Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for PTSD in Veterans

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has invested heavily in the dissemination of prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy (1), yet 30-50% of veterans participating in these therapies fail to show clinically significant improvements. Evidence suggests that mindfulness-based stress reduction, an intervention that teaches individuals to focus on… Read More

Approach ‘13 Reasons Why’ with Curiosity Instead of Fear

By Lindsay Merrell, Therapist, Remuda Ranch at The Meadows Since the years of my internship, working with patients facing suicidal thoughts has been concerning, challenging, and inspiring. Individuals struggling with such hopelessness come to professionals in desperate need of relief from what is starting to feel like an inevitable outcome. Our responsibility as professionals is to be persistently and empathically interested in the individual’s struggle. Our curiosity gives them the courage to look at the very pain they fear. Read More

National Depression Screening Day

October 5, 2017, might be the day that changes your future. Each year during Mental Illness Awareness Week, National Depression Screening Day is held as an education and screening event to bring awareness of the signs of depression and other mental health issues. By raising public awareness of behavioral and mental health issues, we can reduce the stigma and change lives. Read More

The Heart of a Healer

The following is a transcript of the speech read on behalf of Meadows Behavioral Healthcare CEO Sean Walsh at the 2016 Gratitude for Giving Breakfast Awards Ceremony. Sean was recognized with the Compassion Award. I want to start by apologizing for not being able to attend the Gratitude for Giving… Read More

Suicide Prevention: Getting Help and Finding Hope

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Alarmingly, the CDC recently reported that the number of suicides in the United States has been on the rise since 1999 among both men and women and in all age groups, and is the 10th leading cause of death. Suicide and suicidal… Read More

Inpatient, Outpatient, or IOP?

Inpatient, Outpatient, or IOP? Most psychiatrists and behavioral health professionals agree that addiction is a complex disorder caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. It can also vary in intensity; The DSM-5 defines addiction as a spectrum disorder that can be categorized as “mild,” “moderate,” or “severe.”… Read More

The Dangers of Undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder

By Stephen Brockway, M.D.Former Staff Psychiatrist for Inpatient and Outpatient Services at The Meadows A college student whom we’ll call Jim is experiencing a profound sense of despair. Dragging himself out of bed is becoming increasingly more difficult. Brushing his teeth is a tall order. Fixing himself a sandwich seems… Read More

Straight Talk from a Counselor

By Amy Levinson, MPA, MA, LASAC, CSAT Candidate Counselor, Gentle Path at The Meadows “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” –Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 500 BC As a community of helpers and healers, we’ve come so far in this… Read More

Dr. Shelley Uram on a Different Look at Depression

Depression is a mental illness in which many millions of Americans suffer every year. According to depression statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 9 percent of adult Americans have feelings of hopelessness, despondency, and/or guilt that generate a diagnosis of depression. At any given… Read More

Affordable Care Act Allowing Patients Residential and Out-of-State Treatment Benefits

The final rule implementing the Affordable Care Act’s Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) issued on November 8 creates for the first time the possibility of a safe haven from the insurance practices that began in the late 1980s. These practices intruded on the relationship between provider and… Read More