#mentalhealth

Oct 7, 2016
2 min

October 2016 National Bullying Prevention Month

Efforts to Decrease Bullying in Dallas, TX www.stompoutbullying.org It is a known fact that bullying is widespread. It is in our schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, social circles, and sometimes in our own homes. Bullying takes many forms, but the general definition is the engagement in any behavior with the intent to harm another person- emotionally, mentally, physically, or socially. There have been a lot of new documentaries lately promoting the dangers of bullying, but th

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Laura McLaughlin, M. Ed., LPC, RPT

Aug 15, 2016
2 min

Parenting and Adoption Resources in Dallas, TX- HeadFirst Counseling

Parenting and Adoption Resources in Dallas, TX- HeadFirst Counseling There has been a lot of talk during the Rio Olympics regarding Simone Biles and her parents. It was hurtful and heartbreaking to see the tweet from an NBC broadcaster discrediting Simone's parents and creating a divide between biological and adoptive parents. Article by WashingtonPost https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2016/08/09/as-seen-at-the-olympics-there-is-still-a-lot-of-ignorance-about-a

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Codependency and Relationships- Where Do You Stand?

Laura McLaughlin, M.Ed., LPC, RPT

Jul 18, 2016
3 min

Codependency and Relationships- Where Do You Stand?

Codependent. It seems the word codependent is thrown around quite a bit these days- but what does it actually mean? How do I know if I am codependent? The definition of codependency is so broad these days that many dysfunctional relationships are categorized as codependent, even when they are not. Let’s take a closer look at the actual meaning and how it affects relationships. A codependent relationship is defined as a close relationship in which the love and intimacy in the

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Laura McLaughlin, LPC, RPT

Jun 20, 2016
3 min

Acceptance is a Process. It's Time to Get Real.

Acceptance as a Process- A Therapist’s True Struggle I am just going to put it out there. I am a therapist, and I am not always accepting or nonjudgmental of everyone. Try as I might, there are times when I am judgmental of others (like the driver that cut me off this morning). This is something that is not easy to say being a therapist, knowing that there is a lot of pressure for me to be accepting of all people at all times. I am beginning to realize more and more that acce

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Laura McLaughlin, LPC, RPT

May 31, 2016
3 min

Domestic Violence Among Celebrity Relationships and in Our Community

Domestic Violence Among Celebrities and in Our Community Domestic violence, or DV, is another topic that many people don’t like to talk about (see this article for the other main topic of avoidance). DV is something that happens to other people, never to us. This feeling of protection and safety we get from denying that DV is all around us is just that- denial. DV occurs in every neighborhood, every zip code, and with every race. There are no exceptions. Every now and then th

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Crisis Support Resources- Stay Connected Over Summer Break

HeadFirst Counseling

May 25, 2016
1 min

Crisis Support Resources- Stay Connected Over Summer Break

As the summer months are approaching and schedules and routines of the school year are being disrupted, we like to be as prepared as possible in the case of an emergency. Many students that were receiving support services in school suddenly feel alone and isolated once summer hits, and depression rates and suicide rates tend to go up. With that being said, we wanted to take a moment to make sure you have the resources for help over the summer (and anytime) if you, your child,

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Laura McLaughlin

May 23, 2016
2 min

HeadFirst Counseling and Heads Together- Working to End the Stigma Around Mental Health

HeadFirst Counseling and Heads Together- Working to End the Stigma Around Mental Health At HeadFirst Counseling, part of the work we do is to educate people about the importance of mental health and using therapeutic services in a proactive and preventative way to increase overall wellbeing. We now know so much about how our emotional and mental health is connected not only to our physical health, but our academic performance, stress levels, and cognitive functioning. The mor

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Teen and Adolescent Therapy in Dallas- Suicide Prevention for Teens with HeadFirst Counseling

Laura McLaughlin, LPC, RPT

May 9, 2016
4 min

Teen and Adolescent Therapy in Dallas- Suicide Prevention for Teens with HeadFirst Counseling

How to Safeguard Your Teen from Suicide Suicide rates are on the rise, and the teen population is the most at risk. Recent data shows that while suicide is still highest for middle-aged men, the population of adolescent girls ages 10 to 14 showed the highest percentage increase, tripling since 1999 (http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-04-22/cdc-suicide-deaths-on-the-rise-among-teen-girls-and-middle-aged-men) . These statistics highlight the seriousness of suicide among t

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Laura McLaughlin, LPC, RPT

Apr 18, 2016
3 min

Stress- The Other S Word

Stress (the other S word) Long-term, chronic stress has many negative effects on the physical body. Most people are familiar with the physical signs- headaches, stomach aches, not being able to sleep, weight gain or loss, etc. This is pretty much old news. But what about the effects on your mental health? We now know that stress can negatively affect your mental health in many ways, from increased anxiety and depression, lowered cognitive functioning, increased hyper-vigilanc

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Laura McLaughlin, LPC, RPT

Apr 6, 2016
1 min

Welcome to the HeadFirst blog!

Hi! Welcome to the new HeadFirst Counseling blog. At HeadFirst one of our goals is to help change the way people talk and think about mental health by working to remove the stigma of mental illness. This blog is dedicated to that purpose- to shed a new light on mental illness and to help you understand and appreciate the complexities and uniqueness of different people, ways of being, and interacting with others. This blog will provide you with answers to the questions such as

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