This blog is written by the clinicians at Jonah Green and Associates, a mental health practice based in Kensington, MD that provides quality services for children, teens, families, and adults. It is intended as a resource for families who are seeking to expand their knowledge about mental health and mental health services, and also as a resource for families who are seeking quality mental health services, especially in the mid-Atlantic region. Please feel free to post questions and comments on any of the entries as well as on any topics or articles from our companion web site www.childandfamilymentalhealth.com.
Every year my in-laws, the Gundersons, host the Gundy Undie Run. The premise is that friends and family who are brave enough run a race in the dark, cold night on Christmas Eve… wearing only their underwear. It’s a tradition that brings some fun and humor to the holidays. The holidays are supposed to be filled with joy and celebration, right? However, for people who have lost loved ones, the excitement of the holidays can often be accompanied by feelings of sadness and loneliness.
Jonah Green and Associates has been honored to work with Jocelyn Smith, PhD, over these past two-plus years. We already miss her terribly, even as we are so proud of her as she moves on to postdoctoral work. Here we get some additional wisdom from Jocelyn us as she moves ahead with her career:
The month of August is often full of transition for families all across the country. New graduates spanning from Kindergarten to Graduate/Professional School are preparing to start new phases of their life journeys. I am one of them! In May, I earned my PhD in Family Science from the University of Maryland, College Park and relocated in August for postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan. While these transitions can be full of hope and excitement for the graduates and their families, they also can be full of fear and sadness as the familiar is left behind in pursuit of promising new opportunities. Yet, as the anticipated change approaches, we often take for granted the grief that can accompany transition. As preparations are made to facilitate a smooth start, it is also important to invest attention toward creating healthy separations from the people, places, and things that may be parted with in the process. Below are a few suggestions to help create a healthy goodbye:
Losing someone we love is a painful experience for anyone. For parents, it can be difficult to know how to best support children after the loss of a loved one. This can be an especially challenging task with teenagers, as their quests to prove independence can lead them to present façades of composure. Educating yourself about grief in teens can help you recognize appropriate grief in your teenager and offer support. The following questions and answers offer some clarity. [Read more…]