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Get Outside! Summer Programming at Mountain Valley

Posted on by scottc

Spring has come and in its wake of budding leaves and blooming flowers, we are on the cusp of summer in Plainfield, NH. As the sun has come out to play, so have those on campus at Mountain Valley… you can find residents and staff alike outside during all hours of the day!

As much as we value the energy and fun that tend to accompany the sun, we are here for therapeutic work; isn’t it wonderful then, that fun, sun, and the great outdoors are linked to powerful and lasting health benefits! Studies have shown that spending time outside is linked to decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression, increased mood and concentration, and improved cardiovascular health. Here are some of the activities we are planning for this spring and summer at Mountain Valley:

Summer Activities at Mountain Valley

  • Trails: This spring residents engaged in trail maintenance to clear debris from heavy snow fall this winter to clear our on-campus trail system. Our trail system is used regularly for walking, running, and even mountain biking. You will find residents walking the trails both alone and with staff as an effective and adaptive way to manage and process complex emotions.
  • Physical Wellness: During physical wellness residents engage in games of tag, sports such as pickleball, and classic games such as four square. While utilizing the trail system you will often hear “FLOOD” yelled during physical wellness, as residents must suddenly find high ground as a way to bring excitement to an otherwise relaxing walk. Occupational therapist Kevi Mihas will facilitate a group yoga practice in the shade.
  • Gardening: As the frosts have dissipated and the grounds awaken, we will be spending more and more time caring for the local plants on campus. Residents will be taking an active role in the preparation of both garden and flower beds. Spending time getting dirty outside helps to strengthen and diversify our complex immune systems and microbiomes, which plays an important role in our mental health.
  • Animal Care: Several weeks ago, residents helped the sheep get sheared and have spent ample time and energy mucking stalls after a long winter. Mountain Valley also welcomed our newest farm family members just last week, a flock of 18 baby chickens! The residents will help care for the chicks hands-on until they are independent chickens, helping to manage the bugs on campus and providing feathery companionship to all.
  • Outdoor Adventures: With snow and ice gone and mud season coming near its end, our adventure programming will be ramping up with recreational therapist J’Amy VanderVeur and milieu support specialist TJ Baumann. The low ropes courses on campus will be teeming with activity as residents explore elements which require balance, lifting, and creativity to overcome both group and individual challenges. Residents will also have the opportunity to engage with high ropes course elements such as a climbing wall, high cabled elements, and giant swings on campus and at the Upper Valley Stewardship Center during the weekends. On all low and high ropes course elements, residents are invited to engage in their chosen level of challenge as they face personal fears and support their peers in facing theirs. When not traversing cables, residents will be exploring the mountains around New Hampshire and Vermont hiking, learning about local plants and animals, developing bush craft skills such as fire making and local edibles, and even exploring caves!

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Common Daily Habits to Cope with Teen Anxiety

Posted on by Carl Lovejoy

Anxiety is much more than being nervous. In this country, 7.1% of children between three and seventeen (which rounds to a whopping 4.5 million!) are diagnosed with anxiety. With so many children, including teens, struggling only six out of ten teens receive treatment (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021-a). So, what does a parent do? How do they help? While treatment is extremely important, this is only part of the picture. Self-care, outside of treatment, is important as well. Tying formal therapy and day-to-day strategies together can be a challenge. These are some common daily habits that can help your teens cope with anxiety in their everyday lives.

1. Have a healthy eating plan

Eating the right type of food can make a difference. Healthy eating falls under self-care. When taking care of ourselves, we can feel more in control of our anxiety symptoms. Good foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (for example, beans, peas, and lentils), lean protein sources, and nuts and seeds (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021-a). 

2. Physical activity

Getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day can make a difference with anxiety (Hirschlag, 2018). This can include running, walking, yoga, or even a more organized workout. The benefits of exercise are that it: decreases muscle tension, changes brain chemistry as the heart rate goes up which releases antianxiety chemicals in the brain, and helps build resistance to stormy emotions (Ratey, 2019). 

3. Get plenty of sleep

It is important not only to get enough sleep but enough GOOD sleep. This means sleep without access to screens such as cell phones. Teens are supposed to receive 8-10 hours of sleep a night in order to be fully rested (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021-b). 

