Find the Therapist to meet your needs
Contact Us Today | Call us: (239) 565-6921
Offices located in Cape Coral and Sarasota
(239) 565-6921

info@draprilbrown.com

Gut Health & Mental Health: The Stomach as a Second Brain

April 21, 2022 by

The stomach is sometimes referred to, in mental health circles, as the “second brain.” A healthy gut has been linked, in recent research, to healthy brain function. According to an article from Clinics and Practice, “Healthy gut function has been linked to normal central nervous system (CNS) function. Hormones, neurotransmitters, and immunological factors released from the gut are known to send signals to the brain either directly or via autonomic neurons.” These neurons are at their best when levels of healthy bacteria are elevated in the stomach and intestines. Clinics and Practice also states that “studies have emerged focusing on variations in the microbiome and the effect on various central nervous system disorders, including, but not limited to anxiety, depressive disorders, schizophrenia, and autism.” Disturbance in the gut biome correlates to the worsening of symptoms of mental health disorders. Combatting microbiome disturbances can be as simple as making minor lifestyle changes. These changes can include taking a probiotic supplement, eating healthy portions of live cultures, including yogurt, kefir, etc., and staying hydrated with sufficient water. Gut health may not be the sole cause or component of one’s mental health in its totality. However, there are clear impacts of a healthy diet, live cultures, and healthy bacteria in the body.

Written by: Victoria Baker, Mental Health Counseling Clinician

Supervisor: Dr. April Brown

 

Reference:

Clapp, M., Aurora, N., Herrera, L., Bhatia, M., Wilen, E., & Wakefield, S. (2017). Gut

microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clinics and Practice, 7(4), 987.

https://doi.org/10.4081/cp.2017.987

Filed Under: Anxiety, Depression, General, Inspire, love, Mental Health, Self-Worth

Speak Your Mind In Therapy

April 14, 2022 by

There are many issues that arise over a lifetime for which we may need assistance from a mental health counselor in working through. We are social creatures, but we can get lost or trapped in our own thoughts. This is when we need a trusted someone to help us see ourselves in a new way. Typically, we only share portions of our thinking, or depending on the listener, we share very edited versions of our thoughts. Depending on your situation, you feel your friends or loved ones don’t want or need to hear all that is going on in your head. This is where mental health counseling can help.

A mental health counselor assists others by listening and identifying areas of change. But something else is also happening during therapy sessions. You are speaking your mostly unedited thoughts aloud for someone else to better understand you. Focusing on yourself in therapy and without editing for the listener’s needs or wants allows you to better understand your own thoughts through this clarification process.

This happens with couples as well. In relationships, we may fall into communication styles that become frustrating cycles. These can become predictable enough for one person in the relationship to recite both sides of an entire argument routinely experienced with their significant other. The therapist can assist in recognizing and changing these cycles of communication. Here again, speaking these thoughts aloud is helpful because the couple works to identify how they are thinking and feeling in a clear way for themselves, for one another and for the therapist.

Families benefit from therapy through these same processes with the added benefit of shared insight within the family. When parents, separated or divorced co-parents, and/or stepparents and their children of all ages are included in sessions, there is opportunity for shared understanding and change. For example, parents may benefit from learning their fears or concerns for their children aren’t their children’s concerns. Children also see their parents making a healthy choice to seek assistance for issues that arise and watch as they model healthy coping skills for these issues within the family. What better way to change generational communication cycles that keep families stuck and repeating destructive patterns of behavior?

Whether you are interested in individual, couples, or family therapy seeking the services of a mental health counselor to discuss your needs provides an opportunity for sharing one’s most unedited thoughts and concerns. This new way of sharing and learning is the perfect opportunity to change yourself and your relationships.

Written by April Daniel

Filed Under: Anxiety, Communication, Couples/Marriage, Depression, Family, honesty, Intimacy, love, marriage, Mental Health, Self-Worth, Sexual Health

Bringing Intimacy Back Podcast Becomes Non-Profit

April 8, 2022 by

Bringing Intimacy Back, a podcast that is dedicated to inspire, enlighten, and encourage intimate connections, is officially registered as a non-profit. Visit Bringing Intimacy Back for more information and watch previous shows or follow their social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, & Twitter).

Bringing Intimacy Back, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, has provided an engaging environment to discuss how to enhance intimacy in one’s personal relationships with significant others, families, friends, Spirit, and oneself. Bringing Intimacy Back is always the place where intimacy comes alive, where intimacy has no limits; it is Where Intimacy is Real.

Dr. April Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Christian Counselor (LMHC), Certified School Counselor (CSC), Certified Relationship and Sex Therapist, Board Certified TeleMental Health Counselor (BC-TMHC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and a Qualified Clinical Supervisor. Kanya Ford best known as Coach Kay is a clinical sexologist, master sexologist, Bedroom Kandi consultant, and owner of Love & Intimacy 101, LLC coaching practice.

