You are hiking a Green Mountain trail and are startled as you round a corner
Structure and predictability play important roles in our lives, allowing us to anticipate, plan, and prepare for what’s coming. A big part of the way we help young children make sense of the world is by using routines, boundaries, and clear expectations. Knowing what to expect and when to expect it can bring comfort and help kids feel secure.
About a week after my oldest son was born and in the grips of a disorientating new landscape called parenthood, I remember calling my mother in tears demanding- “Why didn’t you tell me this was so hard!” I felt equal parts anger, betrayal, sadness and exhaustion. I was utterly confused- why was this happening to me and where were these feelings coming from? I wanted answers and yet I felt too scared to ask for help; too ashamed to admit openly that this was happening to me.
In this Keep Talking episode, Dr. Leslie Korn talks with Gay Maxwell about "integrative medicine" and how her holistic approach to the treatment and prevention of mental health and addiction disorders not only includes counseling and psychotherapy, but the use of dietary and supplement protocols.
On August 20th the Brattleboro Reformer published an article about the Brattleboro Retreat's Annual Ride For Heroes, a motorcycle rally and fundraiser for the hospital’s Uniformed Service Program. On that day, Windham County Sheriff Keith Clark did a courageous thing: he publicly shared his story of experiencing a major depression, his decision to seek treatment, and his consequent recovery. As I read his account I found myself saying: Thank you, many times.
Recent news of the closure of Maple Leaf Treatment Center in Underhill took many of us in the field of mental health and addiction by surprise. Too many Vermonters in need of addiction treatment are already underserved. And the sudden loss of Maple Leaf's 41 beds along with its outpatient program for people battling opioid addiction is an unfortunate blow that will further strain our state's loosely stitched patchwork of mental health and addiction services.
Mindfulness has been gaining in recognition and popularity in the U.S. for the last two decades, and with good reason. A number of leaders in the mental health field have studied the usefulness of mindfulness in creating mental health and in treating mental illness. In fact, many of the evidence-based treatments (i.e., treatments that have been scientifically shown to be effective) used in the care of patients at the Brattleboro Retreat are centered on the practice of mindfulness. But did you know it’s a technique that can benefit just about anyone?
Brattleboro Retreat's Gay Maxwell sits down with Susan Balaban, Ph.D, former Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Manager of the Uniformed Service Program at the Brattleboro Retreat to discuss her work with First Responders and Military Personnel as the struggle with the lasting effects of their work in high stress environments.
Emerging adults, ages 18-29, face distinct developmental tasks that will lay the foundation of a healthy adulthood. Jennifer Tanner, PhD, discusses this newly identified developmental stage, its characteristics and why developmental psychologists see this as a critical period in life. A developmentalist and Vice-Chair of the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood, Dr. Tanner offers insight into how this knowledge can impact our lives, our families' lives and society as a whole.