4. Writing

Writing is a great skill to help combat anxiety (Hirschlag, 2018). It allows for teens to release their emotions in a healthy, private way. This also gives them time to reflect on their emotions and process them as they write their feelings down. They can keep writing as a nightly journal, something they keep on hand throughout the day, or simply something they write and shred as needed. 

5. Limit Social Media

This may feel like a difficult one in this day and age with everyone having constant access to phones, computers, or tablets. In the long run, though, the extra effort is worth the benefits. One study had shown that 48% of teens who use social media for five hours a day have at least one suicide risk factor, compared to the 33% of teens who just use social media for two hours daily(Shafer, 2017). Social media use affects everyone differently, but lack of self-control using it can lead to struggles with anxiety, insecurity, and poor self-esteem (Shafer, 2017). This is not saying to take phones away, but to break up the day with more social activities off the screen. Use the time to have fun with friends and family which is good for everyone!

 

References

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, March 22-a). Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, March 22-b). Anxiety and Depression in Children. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/depression.html. 

Hirschlag, A. (2018, December 18). How to Cope with Anxiety: 11 Simple Ways and When to See a Doctor. Do You Live with Anxiety? Here Are 11 Ways to Cope. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-cope-with-anxiety#long-term-strategies. 

Ratey, J. (2019, October 24). Can exercise help treat anxiety? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-exercise-help-treat-anxiety-2019102418096.  

Shafer, L. (2017, December 15). Social Media and Teen Anxiety. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/12/social-media-and-teen-anxiety.   

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Mountain Valley is Open!

Posted on by Carl Lovejoy

 

Mountain Valley is extremely pleased to announce we have resumed on campus programming for our full residential, therapeutic and clinical care that has been the hallmark of MVTC since we were founded in 2011.  We welcomed our first 3 residents on Monday May 18th, with an additional four on the way.  The phones are ringing – an indicator of how now, more than ever, Mountain Valley is needed.

Mindful of the COVID-19 situation, Mountain Valley is monitoring and taking guidance from New Hampshire state health officials regarding updated protocols.  We have implemented robust infection control measures consistent with state and national authorities.

Our current precautions to ensure the safety of all residents and staff include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • New Residents will be pre-screened prior to admission and if exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms will not be admitted
  • Programming will evolve, specifically off-campus programming based on the latest guidance from the NH Governor.
  • Staff members will have their temperatures taken at the start and end of each shift and will be required to wear masks when not able to maintain 6 feet of space between themselves and others.
  • Residents will be monitored daily for COVID-19 symptoms, including temperature checks.  If symptoms are present, measures will be taken to seek testing and medical care, on-site or at nearby Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
  • There will be daily disinfection of all surfaces and enhanced hand washing enforced.

For further information, contact us.

 

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Mountain Valley Announces Virtual Therapeutic and Academic Program

Posted on by Carl Lovejoy

In response to the COVID-19 crisis and our desire to continue to support our residents and their families, Mountain Valley is excited to announce the opening of our Virtual Therapeutic and Academic Program.

Mission:
Mountain Valley’s virtual program offers therapeutic and academic support to adolescents and their families.  The Align Program will help students through times of increased stress and stagnation. The Align Program is a collaboration between Mountain Valley Treatment Center and Knower Academics and involves therapeutically informed academics and anxiety treatment. There is also a Telemental Health Program that provides therapy utilizing evidenced practices, including CBT, ERP, DBT, and ACT. Weekly webinars are also available to families. Mountain Valley and Knower Academics collaborate and coordinate treatment and learning for each student. Students may earn credits while working with Knower Academics and can take between one and six classes.  Services will be offered through secure videoconferencing (VSee or Zoom).

Align Program – Level One:

  • Students will complete a minimum of twelve hours per week of dedicated academic programming. Roughly half of the hours are taught in a one on one format and the other half are taught in a small group environment.
  • Two individual therapy sessions per week. One session can be substituted for family therapy
  • One group therapy session per week focused on problem solving skills, emotional awareness, and CBT

Align Program – Level Two:

  • Students will complete a minimum of sixteen hours per week of dedicated academic programming. Roughly half of the hours are taught in a one on one format and the other half are taught in a small group environment.
  • Two individual therapy sessions per week. One session can be substituted for family therapy
  • One group therapy session per week focused on problem solving skills, emotional awareness, and CBT

