December 2024
December is a time for Gratitude
Gratitude Article
Spotlight: Kahlin
December is Seasonal Affective Disorder Awareness Month
Survey: what topics do you want to learn about
Flyers/posters
How Gratitude Can Improve Your Well-Being
December is known as a time of slowing down, reflecting on the past year, and tapping into what’s been meaningful for us as we begin to prepare for the next year. Practicing gratitude can be a way of helping to ground ourselves in the present moment and celebrate what has been going right in our lives.
Gratitude has been shown to have profound mental health benefits, including reducing stress, improving mood, boosting resilience, and fostering greater overall well-being. Gratitude is the practice of recognizing and appreciating the positive aspects of one’s life. It could be something small like feeling a pleasant sensation, or big like achieving a personal goal. When we are grateful, we think about what we have right now in the present moment. We aren’t feeling depressed about missed opportunities or regrets of the past, and we aren’t anxiously worried about the future or the things that we don’t have yet. Practicing gratitude can actually affect our brain chemistry and thought patterns by releasing the “feel good neurotransmitters” like dopamine and serotonin. This helps us regulate our mood, reduce anxiety, and promote a sense of well-being.
Provider Spotlight: Kahlin Whatley MSW
What brought you to Health Quest?
I have always believed in the power of stories and comradery to help people change and grow. I started in the film industry but ultimately wanted to do more to help and connect with people. After a decade, I returned to school to become a social worker. While attending graduate school in New York City, I met Dr Connell at a tabletop gaming convention. The opportunity to work at a place like Health Quest was just too good of a fit to pass up. I graduated and moved to Charlotte a few months later.
What does innovation mean for you and your practice?
For me, innovation is rooted in meeting clients where they are. The ability to verbally describe your feelings is a skill many people have yet to develop, especially men & boys. There are so many other ways to externalize your emotions, from making art to storytelling to moving your body. There are so many different angles from which to see a situation. How often do we give great advice to a friend we would never come up with for ourselves? You have a whole new perspective when you put yourself into a story.
December is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Awareness Month
December is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Awareness Month. SAD is also known as the “winter blues” or a time when some people experience depressive symptoms as the days get shorter and the weather becomes colder. Check out our blog post on Seasonal Affective Disorder to learn more.
Survey: What Topics Do You Want to Learn About?
We value your input here at HQ Psych. Please let us know about any mental health topics that you would like to learn more about by filling out this quick survey.
Questing Academy
We have afterschool groups that are starting up to help with note taking, organization and time management! Hosted by Kahlin Whatley our newest provider! For more information please reach out to Kahlin at KWhatley@HQPsych.com or to sign up either call the office or email info@HQPsych.com
Dr. Jonathan Anslow’s Men’s Groups
Join Dr. Anslow’s Men’s Group!
One group focuses on helping young men (age 18-29) on the transition to adulthood and providing support through the early stages of ‘adulting.’
The second group is for 30+ year-old men to process and support one another.
For more information or to register email Dr. Anslow at JAnslow@HQPsych.com
To join a session of our Gender Junction meeting, or for more information email Dr. Wolfe at GWolfe@HQPsych.com
Dr. Ryan Kelly will be running the Kids Thrive Therapy Group. For more information email Dr. Kelly at RKelly@HQPsych.com
Events!
Mindfulness Groups! Visit our events page to learn more
