September is National Suicide Prevention Month
September is National Suicide Prevention Month

Before diving into this article, I would like to provide a sensitivity and trigger warning. This article talks about suicide. Please proceed with caution and STOP reading at any point that you may need to.

September is National Suicide Awareness Month. Within the month itself, there is National Suicide Prevention Week (September 4 - September 10) and World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10). The purpose of these events is to raise awareness for the treatment and prevention of suicide, educate those on the warning sides of suicide, and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health treatment. This month fosters collaboration for those impacted by suicide, as well as the mental health community in providing educational resources.

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Nikki Lacherza-DrewDr. Nikki, psychology, psychologist, mental health, mental health awareness, american foundation for suicide prevention, AFSP, crisis text line, 988, lifeline, suicide and crisis lifeline, NAMI, national alliance on mental illness, it’s ok to not be ok, reduce the stigma, NJ, NY, FL, VT, therapy, therapist, suicide, suici, semptember, september is suicide prevention month, world suicide prevention day, suicide prevention week, inform, educate, care, validate, validation, epidemic, safe, safety, collaboration, spread awareness
Building a Better Sense of Self
Building a Better Sense of Self

Let’s face it- we have all sought out the approval of others at one time or another. But what happens when we need constant validation and attention from other people? Well, then it is time to look a little deeper at how to strengthen our beliefs about ourselves. As we become less dependent on the approval of others, our lives tend to feel more emotionally regulated and we then begin to have the tendency to believe in ourselves.

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Nikki Lacherza-DrewDr. Nikki, psychology, psychologist, mental health, mental health awareness, it’s ok to not be ok, therapy, therapist, summer, relationships, self love, self care, self care is not selfish, NJ, NY, FL, VT, self, sense of self, live, emotions, feelings, rest, relax, cope, coping, coping skills
How Can I Find Time to Practice Mindfulness? 5 Tips!
How Can I Find Time to Practice Mindfulness? 5 Tips!

Summer is finally here, and we can all now slow down and enjoy the beautiful weather- right? Well, as relaxing and fun as summer can be, many of us overload our social calendars in order to cram everything into those few short months before the kids go back to school. This can cause a lot of anxiety for many people. So, how do we allow ourselves to stay truly present and actually enjoy these moments? Practice mindfulness! Well, this is sometimes easier said than done. Mindfulness is often associated with a visual image of a person in a yoga pose by themselves counting deep breaths. For some of us, this task seems difficult, time-consuming, and awkward. Well, there are other ways to accomplish the art of staying present in the moment and feeling calm and grounded.

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Nikki Lacherza-DrewDr. Nikki, psychology, psychologist, therapy, therapist, mental health, mental health awareness, mindful, mindfulness, NJ, NY, VT, FL, it's ok to not be ok, reduce the stigma, summer, relax, relationships, friends, family, screen time, screen limits, movement, calm, peace
5 Ways to Manage the End of the School Year
5 Ways to Manage the End of the School Year

The end of the school year can be an exhausting time for everyone, especially for kids! Parents, teachers and mental health professionals often feel burnt out while trying to figure out how to navigate through this transitional time. We all know one thing – June is the time for a much-needed break for everyone! So, how do we finish this race and ready ourselves for the months ahead?

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Nikki Lacherza-DrewDr. Nikki, psychology, psychologist, mental health, mental health awareness, it's ok to not be ok, reduce the stigma, NJ, NY, Fl, VT, therapy, therapist, school, summer, endoftheyear, transitions, emotions, feelings, mindfulness, cope, coping, copingskills, kids, teens, children, parents
How to be Supportive- 5 Tips
How to be Supportive- 5 Tips

Supporting someone with a mental health diagnosis can be extremely difficult. You might not understand their symptoms or what they are going through or you might be afraid of saying the wrong thing and making them feel worse. There is no specific guidebook on how to help someone. Sure, you have this blog post, many others, and even actual self-help books out there. Those are great, but mental health isn’t cookie-cutter nor is supporting someone through their mental health struggles. I encourage you to gather as much information as possible and see what applies to your loved ones through their journey.

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Nikki Lacherza-DrewDr. Nikki, psychology, psychologist, therapy, therapist, mental health, mental health awareness, may, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, mental health awareness month, it’s ok to not be ok, reduce the stigma, NJ, NY, FL, VT, support, supportive, care, caring, relationships, love, listen, validate, help, educate, boundaries, expectations