Distance doesn’t mean isolation. If we all do what we can as quickly as we can and for as long as we can, we will come out of this together.

Virtual Happy Hour via Zoom, Google Hangouts, or any other online meetup space is too enticing for an extrovert to pass up...

Is your life moving too fast? As we get older, it feels as though time moves faster and faster. Check out these five tips to slow down time!

Social isolation CAN compromise quality of life.

In this episode of the Psych Bytes podcast, Myque Harris, LPC, and Tarik Sloussi, LPC, discuss the powerful benefits behind meditation. Myque also walks us through a guided meditation exercise that you can use daily to relax your mind, increase your focus, and live mindfully.

The Psychology of Music Why does music resonate so much with the human brain? In this episode of the Psych Bytes podcast, Craig Pohlman, Ph.D., and Jennifer Fights, LPC, discuss the psychology of music.

In this episode of the Psych Bytes podcast, Dr. Craig Pohlman and Jennifer Fights, LPC, talk about gaslighting, narcissism, and The Cluster of F**ks. Don't forget to subscribe to the Psych Bytes podcast so you get notified whenever we drop a new episode! For more information on gaslighting, continue reading our article. What is Gaslighting? Gaslighting is defined as psychologically manipulative behavior used by someone attempting to undermine another person's reality by denying facts, discounting the obvious, and invalidating the other person's feelings. Gaslighters use tactics such as persistent denial, misdirection, and lying to destabilize their victims and delegitimize the victim's beliefs. People often gaslight to stay in control of a situation or avoid truly dealing with the feelings of the other person or conflict they deem uncomfortable. Examples of Gaslighting Now that you understand what gaslighting is, it's time to become masterful at identifying it in real-world interactions. Psych Central has a phenomenal article on common gaslighting phrases. Some of these phrases include, but are not limited too... You're crazy. You have issues.You're being insecure.You're too sensitive. It was just a joke. Loosen up.You need to let it go.Why are you bringing this up?You're the problem, not me.I never said/did that.You're imagining things.You totally made that up. Gaslighting in Relationships A healthy relationship can be one of the most exciting and fulfilling aspects of our lives. Most adults desire an intimate relationship with a loving partner, but not all relationships are easy. That's why it's important to talk about gaslighting in relationships. In this podcast, we discuss the importance of recognizing gaslighting and what to do if your spouse or significant other is gaslighting you. Don't forget to subscribe to the Psych Bytes podcast!

Holiday Horror Stories: How to Survive The Holiday Season This time of year, it would be nice to have an episode focused on peace, love, and holiday cheer... But this is NOT that episode. For many people the holidays are not so merry, so we are leaning into that by sharing some grim stories from folks you might expect to be perfectly well-adjusted and strongly connected to family and friends. Yes, these horror stories are shared by mental health professionals! Sure, we are trained to help people through challenging times, including the holidays, but we are humans too and we have baggage! In this episode of the Psych Bytes podcast, Dr. Craig Pohlman and Jennifer Fights, LPC, listen to three different holiday horror stories and share mental health tips to survive the holiday season!

