Anam Counseling Winter 2023-24 Newsletter

Anam Counseling Winter 2023-24 Newsletter

Mental wellbeing in the winter, 2024 out of office dates, scheduling change, 2024 rates

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLD(CBI), CLEC

December 2023

Hello, dear clients.

Are you feeling it? That mammalian shift to winter mode? As the days grow colder and darker, most of us feel that slowing-down, quiet energy. Sometimes our bodies crave more sugar, fats, carbohydrates, and calories. Our whole body and nervous system says, “Sleep. Slow down. Rest.” All the while our culture and capitalism say, “Get busy! Don’t forget the zillion holiday commitments to keep up with! Have you sent your holiday cards yet? What is wrong with you?”.  Please, please don’t forget: You are simply a mammal, not a failure. Most mammals hibernate this time of year and humans feel that drive strongly as well. So I invite you to think about ways you can say no to busy-ness and doing and instead warm up to the cold and dark and your mammalian nature. Whether you’re embracing the Danish concept of hygge, or the Norwegian idea of koselig, are there ways you can soak in the loveliness of doing less in the winter?  

With all that being said, don’t forget about the components of a winter seasonal affective disorder toolbox: 

• A lightbox is a tremendously helpful, evidence-based way to stave off seasonal depression symptoms. For optimal mental health, it’s important that we’re exposed to morning light and a lightbox helps in this darker time of year. This article has some good suggestions of lightboxes to get. I suggest starting to use it now and throughout the winter, ideally using it for 20 minutes or so in the morning.

• Exercise/movement, preferably outdoors. Again, moving your body and getting your heart pumping 20-30 minutes a day is perhaps the most evidence-based way to improve your mental health - studies show over and over that it’s more effective than pharmaceuticals for mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety. And those benefits are magnified when that movement is done outdoors. For most folks, a brisk walk will do the trick. (It should be something that is cardio in nature. So yoga is wonderful but won’t hit this particular target.) Remember to layer up: There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes! When you’re out walking in the winter, see if you can find things that are beautiful about the season and challenge that notion that says that winter is purely awful. I love the quote that says, “If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life but the same amount of snow.” 

• Connection is one of the most important aspects of mental health. This means of course intentionally connecting with family, friends, and loved ones. But there are also studies that show that people with aquaintances have more well-being in their lives.  These so-called “weak ties” - the barista, the Trader Joe’s cashier, the person at the dog park - make a real, measurable difference in staving off loneliness and increasing our sense of wellbeing. Challenge yourself to go do some work at a coffee shop and have a quick chat with the person who makes your drink. Compliment the checkout person at the grocery store. Find ways to interact with acquaintances and see what you notice about how you feel in these moments and after.

With warmth and compassion and hygge,

Jess

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: 2024 OUT OF OFFICE DATES

Because I’m a person who likes to plan ahead when possible, here are the dates I’m currently aware of where I will be out of the office for the coming year. There will likely be some others added here and there but these are the ones on my calendar so far. If you’re someone with a regularly recurring weekly or bi-weekly appointment, mark your calendars accordingly for no sessions on these dates. 

• Wednesday Feb. 14th

• Thursday Feb. 22nd

• Thursday March 7th

• April 9-11

• July 9-11

• Aug. 6-8

• Thursday Oct. 17th

• Thursday Oct. 31st

• Nov. 26-28

• Dec. 24-31st

PLEASE USE PORTAL FOR ALL SCHEDULE/CANCEL REQUESTS GOING FORWARD

As anyone who’s ever sent me an email can attest, a speedy response is not usually my strong suit. Because of this and the challenge to keep scheduling requests straight in my inbox, I’m asking that going forward, all requests to cancel, reschedule, or schedule sessions are done through the portal only. I’m finding it’s too much for me to keep track of responses and requests across multiple platforms and things are falling through the cracks. It’s quite easy to log in and look for open slots or to cancel a session: please let me know if you need any assistance with portal navigation! 