Align Program – Level Three:

  • Students will complete a minimum of Twenty hours per week of dedicated academic programming. Roughly half of the hours are taught in a one on one format and the other half are taught in a small group environment.
  • Two individual therapy sessions per week. One session can be substituted for family therapy
  • One group therapy session per week focused on problem solving skills, emotional awareness, and CBT

Telemental Health Program:

  • Two individual therapy sessions per week. One session can be substituted for family therapy
  • One group therapy session per week focused on problem solving skills, emotional awareness, and CBT
  • Parent coaching/phone consultation with therapist each week
  • Coordination of care and development of aftercare plan

If interested in our Virtual Program, please contact Jen Fullerton by email or at 603-616-6693. For more information specific to program’s academic offerings, click here.
The weekly fee for each program is:

  • Align Program – Level One: $2,000 per week
  • Align Program – Level Two: $2,250 per week
  • Align Program – Level Three: $2,500 per week
  • Telemental Health Program: $800 per week

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Back to School, and School Refusal, Once Again – Dr. Timothy DiGiacomo

Posted on by Carl Lovejoy

Welcome to the start of the new school year! Everything seems to be in place – new school, fresh start, seemingly nice kids, great teachers – this is going to be the best year yet – the year when your child can get out of bed, get dressed, get out the door, get to school, go to classes, sing in the chorus, play on the soccer team, come home happy – yes, this is the year! But then that same old problem, school refusal, rears its ugly head once again…

School refusal refers to a pattern of school avoidance or frequently leaving school early.  This is not an issue of truancy, but often rather a symptom of anxiety, depression, or some other concern.  Attending school or the thought of attending school creates such significant distress for some children and teens that they experience somatic concerns including stomachaches, headaches, nausea, an increased heart rate and other uncomfortable physical sensations, such as tantrums and meltdowns.  Such students appear “stuck” – unable to take action towards getting back into school.  School refusal affects approximately 2 to 5% of school-age children.  In addition to school refusal often leading to students falling behind academically, it is often also associated with a decline in social opportunities and an inability to attend extracurricular activities that often center around school, subsequently leading to greater isolation.

Not all is lost, for school refusal can be addressed gradually, compassionately and effectively. Mountain Valley Treatment Center specializes in working with teens, young adults, and their families to address the underlying anxieties and challenges related to school refusal and avoidance by first completing a functional analysis and achieving a better understanding of the school refusal behaviors.  That is, for example, to determine if school refusal is related to bullying; fears of transitioning from middle school to high school or high school to college; social judgment concerns; problems stemming from perfectionism; problems related to engagement in compulsions as related to OCD – and the list could go on.  Mountain Valley works with residents and families to identify the overarching problem, and then breaks it into more workable parts.  Mountain Valley teaches residents and families how to utilize cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and subsequent unpleasant feelings that fuel the avoidance and maintain the anxiety.  Families learn to identify ways that they may have been accommodating some of the school refusal behaviors and inadvertently maintaining the avoidance.  Residents learn about anxiety maintenance and how avoiding school may alleviate distress in the short-term but create greater distress in the long-term.  They identify their reasons for engaging in this challenging work and then engage in exposure with response prevention (ERP) as a way of creating opportunities to change their experiences with unpleasant school situations, thereby reducing their distress and increasing their ability to attend school and function while there.

But the work doesn’t stop there!  In addition to the work being done on the Mountain Valley campus, our residents and families take their exposures on the road.  That is, they take the skills learned and experiences obtained at Mountain Valley and engage in school refusal work at home with their schools and with their school staff.  In preparation for this, our residents participate in small group academics and have the opportunity to complete a parallel work exchange and one-on-one academic tutoring.  They also have the opportunity to be communicating with teachers, friends from school, coaches and mentors, and begin preparing for a transition back into school during their time with us here in New Hampshire.

