November 2024
November 2024
Progress reports are in for the first quarter for CMS! See below for resources to help your students
Academic Support
With progress reports coming in you might be finding that your student needs extra support and help. We are here to help you and your student! In addition to our therapy services we also have the below services available.
If you think your child might need assessment for learning issues Dr. Ginelle Wolfe provides assessment services.
If your child needs help with accountability and following through on plans our Executive Functions coach Eric Whittington is here to help! He can help your student follow their homework plans, and even offers body doubling events to help improve homework compliance.
For those needing help with organization, note taking, and attention Kahlin Whatley’s Questing Academy is here to help! See the below flyer for more information or if you are ready to sign up you can do so here.
Simple Cooking Tips for a Happier Mind
Cooking is more than just making food—it’s an activity that can lift your mood, calm your mind, and give you a sense of accomplishment. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or even just a bit low, cooking can be a powerful way to improve your mental health. Here are some simple ways that cooking can benefit your well-being and how you can incorporate this into your daily life.
1. Cooking Creates a Calm, Focused Space
When you cook, you focus on the task at hand—chopping, stirring, tasting—and this can bring you into a state of “flow.” Just like meditation, this kind of focus can help calm your mind and relieve stress. Set aside time to cook in a quiet, organized space. You don’t have to make something elaborate; even a simple meal can have a calming effect when done mindfully.
Tip: Play some soothing music or a favorite podcast while cooking to set a relaxing mood. If you’re pressed for time, try meals that are quick and simple, like stir-fried vegetables or pasta.
HQ Psych Loves to Cook
Cooking is more than just a means of sustenance, it is also a form of self care and self expression. When we cook, we foster mindfulness and creativity, build connections with others, and instill a sense of agency and accomplishment. Here at HQ Psych, we love to cook. Take a look at some of our favorite recipes.
Michael Garrett: My wife, Alyissa’s chilaquiles
12 corn tortillas cut into triangles
1 cup shredded cheese
Pork or beef chorizo
1 dozen eggs
Salsa
Store bought red or green salsa
Red homemade salsa (½ yellow onion, 1-2 jalapenos, 2 roma tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, pinch of salt). Boil all ingredients for salsa, except for garlic cloves, then combine all in blender for a smooth consistency.
Instructions
Fry corn tortillas into chips in vegetable oil
Layer tortilla chips at bottom of dish
Pour prepared salsa on top of chips (if using store bought salsa heat in skillet first then add on top of chips)
Cook chorizo in pan until done (3-5 minutes)
In a separate pan, cook scrambled eggs (or prepare eggs in your favorite style)
Layer chorizo on top of chips and salsa, then top with shredded cheese then eggs
Garnish with avocado, queso fresco, or crema and serve
Melanie Fossinger: Open Enchilada with Root Vegetables
“This is my go-to recipe for making something delicious with winter vegetables”
Any root vegetables that you like: turnip, butternut squash, carrot, beet, sweet potato, etc
Tomatillo salsa (store bought, or homemade: roast tomatillos, garlic, onion, and jalapeno. Then blend together in a blender with lime juice, cilantro, a little oil, and salt)
Kale
Cooked black beans
Corn tortillas
Shredded cheese
Instructions
Cut the veggies, toss with olive oil and salt, roast on a pan on 450-500 until done (approx 20 mins)
Blister the corn tortillas if desired on high heat on a burner
Blanch the kale and chop it into bite size pieces
Build the open enchilada in a glass baking dish: layer the tortillas, beans, kale, tomatillo salsa, veggies, and cheese in at least 3 layers. Top it with more cheese.
Bake it for 10 mins on 350-400
Ginelle Wolfe: Cous-cous salad
“This is one of my favorite side dishes! I grew up eating it at family and cultural events, and now love to make it as a side dish when we have Mediterranean food.”
1 garlic clove
3 T lemon juice
1 t dijon mustard
1/2 c olive oil
2 1/2 C chicken broth
2 C pearl couscous
2 C 1/2 “ pieces cucumber
1/4 C mint, chopped
1 1/2 Crumbled feta
2 C grape tomatoes, halved
You can add in asparagus, onions, chickpeas, olives, mint, or anything else that sounds good to you!
Instructions:
Press garlic into a small bowl. Add lemon juice/mustard. Whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring broth to boil, add couscous, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Then transfer couscous to a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let it sit until it comes to room temperature, tossing occasionally.
Mix asparagus, cucumber, olives, scallions, green onions and mint into couscous. Add dressing, toss, and mix in feta!
Megan Connell: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies by Natalya Drozhzhin
“This is my favorite cookie to make with my kids because they can be involved and we can contain the mess fairly well!”
½ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cult vegetable oil (or canola, or light olive oil)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine flour together with baking powder and salt
Add the flour mixture to the cocoas mixture, and stir to combine
Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight
Preheat the oven to 350F. Scoop dough with a mini ice cream scoop for even portioning of 20 cookies, then roll cookie dough into even-sized balls (it’s easier to roll with wet hands) and generously roll each into powdered sugar
Place cookies on a baking sheet, being sure to leave space between each of the cookies. Bake for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Cookies will come out soft but will harden as they cool down.
Allow cookies to slightly cool. Then, move them to a wire rack to fully cool down
Provider Spotlight: Kate Kingsley PN1
Health Quest is now on ZocDoc for new clients to find our services. You can leave a review for us on ZocDoc here
Groups
Questing Academy (featured above)
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