REMINDER OF CANCELLATION POLICY

A gentle reminder that sessions canceled with 48 hours or less of notice are billed the full session fee. Because of how full my practice is and how many folks are on a waiting list for cancellations I strictly adhere to this policy. Except for folks who’ve opted out of reminders, text and email reminders are routinely sent 50 hours ahead of session so that there is time to get a cancellation in.  

2024 Rate Increase

Starting January 1, 2024, my rates will be $160/session and $185 for intake for new clients. This rate will go into effect for existing clients April 1, 2024

EXPLORE ANAM COUNSELING’S WEBSITE

Anam Counseling

Practical Counseling with Heart and Soul

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLD(CBI), CLEC

www.anamcounseling.com

Anam Counseling Midwinter 2023 Practice Newsletter

Anam Counseling Midwinter 2023 Newsletter

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLD(CBI), CLEC

Hello, dear clients.

The snow is falling as I write this, covering the world in a fresh blanket for now, making everything look new again. I’m thinking a lot lately about the new year and new beginnings, whether those beginnings be patterns, intentions, commitments, or habits. I’ve heard from lots of folks about intentions for the coming year, many of which include strengthening new habits that lead to better care for yourself. A few book recommendations about creating habits that stick around are Atomic Habits by James Clear and Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg. Both these books are approachable and practical and are based in research and evidence.

After about a …15 year lapse (ope!), I recently committed to the intention of coming back to my long-dormant sitting meditation practice. It has not been a smooth or straight trajectory back to the routine, but I’ve sure noticed the benefits when I am able to stick to it. What intentions do you have for yourself in 2023? How can we work those into therapy to help strengthen the intention?

In professional news, I am excited to be finishing up with my EMDR certification. In the EMDR world, you don’t have to be certified to practice EMDR, but clinicians who commit to EMDRIA certification have to demonstrate their mastery of the therapy through documentation of skills in session in addition to 40 hours of individual consultation with an EMDRIA-approved consultant. It’s a whole thing! In March, I’ll also be wrapping up a 9-month training program in level 1 of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, a somatic/mindfulness-based therapy modality that blends really well with EMDR. Please chat with me in session about using these modalities!

With warmth and compassion,

Jess

2023 OUT OF OFFICE dates

In the interest of planning ahead, here are the times I know right now that I’ll be out of the office this year. There will be one or two more times this summer but I don’t have specific dates just yet. I will let folks know as soon as summer plans get nailed down. Mark your calendars if you have appointment times that fall during these dates!

• March 28-April 5

• Sept. 5

• Sept 27 - Oct. 5

• Oct. 31

• Nov. 21-23

• Dec. 19-28

Rate increase For Existing Clients 4/1/23

After doing some local market research, starting April 1, 2023 I am increasing my fees to align more closely with current local rates for practitioners with my experience and training level. Current fee for a 38-52 minute session (which is the time frame contained by the service I bill for individual sessions) is $130. As of April 1, individual sessions will be $145. For new clients, this rate goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023. Intakes for new clients are $175. As always, please feel free to ask for a superbill to submit to your insurance for out-of-network reimbursement at any time.

More availability starting 4/1/23

Over the last year, I’ve continued to get several requests for intakes every week, nearly all of which I sadly have to turn down and refer out. In an effort to be more available to the number of folks requesting therapy, I am expanding my availability slightly by adding every Thursday from 9-1. (Currently I work every other Thursday from 9-1.) Of note here, Thursdays will be telehealth only. I will open up these Thursday spots starting 4/1/23.

Change in Cancellation policy

Starting Feb. 1, I am changing my cancellation policy to 48 hours instead of the previous 24 hours. The industry standard is moving in this direction as it’s more difficult to fill cancelled spots within 24 hours. My system continues to send email and text reminders and I’ve set them both to 50 hours ahead of session so that you have some time to consider your schedule!

