too saw that something was wrong did Billy's mother admit that there was indeed a DRAGON in the house. Ironically, the dragon again "wagged its tail happily. Then, even faster than it had grown, the dragon started getting smaller. Soon it was kitten-size again. "I don't mind it this THIS size," said Mother. "Why did it have to grow so BIG?" "I'm not sure, said Billy, "but I think it just wanted to be noticed." Dragons, big or small, are often lodged within our own minds and hearts and too need to be noticed, acknowledged, talked about, comforted, and made small in order for them to not become overwhelming. Yet often there isn't opportunity, permission, or ability to talk about these dragons. As a music therapist, I love to use music to help this happen, both in individual as well as in group therapy. Music has the power to help access, open, and express thoughts and feelings that can be more difficult to do in conversation alone. Dragons that may seem daunting may in surprisingly short amounts of time become quite manageable with a little creative opportunity. Michael Van Dam, LCSW Michael can be reached at 801.815.6152 to schedule an appointment.

Life

There was a man who had a beautiful fruit orchard which he loved a great deal. He spent hours pruning and caring for his fruit trees, enjoying the harvest at the end of each season. In late winter, or what some may even consider the very earliest part of spring the man would enter his beloved orchard with a baseball bat in hand. He would size up each tree, and with the precision of Babe Ruth hitting a baseball out of the park would hit each tree. Beating a tree? What is the logic behind this behavior? The man explained beating his fruit trees put the trees under stress which in the long run produced stronger trees and better fruit. How often do we feel like the tree, and life feels a like the man with the baseball bat coming at us, relentlessly hurling blows we are unprepared to absorb? We cannot control what comes into our lives or even the emotions that are the result of events. But we can change how we relate to those events. That sounds easy enough, but trying to align our logical thoughts with unpredictable emotions can be difficult. Difficult, not impossible. Because life is constant it is important to remember to be kind to yourself. Take time to do things you enjoy. Self care is not selfish. Remember to breathe. That sounds funny, but when a person gets stressed out often breathing becomes short and rapid. Deep breathing promotes good health. Accepting that life is hard can be helpful. A line from Victor Hugo in Les Miserables states “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” Submitted by Melanie Holt, LAPC. To schedule an appointment call her at 801.718.9840.

The first step to change is to believe.

In the latest movie version of Alice In Wonderland the Mad Hatter tells Alice she has lost her muchness. What does losing your muchness mean? Some may describe it as losing authenticity. In the end of the movie after much searching Alice has an opportunity to reclaim her authentic self. She makes the decision to fight the Jabberwocky (a dragon like monster.) Although the fight seems impossible she recalls something her dad said to her as a child “Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Alice then begins to list 6 impossible things that had been part of her reality during her adventures in Wonderland. Number 6 was defeating the Jabberwacky, which she successfully does. What we focus on expands. When the brain is focusing on positive thoughts it cannot focus on negative thoughts at the same time. Try making a list of 6 things you believe are impossible then, focus on those things. A few examples may be: I can accept that I am perfectly imperfect today. I can find 30 minutes to do something I enjoy today. I believe I am amazing today. I believe I can defeat my negative thoughts today. The first step to change is to believe. By Melanie Holt, LAPC. To schedule an appointment with Melanie contact her at 801.718.9840

Healthy Living. Sleep

Thank you to Becky Crowther, RD, for sharing her expertise tonight in healthy living.

So much to share and learn:

She stressed the importance of sleep - 7 hours minimum.  It recharges us.  Lack of sleep can impact depression, ages the skin, increases food intake and lowers metabolism.

If you'd like to take one of her six-week courses, please contact her at beckycrowther@gmail.com or 801.682.6664.  Classes will be at Resilient Solutions, Inc, 1355 N. Main, Ste. 3, Bountiful ($120/6 weeks).

Free Evening. A Healthier You for 2013

Becky Crowther, Registered Dietitian, invites you to join her for a free evening:

January 8, 2013

Resilient Solutions, Inc.

1355 N. Main, Ste. 3

Bountiful, Utah 

7-8:30 PM

RSVP:  Becky Crowthers, RD, at beckycrowther@gmail.com

10 Tips to Re-boot Metabolism, Re-Duce Weight, and Re-Vitalize Energy in 2013.

Becky will be offering two 6-week courses beginning the following week:

Tuesday, January 15th at 11 am or 7:30 PM
Cost $120.  Contact Becky Crowthers to reserve your spot!  Sign up with a friend and get 15% off!!

The Lighten-up Diet

RSI invites you to join Registered Dietitian, Becky Crowther, for this invaluable 6-week course!  Becky will teach you her most effective nutrition strategies!  You won't want to miss it!

Learn POWER FOODS that lift mood

Identify and amplify INTUITIVE EATING

Create a NEW RELATIONSHIP with food

When:  Starts January 15th with two class times to choose from:

Tuesday evenings at 7:30 PM or Tuesdays at 11:00 AM

Where:  Resilient Solutions, Inc.  1355 N. Main, Suite 3, Bountiful, Utah

Registration:  Cost $120.  Contact Becky Crowther at  beckycrowther@gmail.com to reserve your spot!  Sign up with a friend and get 15% off!

Support in Grief

We have two grief groups to resume next week:

Teen Grief Group:  January 7 - February 11, 4-5:15, $15/group session.
For teens who are experiencing the death of a family or friend.

Adult Grief Group for those who have had someone die from suicide:  January 8 - February 12, 5:30 - 6:45, $15/group session.

Contact Melanie Holt, LAPC at 801.718.9840 for further information on either one of these groups.

Groups are held at:
Resilient Solutions, Inc.