Dr. Timothy DiGiacomo, Mountain Valley’s Clinical Director, is a licensed clinical psychologist with comprehensive experience treating children, adolescents and adults with individual, group and family therapy, including utilizing CBT-based modalities for anxiety, depression and trauma. Tim has treated individuals with anxiety, depressed mood, motivational difficulties, stress-related problems, learning difficulties, and trauma.  Tim has completed the International OCD Foundation’s Advanced Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) and is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Child Parent Psychotherapy, and other evidence-based treatments.  He has a particular interest in family therapy.  Tim enjoys meeting clients where they are at and helping them to learn the tools that they need to resolve their difficulties.  Tim takes a strengths-based and supportive approach to empower families to make positive changes that work for their family’s needs.
Dr. DiGiacomo oversees, leads and guides the clinical program and strategic development of our clinical services.  This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring the incorporation of the latest in Evidence Based Practices (EBP) for the treatment of OCD and Anxiety Disorders, overseeing Performance Measures systems including Outcomes Monitoring, research, and screening approval for prospective clients.  He also serves as the “Clinical Face” of Mountain Valley externally.  This includes, but is not limited to, developing and delivering local, regional and national conference presentations, supporting clinical outreach activities, liaison with external organizations and entities to the benefit of Mountain Valley and in the overall treatment of OCD and Anxiety Disorders.
Dr. DiGiacomo provides on-site clinical supervision of staff and systems including directly supervising the Senior Clinician and at least one therapist for both administrative/performance and clinical supervision and providing clinical supervision for the Associate Clinical Director.  He actively engages in and supports the marketing communications initiatives and branding to include, but not be limited to, identifying national accreditation for the Residential Exposure Specialist training, supporting the digital marketing program, and publication of the work we do.
During his time at West Central Behavioral Health in Lebanon, NH, Dr. DiGiacomo worked as a clinician, psychological assessment coordinator, Team Leader, and Acting Director of the Child Team.  He served as a Clinical/Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry for the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, providing therapy and assessment supervision, and teaching seminars for psychology interns and post-doctoral fellows.  He has taught courses on co-parenting and alternative dispute resolution for the State of New Hampshire for families going through divorce.  He has also served as adjunct faculty for New England College and Franklin Pierce University, teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.  He served as a psychologist and consultant for the Plainfield, NH and Lebanon, NH school districts.  Tim has worked in research at Yale University, in clinical roles at VA Medical Centers, and in various mental health facilities.
Dr. DiGiacomo graduated from the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology and completed his internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Dartmouth Medical School.  He earned his Master of Arts in Community and Clinical Psychology at Norfolk State University.  He completed his B.A. in psychology at Fairfield University.

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MV Therapist, Colleen Porter, writes about Expressive Arts Therapy at MVTC: Process Over Product

Posted on by Carl Lovejoy

“I can’t do it.” “It’s not good enough.” “It’s too hard.” These phrases, and others like it, are the daily soundtrack for someone with anxiety. In the early days of treatment at Mountain Valley, we hear these words in response to an exposure assigned in ERP, or a new skill being learned in the various modules. Our residents are presented with many opportunities to challenge themselves and learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable (or, as we like to say, “Sit with it!”).

Expressive arts therapy is one avenue for residents to do just this—welcome discomfort by exploring new and creative ways to not only express themselves, but to do so by focusing on the process over the product.

Expressive arts therapy is a specific branch of the expressive therapy discipline that incorporates more than one art modality during a creative intervention. This is slightly different than art therapy or music therapy, where the focus is typically on a single art form. Instead, expressive arts therapy is about enhancing the relationship between creative processes by fluidly moving from one art form to another.

At Mountain Valley, for example, residents might be asked to start with a visual arts project, then encouraged to add written expression, and finally consider music and sound as a way to deepen the experience. All of this lends to the goal of focusing more on the process of the artmaking rather than the product.

Expressive arts and anxiety go hand-in-hand. Any creatives out there likely know what I mean. It happens in those moments when you’re drawing, or playing an instrument, or writing a blog post (like this one!). Thoughts about the work not being “good enough” creep into your mind, and many of us give into frustration that occurs throughout the creative process.

For many of our residents, the anxiety stems from being asked to be vulnerable with their peers and with themselves. Anxiety is felt in the act of creating art and making decisions about how they’d like it to look or sound like. For those who struggle with perfectionism, expressive arts therapy offers natural exposure opportunities. It also provides a venue in which to challenge unhelpful thought patterns.

Expressive arts can be spontaneous and invites the artist to practice flexibility. Group directives are often intentionally vague or open-ended in order to increase uncertainty. In short, expressive arts can be a culmination of all things anxiety-provoking—which is why it’s a key ingredient to treatment at Mountain Valley.