Two strong, independent entrepreneur women with the education and dedication to educate and improve intimacy for viewers as a non-profit podcast. Hosts Dr. April Brown and Kanya Ford are on a mission to increase intimacy in a world that is so disconnected by asking the nitty, gritty questions you are all dying to ask. Bringing Intimacy Back is based on building intimate connections to empower us to live a more fulfilling, driven, and purposeful life. It is time we squash our fears and be comfortable with finding our true intimate selves and Bringing Intimacy Back is the podcast that does just that. Live shows every Thursday at 3:30 pm eastern time, new intimate topics alongside new guests, no topic is off-limits.

With the advancements in technology, staying communicated and reaching a lot more people has never been so easy, but it comes at a price. Technology has also caused distance, we are all guilty of staying glued to our phones, if we are being honest, any technology we can get our hands-on. Bringing Intimacy Back is here to close the gap, lack of intimacy is one of the top three reasons why relationships fail or face problems. The higher the intimacy level is, the lower there is of anxiety, depression, stress, relationships failing, and arguments within the relationship.

The podcast you didn’t know you needed, but you finally found. The first steps in building and establishing strong intimate connections start with you, what better place to do it than taking a plunge into Bringing Intimacy Back. The podcast with a purpose to inspire, educate, and encourage stronger intimate connections and now proudly so as a non-profit. Bringing Intimacy Back registered as a non-profit created for its viewers, reaching new heights and exploring intimacy. Tune in for LIVE shows every Thursday at 3:30 pm EST or visit Bringing Intimacy Back for more episodes.

Written by Rachel Gonzalez

 

Filed Under: empower, Family, Inspire, Intimacy, kindness, love, Podcast, Self-Worth, Women Empowerment

Divine Connection Starts with Family

April 1, 2022 by

A strong, close, trusting, stable, and loving relationship is the goal in life. Our first source of love comes from our own families. We learn what love is by watching our parents and we take what we learn with us in life. When we start dating to marriage, our learned traits come into play with these relationships. Our first memories of love were not watching it on the TV screen, it was right in front of us all along. How we view ourselves, how we approach situations, and how we view life are all being formed from a young age through the family. Have you ever wondered what makes you, you?

You are who you are in part because of family. It has shaped your person; keep in mind that family is the building block for emotional development. It is the reasoning behind how we cope with our emotions and how we are able to express ourselves. Family has always been there for us when we needed them the most; we can all remember a time when we turned to family for support and comfort during tough moments. That divine connection between you and family is irreplaceable, it is the greatest treasure that should be kept close to your heart.

“So much of what is best in us is bound up in our love of family, that it remains the measure of our stability because it measures our sense of loyalty.”- Haniel Long

Written by Rachel Gonzalez

Filed Under: empower, Family, General, Inspire, kindness, love, Mental Health, Self-Worth

There is Still Hope

March 30, 2022 by

“There is hope even when your brain tells you there isn’t” – John Green

Hope is a beautiful feeling; it is having expectations for something out of life or love. Our hope as kids was so much bigger, the world was our oyster. We were optimistic about life, we would dream of becoming president, a doctor, a lawyer, and a veterinarian. We dreamt of finding true love or finding happiness in life without worry. Our dreams dwindled as the years came and went and with each changing season, we grew older.

Do not let the spark in your eyes dwindle. Keep that hope for life and love alive. Try to find the positive in life even when it seems like life keeps knocking you down. It is okay to want positive outcomes out of horrible situations. When things are not going our way, we feel bad about ourselves, and we focus on the negative. We worry about the future and what could happen causing our bodies to go through stress and anxiety when it hasn’t happened yet so we either go through it twice or unnecessarily. Try focusing on the positive things in life, big or small. Remind yourself, the sun always comes out after a storm. Hope is everywhere, hope is not lost, hope is the last thing that is lost in life.

Written by Rachel Gonzalez

Filed Under: Anxiety, Depression, empower, faith, General, Inspire, love, Mental Health

Some Seuss Love

March 15, 2022 by

“It’s a troublesome world. All the people who are in it are troubled with troubles almost every minute.  You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot, for the places and people you’re lucky you’re not.”

-Dr. Seuss

This Dr. Seuss quote was written long before the isolation and fear that accompanies the Pandemic and recent world events. Yet even then, the world needed more kindness, forgiveness, and love. Today, more than ever, it is imperative that we use the power of our words and actions to create positivity, peace, and love and reject negativity, war, and hatred.

Love and kindness are all about customer service. Yet, we often offer the very best customer service to clients, associates, colleagues…even strangers. Many demonstrate kindness to people far from their hearts and reject those near and dear. Oftentimes, we show more interest and attention to others and ignore the ones that need our love and attention the most. In these troubled times, wouldn’t it be great if we could spread joy and kindness by doing little things that mean a lot to all?

Random acts of kindness are deliberate, selfless actions that bring happiness to others without consideration of reciprocity. The recipient need not be a stranger and may be someone that lives with you or right next door. Someone that may appreciate your kind deed so much that they carry out the kindness to someone else. This domino effect is only possible if we each seize the opportunity to do good, right here and now.

Can we make the world a better place? You bet!

Here are five practical, actionable steps that can help show kindness and love to all.