EXPLORE ANAM COUNSELING’S WEBSITE

Anam Counseling

Practical Counseling with Heart and Soul

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLD(CBI), CLEC

www.anamcounseling.com

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Early Spring 2022 Newsletter

Anam Counseling Early Spring 2022 Newsletter

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLD(CBI), CLEC

Hello, dear clients.

As I write this, there is snow melting off my office roof, dripping past my window. Even though it’s still mid-February, I’m going to be optimistic and call it early spring. If you haven’t already, take a moment to notice the extra light in each day. Notice if you feel any extra energy, or stirrings toward an awakening from winter hibernation. We’ve officially passed the halfway mark between winter solstice and spring equinox! Even as a hardcore lover of winter, I always find this time of year to be energizing and hopeful. Keep noticing your glimmers.

With that extra light and possibility, check in with yourself about ways you can use this time to be kind to yourself physically or mentally. Maybe use the extra daylight to get a walk in after work to move your body and breathe some fresh air. Or if you’re like me and February makes you think about making plans and setting goals, check out this recent episode of the podcast Life Kit for some behavioral-science-based ways to stick to goals or create new habits.

RATE CHANGE & TIMES OUT OF OFFICE

In the interest of planning ahead, I’m planning to increase my rates effective April 1 to $130/individual session. I increased for new clients starting at the first of the year but am giving existing clients a longer notification window.

Speaking of goals and planning ahead, one professional goal of mine this year was to plan my time out of the office more intentionally. I’ll give folks reminders of course, but as of right now, I have the following times in 2022 where I will be out of the office:

• April 4-14

• June 14-17

• August 1-6

• September 6

• November 21-25

• December 26-30

NEW OFFICE SPACE & COVID PROTOCOLS

The only constant is change, as the saying goes. Beginning in March, I will be moving next door to a bigger office. I have loved my little office for the past year, but it’s ultimately just that - too little! So for those clients who saw me prior to covid in the blue house next door to my current office, I’ll be moving back to the blue house but on the main floor in the office just off the waiting room. In terms of telehealth, this won’t matter much, obviously. But in the bigger picture, I’m feeling more comfortable officially extending the invitation to come back to the office, with some parameters in place. Namely, I’d still want both therapist and client to be masked, for now, since test positivity is still well above 10%.

As always, it’s quite easy to toggle back and forth between telehealth and in-person, so no one needs to make a decision one way or the other and stick with it. We can play it by ear. And of course a drawback to being masked in person is losing a lot of the nuance of facial expression. But overall, for folks who are fully vaccinated and prefer masked in-person appointments, know that that is an option going forward.

RESOURCES

• Despite attachment theory being one of the oldest and most well-researched topics in the mental health field, it’s very much having a moment right now! Previous newsletters have book recommendations to go in-depth on learning your attachment style, but for a brief overview, this 20-minute episode of Life Kit is worth a listen. Of note, this episode mainly focuses on attachment style in the context of intimate partner relationships. Exploration of attachment style is always a great topic for therapy.

• The podcast Beyond Trauma.

• Ezra Klein’s interview with Bessel Van Der Kolk

• Tapping In by Laurel Parnell

EXPLORE ANAM COUNSELING’S WEBSITE

Anam Counseling

Practical Counseling with Heart and Soul

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLD(CBI), CLEC

www.anamcounseling.com

Anam Counseling Autumn 2021 Newsletter

Autumn Update

Glimmers, Scheduling, Resources

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLD(CBI), CLEC

Hello, dear clients.

Even though the weather is still warm, the leaves are changing and the sun sets a bit earlier each day, so it must be fall, right? After a brief moment of hope this summer, this fall looks different than many of us had wished it might with regards to the pandemic. Kids are back to school in person, but with less “normalcy” than we might have hoped for. And the long-awaited approval for vaccines for the 5-11 year olds still has many holding our collective breath as we continue to wait. It’s hard to be a human sometimes in a world with so much uncertainty and so many ups and downs.

