Uncategorized

While we have been warm weather up until a few days ago, I know that many people are already starting to complain about the winter.  I recently read an interest article about research done in Norway where people handle extremely long winters and where we actually see less seasonal depression than expected.  From some of the impromptu observations made by researchers, it turns out there are a few things you can do that can help make winter more bearable.

1.  Perception is important.  If you look at winter as something negative, you are more likely to be depressed.  Instead of complaining about the snow and cold, think about what are things that you can do only in winter.
2. Winter is a great time to make yourself comfortable.  While for many people that may mean a good book and a warm drink next to a fire, comfort doesn’t mean isolating yourself.  It is important to remain connected to other people.  There are many winter events going on in the surrounding communities.  Check out what is available.
3. Find the beauty around you that you don’t get to see at other times of the year.  In the fall we may think of colorful leaves on the trees as a perfect picture.  However, in the winter a perfect picture may be a fresh coat of snow around the trees in your back yard.

Here are links to two articles about this topic:

The Norwegian town where the sun doesn’t rise

The Norwegian secret to enjoying a long winter

Fall is often the best time to be in Maine.  It also can be quite an adjustment for most people, with big changes to their daily routines after the ease of summer.  One of the best ways to get prepared for fall and ahead of any potential missteps is to have a list.  I encourage my clients to make short to-do lists for the day, week, and the next few months.  Lists are often relatively simple.  Maybe it’s just reminding yourself to take 10 minutes to relax or meditate each day.  Maybe it’s a little more important, such as doing a little bit of work on your big project each day.  It is important to remember that you shouldn’t look at something that you didn’t accomplish that day as a criticism.  If you fail to accomplish something on your list, understand why and then think of a way to help you accomplish it later.  I find it is helpful to have lists that are very streamlined or fun.  Examples of pages or apps for keeping lists are Wunderlist, Todoist, Evernote, and Habitica.  Remember: lists should be fun and helpful, not create more anxiety or pressure for you.

One of the most commonly asked questions of people starting therapy for the first time is how the process works.  I wanted to take the first blog post here to talk a little bit about how I approach it.  You may have similar questions and if this blog post does not answer them, feel free to ask me.

Before I begin with a new client, I like to speak with them on the phone for 15-20 minutes.  This gives me the chance to get to understand the concern that they want to do some work around.  We use this time to discuss whether it sounds like we would be a good fit for the work that they want to accomplish.  I ask them a few questions about insurance information that we use to initially determine their benefits and if working with me will be covered.  Then we move on to planning an intake date.

For the intake they will have to fill out some paperwork that provides their personal information, details some office policies, and provides them with some notices that they need to know as a client.  Versions of these forms are available under the “Forms” tab at the top of the page.  If I can, I like to have an intake session last 90 minutes.  This gives us time to go through the information they need to know and for me to ask all of the appropriate background questions.  At the end of their intake we will discuss a probable diagnosis, discuss their goals for therapy, and schedule the next few appointments.

It may sound like all these things take up a lot of time, and they can!  I try to make things as simple as possible during this initial session as I know sometimes it can be very intimidating just to make the appointment and walk into the office for the first time.