Exercise and Mental Health

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Not every person can tolerate modern psychotropic medications intended to treat many of these psychological conditions. At least 20% of people cannot tolerate medications for allergies or other reasons. Because of that, finding alternative solutions that can be adjusted to personal treatment plans is important. Exercise has many health benefits for both mind and body.…

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Rock Climbing Improves Mental Health for Students at Trails Carolina

mental benefits of rock climbing

As the seasons turn, so do our adventure programming opportunities in Western North Carolina. The cool weather creeping in makes for ideal climbing conditions, and Trails’ students will be headed out for rock climbing. Climbing provides an engaging opportunity for our students to work on their confidence, communication, and cooperation. How Rock Climbing Works Rock…

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Is Your Teen Bullying? Five Ways to Address Bullying in Teens

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If you have ever experienced bullying, you know that it is not something you’d want others to go through.  Bullying is any unwanted aggressive behavior towards another person.  Bullies typically seek to harm or intimidate others, which can include making threats, spreading rumors, physically or verbally attacking someone, and excluding someone from a group on…

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Putting A Stop to Self-Harm In Teens

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As parents, the first thing we want in the world is for our children to be safe. When they are babies, we strap them in car seats and research the best practices for care. When they are young children, we watch them ride a bicycle for the first time with a helmet, training wheels, and…

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Having Fun While Healing: Therapeutic Activities for Teens

therapeutic activities for teens

The wonderful part of therapy is that it is not a “one size fits all” practice. And while the word therapy often conjures images of couches or circles of people sitting in meeting rooms, there are actually many ways for teens to engage in therapeutic activities. Therapy doesn’t always have to involve a therapist and…

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The Pandemic’s Affects on Mental Health In Teens

mental health issues in teens

The negative impact the mental health crisis has had on teens has been growing steadily over the past decade, and these effects have been compounded by the pandemic. For the millions of American children that are struggling with developmental, behavioral, or emotional disorders, they rely on treatment that the pandemic has made it nearly impossible…

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Wilderness Therapy for Teen Boys: How Rock Climbing Can Help Teens Struggling with Behavioral Issues

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I work with adolescent boys who are often struggling with issues like substance use, technology addiction, depression or anxiety. Many of these issues lead to additional struggles in the classroom. I work with many students who are “thrill-seekers”. Thrill-seeking students show up in the classroom distracted, bored, and ready to leave the classroom. They may…

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Teaching Your Son About Mental Health

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How many times have we heard: “don’t cry, be a man”, when a young boy is upset? Or “boys will be boys” when an adolescent acts out? These may not seem that harmless in the moment, but let’s think about what hearing that over and over again does to young men? They are taught from…

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