I’ve been talking with some folks lately about the concept of “glimmers”. I’ve got a whole blog post on glimmers coming up. But in a nutshell, if triggers are the things that send our nervous system into fight/flight/freeze/fawn or general dysregulation, then glimmers are what make us feel safe, calm, connected, peaceful. It’s important to know what our triggers are but it’s equally (more?) important to get to know our glimmers. This fall, practice engaging your noticing system to get familiar with your glimmers, and write them down when you start to familiarize yourself with them. Notice what happens when your attention is drawn to those things that make us feel peaceful or calm or safe in a world when these things often can feel hard to come by.

Scheduling Reminders

My schedule continues to be totally full and I have started maintaining a cancellation waitlist for existing clients for the first time in 10 years in practice. For those who don’t have a standing weekly or biweekly appointment, please log on to the client portal and self-schedule out a bit. With the ebbs and flows of the year, I always have more requests for appointments around the holidays so if it’s possible, please schedule all preferred appointments through the end of 2021. (I can’t believe I’m saying that, but it will be here before we know it!)

A gentle reminder, too, that sessions cancelled any time after 24 hours prior are charged the full fee. If at all possible, I prefer 48 hours notice since that will often give me a better chance to fill the spot with someone who is on the cancellation wait list. I have my client notification system set to send out a reminder email 48 hours in advance and a reminder text 24 hours in advance. If anyone is not receiving these reminders it’s because they’ve opted out or marked a reminder email as junk at some point. Please make sure to have added the address yourprovider@simplepractice.com to be sure these emails are arriving.

Also, looking ahead toward the end of the year, there are a couple dates where I’ll be out of the office around the holidays, so that clients can plan accordingly.

Tuesday and Wednesday November 23rd and 24th (Week of Thanksgiving)

Tuesday and Wednesday December 21st and 22nd (Week of Christmas)

Covid, Delta, Office…

Essentially, I continue to play things by ear and will look to CDC guidance on safe return to unmasked, in-person sessions for fully vaccinated individuals. As I write this, our current test positivity rate in MN is over 8%, which is quite high, but I carry the hope that that number will start to go down with higher vaccination rates and the peak of the delta variant. I’ll continue to monitor and keep everyone posted.

Resources

As always, I’ll end by sharing a few resources I’m particularly enjoying right now or that I think are helpful.

• The first is a podcast called Beyond Trauma. It is a podcast by therapists for clients and it touches on some really vital, helpful, and profound topics related to mental health, healing, and wellbeing. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a person with a trauma history, I encourage you to give it a listen. I’d suggest starting at the first episode, What is Trauma?, and then skipping the episodes about “what is therapy like” (because existing therapy clients already know at this point!), and then jumping back in at Episode 6, Will I Have to Talk About It?

• Another podcast, this time a standalone episode: Ezra Klein’s interview with Bessel Van Der Kolk is a wonderful hour or so that explains a lot of key components of how our past influences how we move through the world today. I highly recommend giving it a listen. Dr. Van Der Kolk wrote “The Body Keeps The Score” and is one of the leading voices/researchers in the world today on mental health and wellbeing.

• The book Tapping In by Laurel Parnell is a real gem and dovetails beautifully with the EMDR work that many of my clients are currently engaged in. It uses the idea of resourcing, tapping in/installing resources as a self-help technique. The book is full of specific resource tapping scripts and scenarios that folks can use on their own. I highly recommend adding this book to your library.

EXPLORE ANAM COUNSELING’S WEBSITE

Anam Counseling

Practical Counseling with Heart and Soul

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLD(CBI), CLEC

www.anamcounseling.com

Anam Counseling Late Spring/Early Summer 2021 Newsletter

Spring/Summer Update

Office Updates, EMDR, Schedule Changes

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLD(CBI), CLEC

Hello, dear clients. It’s hard to believe it’s already time to send out another newsletter but time moves so differently these days, doesn’t it? We’re living in a time of in-betweens right now. With the renewal of the spring season come so many reasons for renewed hope, but there are also many unknowns as we all navigate what’s ahead. My wish for everyone reading this is for moments of deep calming breaths and grounding when the moment allows. Pardon the length of this newsletter, but there is a lot to share about what’s new in my practice.

