Blog
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and for good reason. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-14, third for those aged 15-24, fourth for those 34-44, and fifth for those 45-54. It is devastatingly high, and something that can be prevented with the right knowledge and tools. Half the…
It is that time of the year again when college students are returning to campuses and classes are beginning to start. It is the time of the year when, as a college student, you might start to feel overwhelmed, excited, or nervous about what the upcoming year has in store. Whether you are new to…
Back-to-school can cause a range of emotions for both students and parents. You both may be feeling overwhelmed, scared, worried, excited, or just plain stressed. Whatever you are feeling, know it’s perfectly normal to feel uneasy when things are changing yet again. The counselors and therapists at Whole Journey regularly work with both parents and…
Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community is not easy. Members of the LGBTQ+ community are often stigmatized by society and treated with disrespect and/or harm. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. There are many things we can do as a community to be better allies to the LGBTQ+ community. Suicide is…
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a perfect time to talk about resilience and ways we can build more resilience within. First, let’s talk about what we mean by “resilience.” What is resilience? Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, threats, or other significant sources of stress, according…
Being a parent is stressful. With all that you have to do in a day, it is no wonder that teenage attitudes and toddler tantrums can easily push you over the edge. You are working in or out of the home each day, getting food on the table, playing taxi driver, cheerleader, nurse, and homework…
Everyone who has ever had a job has likely experienced work-related stress. The American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America survey consistently finds that the majority of Americans find work stressful. Although work stress cannot be avoided entirely, chronic stress at work can lead to many mental and physical health issues. If not kept in…
The holiday season can be full of joy, excitement, love, and togetherness. But, with all the togetherness can also come more discomfort, stress, and ultimately more symptoms of anxiety and depression. That is why it is crucial that you learn how to set boundaries with family and friends during the holiday season and beyond. Setting…
Being a member of the LGBTQ community in Virginia, and beyond, comes with several challenges that are deeply personal. In the quest for freedom to love whomever they choose and the ability to express their true identity, the LGBTQ population is often met with prejudice, discrimination, hate, distrust, and disrespect. As friends of the LGBTQ…
It is that time again — busy season. It is the time of the year when school is drawing to a close, summer is looming, schedules are quickly filling, parenting pots are overflowing with sports, teacher gifts, party planning, camp scheduling, vacations, etc. While exciting, especially as things begin to feel more normal since the…
We say (or think) it all the time: “Doing x,y,z for me is selfish.” We often say we don’t have time for self-care or we have too much to worry about to do things for ourselves. It is an unfortunate mindset and, quite frankly, practicing self-care is the opposite of selfish. We struggle, especially as…
This month is about celebrating the many contributions of African Americans in the United States. It is about recognizing how far Black Americans have come throughout history and highlighting areas that still need work. One of those areas is mental health. Did you know Black adults in the U.S. are more likely to struggle with…
The holidays can be the most difficult time of the year for those struggling to cope with grief, loss, or sadness. It all starts to surface around Thanksgiving. It is this time—when we are supposed to be embracing and sharing with loved ones—that there is a stark reminder of what is missing. The immense sorrow…
The holidays are a notoriously stressful time but this year the demands of past years are being replaced with a different kind of angst. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise and large family gatherings are being largely discouraged, the holiday season is filled with more uncertainty, fear, grief, loneliness, and anxiety than, many would say,…
Dear Client, Colleague, and/or Community Partner, We are excited to announce that Whole Journey Services will again see clients in our office as of June 15, 2020 for select clinicians. We are also able to provide continued services via telehealth (video or phone visit) if you would like to be seen from your home. As…
As a therapist, many families anxiously meet with me, frustrated by their family’s issues, child’s behaviors, and ongoing communication breakdowns. As a result, parents ask me how they can better connect with their child and are often curious why their children share insights with me that they are not aware of. There are a variety…
Let’s talk about springtime. There are so many reasons why we associate spring with renewal. I won’t bore you with a list. We seem to take a collective deep breath of fresh air (for those of us with seasonal allergies, that may be a little more difficult) and exhale a sigh of relief. It’s time…
Does the thought of going to a holiday party and explaining your relationship status make you feel exhausted or cringe? Whether you’re newly single, and everyone wants to know what happened, or you’re that great catch who hasn’t quite been caught. It’s ok. According to the 2017 U.S. Census there are 110.6 million unmarried adults…
One of the guiding principles of mind-body medicine is the interconnection of all things, including the mind, the body, and the environment in which we live. Each of us is an inseparable part of an infinite field of intelligence, and in this very moment, with every breath, we are exchanging millions of atoms with the…
Jeannine Moga, LCSW It’s been just over one month since the shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center took the lives of twelve people, injured several more, and left our community stunned and horrified. Talk of workplace violence and mass public attacks has increased in recent years, but this is now personal: the shooting happened here. And…
Dear Whole Journey Member, At Whole Journey, two things are of our utmost importance, your health and wellness. I wanted to personally reach out to you and provide an update on the actions that we’re offering to help prevent the spread of illness and support the health and well-being of our members and our staff. Our…
When you make that decision to share your life with someone, one of the truest tests that you as a couple will face is how you will approach the holiday season together. Often, a lot of effort and emphasis is placed on trying to retain these practices to mimic what they were before your relationship….
The holiday season is a busy and stressful time for most of us. But when a member of the family is missing through death, divorce, deployment, or other life transitions, the holidays can feel altered in a way that makes it difficult to celebrate. Here are some tips to help you navigate the world when everyone is…
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, many parents are wondering how to talk to children about the impacts of the virus in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the experts at the Child Mind Institute.
When everything got corona-cancelled, one of the few things I looked forward to was more sleep. But turning in earlier and getting up later doesn’t necessarily translate to better rest—not now, not when every person standing too close is a potential threat and every little tickle in your throat is suspect. These are unprecedented times….
