Newsletter

Happy Marathon weekend to all in the Boston area.  We hope you are enjoying the beautiful, long-awaited spring weather and have had some time to take care of you!

On May 20th, Counseling Services of Greater Boston will be attending a community forum on suicide prevention, hosted by Wakefield Public Schools and the Massachusetts Northeast Region Suicide Prevention Coalition.  The goal of this forum is to provide education to students and families about suicide and mental health, and to connect them to service providers in the area.  Counseling Services of Greater Boston will have a table with information – please stop by and say hello!

Also, if you have any questions about the event please contact Christina White (christina.white@wpsk12.org) or Jason Levene (jason.levene@wpsk12.org) at Wakefield High School.

And please never hesitate to contact us at (781) 328-1904.

Take a moment out of your (hopefully) lazy Friday to read this Psychology Today article, which focuses on research done on the ratio between your index finger and ring finger.  That’s right folks, it seems certain personality and sexuality traits are linked to certain ratios.

What Do Your Fingers Tell About Your Hormones, Personality, and Sexuality?

Ok, so it’s technically spring here in Wakefield, MA.  But it sure doesn’t look like it, does it?  But we at Counseling Services of Greater Boston are hopeful that will change soon, along with the changes we have to announce:

• During the first week of April, we will be located strictly on the second floor of 7 Lincoln St.  We will no longer use 309a as a therapeutic space, and will utilize 200, suites 209 and 216.
• We have also begun our fourth DBT group for adolescent women!  Dialectical behavior therapy is a cognitive based approach that helps clients who struggle with extreme mood swings, multiple crises, and faulty thoughts and assumptions.  Our DBT group offers adolescent women the chance to gain practical skills to manage these symptoms through the utilization of both cognitive behavioral worksheets and art therapy directives.  Over ten weeks, group members will examine the four modules of DBT and learn how to incorporate these skills into everyday practice.  As this group is full, please keep an eye out for future announcements about group openings.

And if you have any therapeutic needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (781) 328-1904.

Hang in there folks; those 60 degree temps are coming!

Hello all!

Autumn has arrived, and we at Counseling Services of Greater Boston are enjoying a productive and fulfilling start to the school year.  We are offering a fourth DBT group starting on September 24th (note: there is still space open!)  and will be enjoying a new office space soon.

As always, we are enthused about community events – especially ones with causes that are dear to our heart.  Wakefield will be hosting Out of the Darkness’s Suicide Prevention walk tomorrow, September 20th, at 10am at Lake Quannapowitt.

Although online registration has closed, anyone who wants to participate can register at the walk.  You also can donate to the cause until December 31st!  For more information, go to https://www.afsp.org/local-chapters/find-your-local-chapter/afsp-greater-boston/out-of-the-darkness-community-walks/north-shore-walk3.

Please call us at (781) 328-1904 if you are seeking a counseling referral!  We are here to help.

Hello all, and Happy Spring!  (Meteorogically, at least.)  Even though beach days aren’t quite upon us, we at Counseling Services of Greater Boston hope you have been able to enjoy the first few milder days of the year.  We certainly have.  This past week, CSGB celebrated the opening of our third office!

With Spring comes the annual NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) walk.  This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Boston walk.  It takes place on May 10th, 2014 at 11am.  You can either join the walk, make a donation, or virtually walk.  For more information, you can click here.  Counseling Services of Greater Boston believes in NAMI’s mission, which is to provide support, education, and advocacy for those in mental health recovery and treatment.

Counseling Services of Boston continues to accept referrals for treatment.  If you or a loved one is in need, please call us at (781) 328-1904 x.102.

A belated Happy New Year to everyone!  We hope your 2014 is off to a positive and healthy start, and that the upcoming year is filled with blessings and growth.

Counseling Services of Greater Boston is growing – and has an exciting announcement!  In April of 2014, CSGB will be opening a third office at our Wakefield, MA location.

CSGB would also like to remind you we are also taking referrals for our adolescent female DBT group.  If you know a female teen who struggles with cutting, an eating disorder, or other impulsive behavior, please call us at (781) 328-1904 x102 for more information.

And how are those New Year’s Resolutions going?  By this time in January, motivation can wane and goals can seem tiring.  We at CSGB like to think of them as lifestyle changes rather than resolutions.  This framework of thinking can make accomplishing these goals easier than all-or-nothing resolutions.  Check out this Psychology Today article for tips on how to make those “lifestyle changes” stick!

And as always, please call us if you wish to pursue counseling or know someone who does.

In peace and good health,

Counseling Services of Greater Boston

The holidays are almost here!  Visions of sugarplums and PS3’s dance in our children’s heads, while visions of good food and relaxation dance in our adult minds.  After a month of present-buying, gift-wrapping, and attending tree lighting ceremonies, we are ready to sit back, chat with our family, and enjoy the holiday.  Or are we?

The holidays can be magical for some, but are triggering at best for those who struggle with mental illness.  Think about it.  If you grew up in an emotionally abusive household, and have to return to it amidst throngs of extended family members, it can be a set-up for the return of old symptoms.  Add imbibing to the mix, and you’ve got an potentially emotionally unsafe situation.

So if you’re returning to an unhealthy environment temporarily this week, remember that it’s important to take special care of yourself.  Grace Davis, an adult child abuse survivor, wrote a helpful blog post about surviving the holidays when you’re in recovery from trauma.  You can find it here.

And remember, Counseling Services of Greater Boston is here to help.  If you find that you want extra support during the holidays, please call us at (781) 328-1904 x102.

Happy Holidays to all!

Counseling Services of Greater Boston believes in the power of community to heal.  Whether it’s exercising, meeting a friend at a yearly bazaar, or enjoying local business goods, we know these events can be good for the spirit.  So, we thought we’d post some events happening around town over the holiday weekend you may be able to get involved in!

AMPT “Earn Your Turkey” 5K

November 28, 2013 @9am

Lake Quannapowitt, Wakefield, MA

Melrose High Vs. Wakefield High Thanksgiving Football Game

November 28, 2013 from 10:15am to 12:15pm

Wakefield Memorial High School, Wakefield, MA

And remember, if you are in need of counseling services, we are here to help.  Please call us at (781) 328-1904 x102.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

Do you all know we’re facing a possible winter storm next week?

Yes, that’s right: early winter in New England is creeping up on us.  Which means snow days with no childcare, extra difficult commutes, and foot-deep piles of slush you step in accidentally.

All lightheartedness aside, we at Counseling Services of Greater Boston know that the change of seasons can have a significant effect on some individuals.  The time change disruption causes our inner Circadian clock to go a bit haywire, and the decrease in light exposure can result in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) for some.

So what has been proven helpful in treating the winter blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder?

• cognitive behavioral therapy
• antidepressant medications
• light therapy (individuals sit in front of light boxes for prescribed periods of time)

Counseling Services of Greater Boston has therapists who are trained in cognitive behavioral therapy and are here to help.  If you find your winter blues interfering with daily activities or relationships, please call us at (781) 328 1904 x102.  We can provide the support you need to navigate your way through this season.