So, the next time you’re setting out on a creative venture, pay attention to the process of the artmaking (or music, or writing, or dance, whatever you connect with). Can you simply notice what it’s like to surrender to the uncertainty? What’s it like if you give less weight to the final product? You might find that you’ll learn something about yourself and see things from a new perspective.

Colleen Porter, L.M.H.C., M.A., is an expressive arts therapist and a mental health counselor at Mountain Valley who specializes in creative approaches for self-expression in adolescents.  A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Stonehill College with a B.A. in Art History and an M.A. in Expressive Arts Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University, Colleen prepared for her MVTC duties at Boston Children’s Hospital. While at BCH, she was a group therapy clinician responsible for leading approximately 30 groups per week and supervised an average of five undergraduate art therapy and psychology interns per semester.  She also taught an undergraduate course in Art Therapy at Stonehill.
Colleen’s trainings and professional development include a PESI DBT certification course, a Playmaker Training at Life is Good Kids Foundation, a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Certificate from Boston University and a training in CBT for Youth at Beck Institute.

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Mountain Valley Receives Major Grant from the Emily Landecker Foundation in Support of Fitness Center Renovation

Posted on by Carl Lovejoy

Mountain Valley is pleased to announce the receipt of a significant grant from the Emily Landecker Foundation.  This generous support, earmarked for fitness programming, was received by Mountain Valley this spring and will be used to renovate and equip an existing space in MVTC’s Gallup House.

The Landecker Foundation was incorporated in 2004, awarding grants to not for profit organizations engaged in charitable, scientific, literary, educational or other exempt purposes located in the Upper Connecticut River Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont.

“How fortunate, and proud, we are to have received such a generous grant from The Landecker Foundation.” remarked Carl Lovejoy, Mountain Valley’s Associate Executive Director for Communications and Development. “Thanks to their support, the all-important fitness experience for our residents – and staff – will be that much more vibrant and impactful going forward.”

Through our fitness and therapeutic recreation offerings, Mountain Valley seeks to challenge our residents to partake in activities featuring incremental challenges that they normally might be reluctant to pursue due to their anxiety and avoidant tendencies.

MVTC is blessed to be situated on a magnificent 25-acre campus, allowing residents to participate in a host of outdoor activities, from mountain biking on our trails to canoeing on the Connecticut River.  And since MVTC is located in beautiful New Hampshire – known for its cold, snowy winters and sometimes muddy springs – the residents are not always able to engage in outside programming, making The Landecker Foundation’s generous gift even more impactful and allowing us to use the challenges of “outdoor therapy” to reinforce the goals of “indoor therapy.”

Unique in so many ways, the not for profit Mountain Valley Treatment Center revels in, and benefits from, receiving the support of foundations, parents, grandparents and friends. We are grateful to all those who choose to make MVTC a part of their charitable giving each year.  Should you be interested in learning more about giving opportunities at Mountain Valley, contact Carl Lovejoy or visit the Giving page of the MVTC website.

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Is Mountain Valley Really That Unique?

Posted on by Carl Lovejoy

Don Vardell, M.S., is Mountain Valley’s Executive Director. A seasoned healthcare administrator and operational leader with experience at the helms of private residential treatment centers, therapeutic boarding schools and non-profit service organizations, Don appreciates and embraces the responsibility of the Executive Director role. In his monthly blog, he writes about what makes MVTC stand out from other residential treatment programs.

Last evening, I spent time with the residents during “super chore” night.  Every Wednesday evening, each resident’s room and common areas of the Gallup House and the Carriage House get a deep clean and get checked off by the supervisor.  I enjoy those type of activities at that time of day with the kids.  They ask the darndest things….

Yesterday was the day of “What is it you do around here, Don?” question day.  I was asked four times by four different residents.  My standard answer is “just about anything I want,” which usually gets a smile or two.  I always follow-up with explaining how I have the best job ever, and my primary role is to hire the best people who are smarter than me and give them what they need and want to do their jobs.

Sometimes kids will ask for examples or more information and, depending on time, I will talk about making sure we have resources to keep the facility maintained and safe, and to be able to hire staff that are trained to help them.  I also love to talk about the part of my job where I travel across the country to talk about Mountain Valley to therapists, psychiatrists and, occasionally, get to meet a prospective resident and family.  One of the things I love about my job is when I spend time with a former resident and family.