One important ongoing note: I continue to be totally full, and I still get weekly new client requests. I want to remind folks again that if you are not someone who has a standing weekly/bi-weekly appointment, to please regularly go in and self-schedule out your next 4-6 appointments in the secure client portal if you want to guarantee a spot on the schedule. This also helps me know when to refer new client requests out or when I might have an opening to take on a new client. I greatly appreciate your help with this!

New Office Location

I’ve shared this with some folks in session but when I’m back in person, all sessions will be held in my new office in St. Paul! Prior to the pandemic I rented a day from a colleague in Minneapolis on Mondays and a day from a colleague in St. Paul on Thursdays. Due to some shifts in my and my colleagues’ schedules and rental agreements, those days and locations became unavailable during the pandemic. Luckily, a full-time opportunity for an office rental came up in the house next door to the one I rented from in St. Paul and I signed a lease in March. So for those of you who visited my St. Paul office, you’ll park in the same place and just come into the house next door at 1678 Selby. I’m currently working on furnishing it and putting things on the walls so it’s cozy and inviting and ready for in-person sessions soon!

Transition to In-Office Plan

Speaking of that… I am still playing it a bit by ear as we find out what the future holds with the removal of the mask mandate and new CDC guidelines around vaccination and masking/social distancing. I have a couple different scenarios in mind in terms of returning to in-person, unmasked sessions in my new office. In one scenario, I may return to some in-office sessions the week after 4th of July. I’m going to continue watching the numbers and see how that feels. If it feels like we may want to give it a bit more time, my plan is to begin in-person work again the second week of August.

My ask of you is that if you choose to return to in-person sessions in the office that you be fully vaccinated. I want to be able to do in-person sessions without masks, and I feel comfortable with the robust emerging data that full vaccination status protects against both transmission and severe disease. This is on an honor system - I’m not going to ask anyone to show me proof of vaccination - but I trust my clients. I will continue to offer Telehealth as I had prior to Covid. It is a great option for when someone is sick, when childcare falls through, when the weather is bad, etc. I also understand if personal comfort level with unmasked in-person work is not there yet and telehealth feels more comfortable, or if you are choosing to remain unvaccinated at this time. But my hope is to continue with majority in-person sessions as before the the pandemic.

Schedule Changes and Summer Vacations

While we’re talking about changes, I’ll be changing up my work days for the first time in 10 years in private practice! My youngest starts kindergarten in the fall and we have some different schedule considerations to work around in our house, so beginning the second week of August my work days will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays instead of Mondays and Thursdays. In the fall after we’ve settled into our new school routine, I will add an additional half day, likely Thursday. I’ll be checking in with clients who have recurring weekly appointments about their preferred day/time to switch their appointment to and then we will fill in the rest!

While we’re talking about schedules, please note I have a few times this summer where I will be attending a training or otherwise out of town. Mark your calendars if your regular appointment falls on these days:

• Monday, June 28th

• Thursday July 8th

• Thursday July 22nd

• August 2-6th

EMDR Therapy

This winter, I was trained in EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), the gold standard evidence-based treatment for reprocessing and integrating traumatic or troubling memories and events. Most recently it’s been in the news for having been used by Prince Harry to process some of his own trauma. I have no particular feelings about the monarchy one way or another but the clip of him doing EMDR is a great representation of what EMDR looks like! If it’s something that piques your curiosity, let’s talk about it in session and see if it is something you might be interested in integrating into therapy.

