Mental Health Blog
Sharing optimistic news about serious mental health concerns such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, and OCD.
What is it like to have a serious mental illness in the U.S. today?
There are over 45-million people in the United States living with mental illness and in that group, 11-million are living with a serious mental illness. A serious mental illness refers to the constellation of mental health challenges that persist and interfere in a...
Can a whole community heal its collective traumas?
Recently, we heard a provocative presentation about trauma by psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk in front of about 500 people in the Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington, MA. He has researched and pioneered various integrative methods for helping individuals to heal from...
What is a psychiatric and behavioral interventionist? A conversation with Brad Richards.
Individuals facing serious mental health challenges often become estranged from family members, lose their jobs, and lose their sense of self. One's sense of self - one's autonomy, purpose, and role in life - is a personal and priceless aspect of being human. Once you...
The Story of John
Looking back and celebrating over 25 Years of the Rose Hill story Tuesday was spaghetti night; this is one memory from a special time over 25 years ago in Michigan. My wife, children, and I were privileged to be the first executive director family of Rose Hill Center...
To dream or not to dream: what limits are created by a diagnosis of mental illness?
We are all limited, some more than others. Sometimes we know our limits; sometimes others around us see them more clearly than we do. Mental health professionals may match our limits with a psychiatric diagnosis. Sometimes limits are also matched with other diagnoses,...
A Note From Virgil
Dear colleagues and friends, We launched our therapeutic consulting practice three months ago and I am taking a moment to reflect and to look ahead. Since July, we have been invited into many complex situations. Our clients have been individuals in their 60’s with...
Lost In Translation: The Role Of Cultural Brokers In Translating Language And Culture.
A participatory approach to health care communication promotes dialogue between the provider and the patient. As Zarcadoolas, Pleasant and Greer wrote, “The participatory approach redefines exactly who should be considered an expert." Who do you think the expert is;...
My incognito visit to a local hospital: what I learned about the patient experience.
An account of my personal experience attempting to navigate around a local, rural hospital in New England. Health literacy is described by Dr. Rima Rudd as, “…an interaction between people’s skills and the demands of systems." Each interaction is an opportunity for a...
Creating meaning where there is frustration or powerlessness. A look at the importance of mental health
Helen Osborne defines health literacy as, “…the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions." Health literacy is an important topic to consider when...