Panoramic Counseling Blog

He said, “I think I’m having a heart attack!”– My first encounter with mental illness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. While working on my memoir yesterday, I found myself reflecting on my earliest memories of mental illness. My first encounter with a diagnosed mental health disorder happened when I was 11. My mother was dating Bryce, who would later become her husband. One afternoon, my mother, Bryce, his son, and I were in the...[ read more ]

Free Mind

My anxiety has been especially challenging over the past month. In this post, I’m going to share the various coping and calming strategies I’ve been using to free my mind from the symptoms of anxiety. I resonate deeply with the song, “Free Mind” by Tems, so I’ll include some relevant lyrics throughout the post as well. Exercise My favorite form...[ read more ]

Finding Resilience in 2020

"Resilience" is an important trait in my line of work for both my clients and myself. As I reflected on the lessons that I've learned during these past 5 months in quarantine, the word resilience stood out. The dictionary on my Mac defines resilience as, "The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness;" however, I thought I'd reach out to...[ read more ]

What is Trichotillomania?

I got the idea to write this article after a horribly failed attempt to spell "trichotillomania" into Google. Trichotillomania (trik-o-till-o-MAY-nee-uh), henceforth referred to as TTM, is the clinical term for hair-pulling. Today, I will discuss the symptoms of TTM, triggers for the symptoms, and some of the treatment options available. Symptoms of Trichotillomania According to the DSM 5 (AKA, big...[ read more ]

What are Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder?

This is week 5 of a 5-part series that I’ve been doing on some of the most common mental health conditions. Past articles in the series include: Depression Anxiety The bipolar disorders ADHD Today’s post is about panic attacks and panic disorder. I touched on the topic of panic attacks briefly in week 2 (anxiety); however, it requires further discussion...[ read more ]

What is Anxiety?

This is week 2 of a 5-part series that I'm doing on some of the most common mental health conditions. For last week's post on depression, click here. Generalized Anxiety Disorder It's safe to say that if you're reading this, you've experienced some form of anxiety (worry, fear, dread) in your lifetime. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the...[ read more ]

Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medications for Kids: A Book Review

A parent of a client gifted me the book, Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medications for Kids, by Timothy Wilens and Paul Hammerness. As a therapist, clients and their parents often ask for my thoughts on medication, so I was thrilled to check out a book that breaks down all angles of this issue in layman's terms. Today, I'll share some...[ read more ]

What is CBD extract?

I first became aware of CBD extract last year, as these products seemed to be available everywhere. "CBD" is short for "cannabidiol" which is derived from the hemp plant, also known as cannabis. In this article, I'll share what I've learned (so far) about CBD. From there, I'll consider the possible benefits, uses, misconceptions, and warnings pertaining to CBD for...[ read more ]

The Burnout Generation: A Book Review

I talk a lot about self-care and burnout on this website for obvious reasons. The world we live in is fast-paced and very stressful at times! I was thrilled when I learned that there was an audiobook by Anne Helen Petersen called “The Burnout Generation”. Today, I’ll be sharing insights from her book with you. For clarity, the burnout generation...[ read more ]

The Helper’s Curse: Compassion Fatigue

Enjoy this guest post for World Mental Health Day by my friend Tiara from MutedMouthful.com Today is World Mental Health Day! It is a wonderful opportunity to share stories, educate, and raise awareness around mental health challenges. 1 in 4 people will be affected by a mental health issue and together we can demonstrate that no one must go through...[ read more ]