Book Recommendation

Many of you have heard me recommend a new book, What Happened To You by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry. It is a wonderfully approachable and relatable book about trauma, attachment, early relationships, and how they affect our brains and our relationships to others. It’s the book I’ve been wishing someone would write for years that really explains the neurobiology of trauma and what we did or did not get in our earliest relationships in childhood in a way that is straightforward and understandable.  Dr. Perry has been a leading expert on trauma and the brain for 25 years and Oprah is, well… Oprah! It’s not perfect - there are a couple areas toward the end that send some messages that could be seen as what I might think of as “toxic positivity” about trauma. But overall, I highly recommend this book whether trauma is a part of your life story or you’re just looking to know more about the human experience.

EXPLORE ANAM COUNSELING’S WEBSITE

Anam Counseling

Practical Counseling with Heart and Soul

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLD(CBI), CLEC

www.anamcounseling.com

Taking Care: EFT Tapping

This post is part of a series offering brief introductions and resources for different ways to take care of yourself.

Have you heard of EFT (emotional freedom technique), sometimes just referred to as “tapping”? It’s an evidence-based practice that has roots in acupuncture, acupressure, positive psychology, neuro-linguistic programming, and energy psychology. In a nutshell, EFT has you identify an emotional or physical pain or stressor, rate the level of distress it’s causing you on a scale of 0-10, and then move through a series of tapping a set group of acupressure points while saying certain statements about the stressor or pain. At the end of the tapping points, you check in again with your 0-10 scale and notice if there is any improvement. The entire process takes 5-10 minutes.

Personally, I like EFT because it’s a simple and straightforward technique that is easy to use and is applicable to many different stressors and scenarios. You can use it for mental/emotional issues such as a worry or anxiety as well as physical issues like a headache or back pain. It’s also totally customizable to your particular set of circumstances. There is a little bit of a learning curve but once you have the tapping points memorized, you’re on the way to using it whenever you want. When I teach it to clients and friends, the most common response I hear is that it feels very grounding. And if you have little ones in your life, it is also really simple to teach to and use with kids. It’s a lovely self-care technique to have in your toolbox.

There are tons of resources on the web and tutorials on youtube. If you’re ready to try it out, here are some resources to get you started tapping:

• This article offers a great overview of EFT.

• Here is a short video that teaches the specific tapping points and goes through the process.

• If you try EFT and decide you really like it, this app features hundreds of issue-specific tapping meditations. There are a handful of free meditations, but to access the full library, there is an annual subscription fee of about $90.

Anam Counseling Winter 2021 Newsletter for Current Clients

Hello, dear clients.

Here's to 2021, huh? I want to start by saying that in this time that is so very challenging for so many, a real bright spot in my own life has been my work with each of my clients who continue to show up, be vulnerable, and do the work of curiosity, exploration, and healing. If you are reading this, I am deeply grateful for you.

As we transition from 2020 to 2021, I have a couple small updates to my practice:

• A small but important ask: The twin pandemics of Covid-19 and racial/social injustice have increased need for therapy services for every therapist I know, including myself. My schedule is as busy as it's been in my nearly 9 years in private practice. This has led to some scheduling concerns that haven't historically been an issue for me. For example, I've always been able to accommodate a more random scheduling of individual appointments as needed. While this will still be possible, I'm asking for those who tend to schedule week-to-week or one appointment at a time to instead schedule at least 3-4 appointments at a time. This will help give me a better idea of what my caseload looks like month-to-month rather than week-to-week so that I can be more accommodating of new client requests. (It will also give me a better idea of when I need to pause accepting new clients). If this doesn't work for you, no worries but if you're able, it's greatly appreciated. For those who have ongoing/recurring weekly or bi-weekly appointments, no need to do anything differently. As a bonus, it will also take away the need to spend the last few minutes of each session on scheduling!