A few weeks ago, Jeanette Nogales, Mountain Valley’s Associate Clinical Director, and I were in the Los Angeles area doing a couple of presentations and visiting schools.  While there, we were invited to the home of a former resident to have dinner.  It was a great experience.  The former resident showed us her room, her pets, and the notebook she maintained while she was with us of all the activities in which she participated.

While eating dinner, we heard many stories of feeding the animals, snowshoeing in minus 10-degree weather (must have been really tough for an LA kid), and the awesome meals crafted by Chef Jay Three House or Chef Pete.  Not so much about the ERP or other therapy work.  The mother of the former resident looked across the table and whispered, “You saved my kid.”

These experiences provide great stories and remind me of how special not only my job is, but how unique Mountain Valley Treatment Center is within the world of clinical programs.  What other treatment center director keeps in touch with past families in this way?  Not to mention being invited to dinner on a school night!  In fact, what other short-term, residential treatment program has an annual reunion where kids and families travel from across the country for a four hour event?  No one does.

Yes, we are unique in the specialized work we do – our non-sterile, non-institutional setting, our caring, dedicated and professional staff – but also in the overall life-changing experience we facilitate.  For those keeping track, here is a short list of what makes Mountain Valley unique:

Therapy chickens, two sheep and a steer (Zeke)
IOCDF BTTI Trained Clinicians
Annual Reunions
Connecting with kids and families post-graduation
“Sit with It” socks
Mountain Valley ‘Tennis Camp’ t-shirts
Friday Homemade Pizza Night
Off-campus “Exposure Olympics”
25 acres on the banks of the Connecticut River
Mountain Valley Alumni Group

If you work with adolescents between the ages of 13 and 20 who are debilitated by their anxiety, OCD and related disorders – kids experiencing a poor quality of life, who cannot get to or follow-up with therapy, have school refusal/avoidance and whom you think will benefit from a therapeutic milieu grounded in Exposure & Response Prevention, please consider Mountain Valley. And please come visit our beautiful campus in Plainfield, NH – near Hanover and Dartmouth College!

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Quality of Care = Evidence-Based Practices (EBP)

Posted on by Carl Lovejoy

The research and literature instruct us to use evidence-based practices (EBP). Makes sense, why wouldn’t everyone seek treatment that has been noted to be best practice for treating the challenges they are experiencing and hoping to find some relief? So, what’s the problem? As a therapist who specializes in treating anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), I ask that question myself. When I hear clients telling me their stories about having been in therapy for years and, either never being diagnosed with OCD or never before hearing of exposure therapy, I experience a range of emotions for the client and for the field as a whole. Sadness and frustration are two frequent experiences that come up for me. At a recent showing of Unstuck, a documentary made by kids for kids who struggle with OCD, I was saddened to hear the participants talk about their challenges with accessing services, not being diagnosed with OCD for years, engaging in therapy and never hearing of exposure therapy, schools not understanding how to support their children in their education, and parents and families experiencing hopelessness and feeling lost with the lack of direction. I feel frustrated with the lack of knowledge and education available to those who are working with people who can most benefit from Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and exposure-based work.

There are some wonderful opportunities and trainings for those who wish to learn more. The International OCD Foundation is one of them. Not only do they offer specialized training for professionals, they offer people who struggle with OCD, their families and many others a range of opportunities to learn, connect, and receive support. So why are so many people unaware of what is available to them? I don’t have all the answers, but I would like to offer suggestions. Ending the stigma associated with mental health is a path on which our society has been, yet we have a long way to go. Talk about it, share your knowledge, and teach others. Do not underestimate the value of your words, your knowledge, your experience, and your story. If you are a professional, get educated. Advocate for yourself and find trainings that will be helpful in furthering your education and skill base that will provide you more opportunities to effectively help others. If you are a professional with knowledge, put yourself out there, teach others, share information, and be open to learning more.

Another experience that also comes up for me when I hear the stories I mentioned before is hope. I hope, and I am encouraged, that we all can be part of the change that is so greatly needed. I do not claim to be an expert, but I do know that knowledge is key. Let us all continue to create an environment and a world in which education and support is readily available to everyone.

Jeanette Nogales, L.C.M.H.C., M.Ed., C.A.G.S., is Mountain Valley’s Associate Clinical Director.

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