The Gifts of Emotional Acceptance

By Brenna Gonzales, MS, LPC, Therapist at Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows  In our culture, we’re taught that certain feelings are off-limits. There’s a general sense that if you’re not happy most of the time, you’re doing life wrong. We experience emotions for a distinct reason. They are a… Read More

Setting Healthy Boundaries

By Caileigh Smith, MC, LAC We often try to motivate ourselves through should statements: “I should’ve done better.”“I shouldn’t have said that.”“I should only have one cookie.” The only thing that’s guaranteed from should-ing on ourselves is the emotional consequence of guilt. This is also the case when other people… Read More

Don’t Carry Shame Into the New Year

By Caileigh Smith, MC, LAC Have you ever sent the wrong text message to the exact wrong person? I have. In fact, I did it recently. I sent a message about a person TO THAT person—the horror! The consequence? Well, besides being cut from that person’s Christmas card list, I… Read More

Four Ways to Practice Mindfulness Every Day

By Joyce Willis, MC, LPC, Therapist, The Meadows What is mindfulness? The great leaders of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Jack Kornfield, tell us that mindfulness is the art of paying attention to what you are doing and what is going on around you in the present moment. 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

No One Is Immune to Depression or Addiction

You often hear people say that Americans live in a celebrity-obsessed culture. We tend to view being famous— or even just generally well-known— as the height of achievement. We sometimes also assume that you leave all “regular people” problems behind once you’ve reached the height of fame. “If you’re a… Read More

Is Pokémon Go Really the Best Medicine for Depression?

If you spend any time at all on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, the chances are that you’ve heard of Pokémon Go, the smartphone-based augmented reality game that is taking the world by storm. You’ve probably seen many exclamatory posts from players of that game about snagging “gyms” and hitting… 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

Healing Heartache: A Grief And Loss Workshop

When you’ve experienced a loss ─ the death of a loved one, the loss of your health, the loss of a relationship, the loss of an opportunity, etc.─ it can be helpful to take time out to lean into your grief. It’s often difficult, if not impossible, to initiate the… Read More