• In that same vein, I’m running into the issue of folks emailing about appointment time availability and by the time they’ve emailed back claiming a time, the spot has filled. Again, this historically has not been an issue, but here we are! To prevent this from happening, the easiest and preferred way to see my current real-time availability and schedule is by logging in to the secure client portal. Of course clients can still email/text about session times but this does not guarantee availability. Just as a reminder, I see clients on Mondays and Thursdays with my earliest appointment of the day at 8am and my last appointment of the day at 4pm.

• And speaking of the secure client portal, In the interest of data privacy, I'm hoping to transition primarily to the secure messaging option that is housed within Simple Practice (my electronic health records system). This option is available within the secure client portal that every client has access to. I'll still use my email and text but will use secure messaging through Simple Practice as my default way to send and receive electronic communication. When you get communication from me in the portal, an email will show up that says you have a new message but you’ll need to click in to the portal in order to read it. You can also communicate with me directly from the secure messaging system.

• Finally, effective March 1, 2021, there will be the tiniest of rate increases. Current sessions are $118 for a 45-minute session and rates will go to $120/session. Intake sessions will remain unchanged at $135/session.

To end, I wanted to offer some of my favorite resources that I came across in 2020. Click here to see a separate blog post where I share some favorite books, podcasts, and articles that I found helpful and hope you may, too! If you end up reading/listening to any of these, I’d love to hear what you think in session!

With warmth and with hope for the year ahead,

Jess

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CLEC, CLD(CBI)

Some Favorite Resources, Winter 2021

As January begins, I thought I’d share a few resources that I think are interesting and helpful. I hope one or more of these resonate with you.

• The podcast LifeKit is so great! It’s an NPR podcast that is almost never longer than 20 minutes where they dig in to one topic by interviewing a couple of experts in the area they’re focusing on. The topics are timely and thoughtful and interesting. Some recent favorites have included coping with anxiety in a time of nonstop headlines, how to sleep better, how to learn to run, and how to start therapy. There are also fun ones like how to make a better cup of coffee, how to start a garden, or how to read more books. Sounds interesting, right? A great one to start with might be How to Start a New Habit.

• Attachment theory is a long-studied, empirically-validated theory that states that our early childhood relationships with our primary attachment figure (for better or for worse, almost always our mother!) affects how we relate to friends, family, and intimate partners as adults. Getting to know about how attachment plays out in your life can be a powerful healing tool. There are a couple great books that provide an overview of attachment and how it affects us all. The first is “Attached” by Levine and Heller. This one focuses primarily on attachment’s role in romantic relationships. A more general overview is The Power of Attachment by Diane Poole Heller.

• Another awesome book that is approachable and relevant is “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle” by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski. It’s filled with fascinating research on burnout as well as tons of practical tips to help dig out from burnout. Of note, this book specifically focuses on female-identified peoples’ stress and stress responses.

• Dr. Kristin Neff’s work on the evidence-based practice of self-compassion is beautiful and radical all at the same time. I recommend anything by her - she has a lovely self-compassion workbook. Her book Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself is a good place to start.

• On Instagram, there are a few really excellent accounts that consistently put out helpful tidbits related to mental health and well-being. A few of my favorite follows are: The Gottman Institute, Nedra Glover Tawwab, and Whitney Goodman.

Note: an earlier version of this post included a link in the last bullet point to the IG account of Nicole L*Pera. I have removed that recommendation since learning about this person’s deeply problematic treatment of BIPOC folks and her promotion of oppressive political ideas.

Anam Counseling Spring 2020 Newsletter

Anam Counseling Occasional Newsletter

Early Spring Update

Telehealth, New Modalities

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LGSW, PMH-C  March 2020

Telehealth and COVID-19

As information on COVID-19 continues to increase, what is becoming clear is that “social distancing” in addition to hand-washing are effective ways to slow the spread of the virus. I want to assure you that I am staying abreast of recommendations in Minnesota and both locations I work at are taking extra precautions. If you feel ill, think you may have been exposed, or would just feel better about staying home, I want to remind folks that Telehealth is always an option and is an easy switch to do, even last-minute. It’s not quite the same as in-person therapy but in the short-term, it’s helpful and effective. It just requires a good secure internet connection and a quiet place to chat. 