  • Offer a smile, a compliment, and words of encouragement.
  • Send a handmade card, note, or love letter.
  • Nurture compassion by listening empathetically without interrupting.
  • Visit, call, write, email, or text someone to show you care.
  • Share stories, memories, unwanted or excess items, photos, books, articles, etc. Give generously and from the heart.

There is hope that the steps shine some light. Now here is a quote that’s quite right!

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not!” -Dr. Seuss

written by Ria Ruane, MA, RMHCI

 

 

Filed Under: empower, Inspire, kindness, Mental Health, Self-Worth, selfless, Uncategorized

Taking Therapy

March 9, 2022 by

We all talk about going to therapy.  Having to go to therapy can mean going to an in-person session with a therapist in their office or finding a quiet place where you feel safe and comfortable to log on to a secured link for a virtual visit.  But what we may or may not talk about is taking therapy.

It is equally as important to the process of working on our mental health to not only show up for therapy but to take what is learned in therapy with us. The therapeutic process involves building a relationship in which you feel comfortable sharing some of the most uncomfortable aspects of your life or yourself. This can take time, but during this process, there is a lot to be gained as well. The act of speaking your fears, concerns, and troubles aloud allows you to acknowledge them and begin the working phase of therapy.

This phase is what the name implies, work.  But remember, you sought therapy because you wanted to improve how you are feeling.  So, this requires you to be open to change. If everything in your life, including you, remain the same you will have the same problems. This seems simple, but taking the insight gained in therapy back into our day-to-day lives requires us to be mindful and to make new or different choices. This is what it means to take therapy. Taking therapy into each minute of your day and especially into those difficult moments when change is needed the most, it may be work but it may also be fun and restorative!  These changes can lead to relief, more happiness, less stress, and an improved outlook on life. Taking therapy is an investment in your well-being and your future.

The first step is going to therapy, the next step is taking what you learn there back out into the world with you.

Written by April Daniel

Filed Under: Anxiety, Couples/Marriage, Depression, faith, General, Inspire, Mental Health

Women On the Rise

March 3, 2022 by

A women’s beauty is often displayed on magazines and billboards being objectified. It’s not about the beauty on the outside of the woman that should catch attention, but the strength she must wear it every day. Who said that women need to have flawless skin, soft eyes, make-up done, and not a hair out of place? Women are so much more than that, they often are teared down and have had to work to reach success.

Our Mother’s Home Organization is a pillar for young women who are turning a page to a new chapter in their lives called motherhood. They give young women a fighting chance in society when they are not financially, emotionally, or mentally stable to enter such a harsh world especially for women. Our Mother’s Home Organization has been around for 20 years, they give young women the resources and tools to be successful or have a better chance. Their mission is to empower teen moms and build a new facility with transitional living space to increase independence.

It is essential to empower women for their self-worth, independence, and to reassure they have control over their lives. Empowered women and organizations such as Our Mother’s Home are who have helped to pave the way for future women leaders all over the world. Join us on March 11th as they are hosting an in-person event in celebration for mental health, well-being, and women empowerment.

 

Visit https://www.ourmothershome.org/ for more information or to donate.

-Written by Rachel Gonzalez

Filed Under: General, Inspire, Mental Health, Self-Worth, Women Empowerment

Benefits of a Mental Health Day from Work or School

February 21, 2022 by

We’ve all had those days when the alarm goes off and we lie in bed, feeling depleted of our energy, and maybe even our good mood. We think to ourselves, “I’m not really sick, but I just need a break from real life today.” While taking a sick day is common when you are feeling physically unwell, what’s not as common – but perhaps should be – is taking a mental health day when you are feeling mentally and emotionally unwell.

Now many, if not most, companies do offer their employees personal days with no questions asked. But many people save these days for what seems like real-life emergencies. They feel guilty if they use one of these days to simply rest and relax their mind.

The truth is, taking a mental health day from work or school can be extremely important for your overall well-being. It can help you avoid burnout, improve your mood, help you get some much-needed rest, and rejuvenate you so you can tackle “real life” once again.

Signs It’s Time for a Mental Health Day

So how do you know when you are really in need of a mental health day and when you’re just feeling a bit lazy and unmotivated?

Stress

You’ve been feeling overwhelmed and irritable.

You Just Feel… Off

Sometimes we don’t feel like ourselves, but we can’t quite put our finger on what’s wrong. We know we feel anxious and like the world is a bit too much. This is a sure sign you need a break.

Getting Sick More Often

Are you dealing with a cold that “just won’t go away?” When we are stressed, our immune systems become compromised, and it’s harder for us to fight off the common cold.

The bottom line is you should never feel guilty for taking some time for your mental health. I encourage you to take a mental health day every once in a while. Sometimes it’s the absolute best thing we can do for ourselves.

And if you find a mental health day didn’t quite do the trick, you may have more going on in your life that requires more hands-on treatment. If you like the idea of speaking with someone about whatever is bothering you, please get in touch with me so we can discuss treatment options.

SOURCES:

Filed Under: Anxiety, Depression, General