In this episode of the Psych Bytes podcast, we discuss trigger warnings, snowflakes, and safe spaces, specifically in the workplace or education system. Before we jump into the episode, let's discuss some of these terms from a mental health perspective and our feelings/beliefs on these terms. Trigger Warnings, Snowflakes, and Safe Spaces From a mental health perspective, a trigger warning is a psychological stimulus that can very clearly be pointed to a thing (it can be a certain person, place, situation, circumstance, etc.) and how that thing "triggers" an individual's identifiable trauma. Our problem with the term "trigger warning" is that this term and phrase has been watered down. This very important term was (and still is) used as a psychological "cause and effect" for trauma. Nowadays, people use trigger warnings to describe when they are uncomfortable or upset with a particular situation. For an individual actually struggling with a traumatic event, let's say PTSD, this significantly minimizes their experience. Here's a comparison for example. Let's say an individual is walking down the street and a stranger looks at them in a disgustful way. In today's culture, that individual might say "ugh, the way that person looked at me triggered me." Now, let's say the same individual who is walking down the street has been clinically diagnosed with PTSD. Now, when the individual walks past the stranger, the stranger's smell and appearance remind them of their traumatic experience. That's how the term trigger warning has been watered down. There should be a clear cause and effect when using this term. Snowflake (aka the snowflake generation) is typically used to describe a person or a group of people who believe to have an "inflated sense of uniqueness, an unwarranted sense of entitlement, or are overly-emotional, easily offended, and unable to deal with opposing opinions." (Wikipedia) This term was popularized during a confrontation that went viral between Yale students and faculty Head of College, Nicholas Christakis. Due to its origin, snowflakes and the snowflake generation typically represents "the young adults of the 2010s." Safe space refers to places created for marginalized individuals, allowing them to safely and freely come together and talk about their experiences with marginalization. The first safe spaces were created for the gay and lesbian community, but it has grown since then. Nowadays, there are safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community, minorities, women, religious groups, and more. These places are typically found on college campuses and in the workplace. This topic is very polarizing. Some view safe spaces as a necessity for certain communities, whereas others view safe spaces as a way for "individuals to retreat from thoughts and ideas at odds with their own." What are your thoughts and beliefs on trigger warnings, snowflakes, and safe spaces? Let us know in the comment section below. While you're at it, let us know what other topics we should discuss on the Psych Bytes podcast!

What is prison really like? In this episode, we are talking about incarceration - mental health implications and issues related to re-entry into society. Craig Pohlman, Ph.D., Jennifer Fights, LPC, will discuss the history of incarceration in the United States. They also have an in-depth discussion with special guest Gemini Boyd (founder of Project Bolt), who was incarcerated for 20 years and is grappling with the challenges of re-entry. Support Gemini Boyd and Project Bolt through the following ways: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ProjectBOLT/Twitter - https://twitter.com/boyd_geminiEmail - [email protected] Recommended Readings to Learn More About the History of Our Criminal Justice System, Incarceration, and Mental Health Black Codes (United States) - WikipediaSouthern Program Continued Slavery Long After the Civil War - Stephanie BuckDoes An Exception Clause in 13th Amendment Still Permit Slavery? - Becky LittleConvict Lease System - Digital HistoryIt Happened in Florida: Remarkable Events That Shaped History - E. Lynne WrightWorse Than Slavery - David M. OshinskyCriminal Justice Fact Sheet - NAACPBill Clinton and the 1994 Crime Bill - Robert FarleyMass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019 - Wendy Sawyer and Peter WagnerYes, U.S. Locks People Up At A Higher Rate - Michelle Ye Hee Lee (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Racial Inequities and Our Criminal Justice System Jen Neitzel, Ph.D. - Executive Director of the Education Equity Institute According to the Sentencing Project, 1 in 3 Black men is likely to spend time in prison in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 17 White men. The racial disparity also exists for women. 1 in 111 White women will spend time in prison, however, with Black women this likelihood increases to 1 in 18. It is hard to ignore the connection between the educational system and the criminal justice system when we look at these statistics in conjunction with suspension and expulsion rates for Black children versus White children. Statistics indicate that Black children are 1.8 times more likely to receive an out-of-school suspension than their White peers, with Black boys being more affected by these disciplinary actions. In fact, they are suspended or expelled at a rate of 3.5 times greater than White children. Although suspensions and expulsions are generally associated with older children, recent statistics suggest that an alarming number of young children, who are overwhelmingly Black, are being excluded from early learning environments. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has reported that young Black children are suspended or expelled at up to 4 times the rate of White children. Once a child is suspended from school even one time, he or she is more likely to be suspended repeatedly, drop out of school, or enter the criminal justice system – hence the phrase “school-to-prison pipeline.” In fact, the incarceration industry looks at 3rd-grade reading levels and suspension rates to determine when and where to build new prisons. A key piece that is needed to unravel the ties between our educational and criminal justice systems is to dig deeper into the root causes and historical underpinnings of today’s practices. Beginning in the late 1800s, vagrancy laws, which required Blacks to be able to prove that they had jo...