These are hard times and it’s normal to feel extra stress, worry, and anxiety. Do your best to find small ways to take good care of your physical and mental health such as staying hydrated and finding moments for some deep breaths. Here is a link to an article that has some evidence-based ways to work with any anxiety this might bring up.

ART - Accelerated Resolution Therapy 

This October, I re-upped my training in Accelerated Resolution Therapy, usually shortened to ART. If you’re familiar with EMDR, ART is a somewhat similar modality in that it uses a structured format combined with eye movements (known as bilateral stimulation) to bring rapid healing to traumatic or difficult memories. “Keep the memory, lose the pain” is the phrase ART uses to describe the healing process for this modality. The clients I’ve been using it with have found it helpful and healing. If you’re interested in learning more about ART, let’s talk in session. 

Practice Openings

Currently I have openings for 1-2 new clients in my Minneapolis office and 1-2 new clients at my St. Paul office. I appreciate your referrals! 

A Few Reminders...

As a reminder, I am always happy to provide you with a receipt and a diagnostic code for you to submit to your insurance company for potential out-of-network (OON) reimbursement. As a reminder, OON is not guaranteed and is plan-specific based on your insurance. Sessions are still paid for up front and your insurance company would give you any OON reimbursement directly. Sessions can also be paid for with an HSA/FSA card. 

EXPLORE ANAM COUNSELING’S WEBSITE

Anam Counseling

Practical Counseling with Heart and Soul

Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LGSW, PMH-C

www.anamcounseling.com

So you’re at Risk for a PMAD. Now what?

This is part 2 in a 2-part series about risks for developing a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder. Start with Part 1 to see how many risk factors you or a loved one might have.

Once you’ve identified that you might be at risk for developing a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety disorder such as postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, or bipolar, it can feel scary to think about what’s next. The good news is that there are effective treatments that exist. We also know that there is great benefit in knowing risk factors ahead of time because the initial effort can be focused on prevention and support. And prevention/early intervention has been shown to reduce severity and duration of PMADs. Knowledge is power!

One of the most beneficial strategies is getting connected with a therapist who is trained and experienced in working with PMADs (more info in a future post about why it’s so important to see a clinician whose focus is PMADs if possible.). In my practice, what this typically looks like is anywhere from a handful of sessions prior to birth to regular weekly sessions leading up to the birthing time. We do educational/informational work, resource-planning, postpartum planning, partner work, as well as regular therapeutic processing work.

Often, if someone has a number of risk factors it can be good to set up a consultation with a psychiatrist (an MD who can prescribe medication if needed), or a psychiatric nurse practitioner to find out about medication options should the need arise. Not everyone who has a PMAD needs medication but often folks find it helpful to know what their options are ahead of time.

Another important preventative factor is to learn about social support in your community. Here in the Minneapolis - St. Paul area where I practice, we are lucky to have lots of opportunities for new parent support. This can include things like La Leche League meetings, new mom support groups, new mom classes, babywearing meetings, breastfeeding support groups, mom + baby yoga classes, and more. Talking to your midwife or doula or OB, or seeing if your local hospital or prenatal yoga studio or community center has any groups or classes can be a great way to make connections. Social support has been shown to be a vitally important healing factor in the perinatal period.

Making a postpartum plan is helpful in early intervention/prevention work as well. Sit down at your computer with your parter and make a postpartum plan the same way you’d think about making a birth plan. What are the things I need to be successful in this time? Who are people I can call on for support? What are the resources I could use in this time? What are the things that I don’t want to be part of my postpartum time? What do I want my postpartum time to look, feel, be like?

Remember, if you know your risk factors ahead of time, you’re ahead of the curve! Being proactive to set up some supports in your life will go a long way toward making sure you have the best postpartum time you can have.