Sandy Nelson’s daughter was running away and cutting herself. She’d had suicidal thoughts. Nothing was helping her. She was getting worse. That’s when The Village Family Service Center entered their lives. Through In-Home Family Therapy, Outpatient Counseling, and mentoring through Big Brothers Big Sisters, the West Fargo family is less stressed and better able to relate to one another. Sandy adopted her three children from foster care. Her 11-year-old son came to her at birth. Her daughter came to her at age 6, and is now 16. Sandy adopted her daughter’s brother when he was 2½. Now he’s 11 [...]

Smart phones have made our lives easier in so many ways, you may feel like you can't live without your device. Odds are, you're reading this article on a phone right now! Technology is a part of everyday – every hour – life! So, knowing that, how do we take care of ourselves and make sure we aren’t overly dependent, or addicted, to our phones? As with any problematic behavior, the main questions to ask yourself – or your children – are these: Is your phone interfering with your ability to sleep, study, work, or socialize? Does it seem like a battle to turn off electronics at the end of the day [...]

We’ve all heard the old adages “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” but can what we eat influence our emotional and mental well-being? There is a growing trend looking at the role diet plays in mental health. While a balanced diet and good nutritional habits aren’t meant to replace treatment, they can be helpful additions to the treatment recommendations of a mental health professional. A big trend in nutrition and food is the clean-eating movement. Studies have shown that eating more “clean” foods and less processed foods not only has [...]

“We are all a little different and that is OK. In fact, it’s good, if we strive to understand each other, accept each other, and respect each other. If we do that, our diversity can make us stronger as a community.” Recently we’ve been writing about the importance of examining our unconscious bias and digging deeper to understand how these biases can permeate the workplace, affecting our recruitment, retention, promotion and decision-making process. While on this journey of becoming aware of our unconscious bias, it’s key to be able to challenge our assumptions, personally and professionally [...]

The change in seasons can do more than alter the weather, it can also affect our mood. Starting in the fall and into the winter season, the days are shorter and usually less sunny. For some people, the change in season can be accompanied by a change in mood, known as seasonal depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that typically begins in the fall and lasts through the winter months. As the season progresses, the symptoms of SAD may worsen. What Are the Symptoms of SAD? Feeling listless, sad, or down most of the day, nearly every [...]

Did you know that 1 in 6 youth from ages 6 to 17 experience mental health issues each year? Children often cannot voice their emotions like adults can, and that is why it is important that adults look out for warning signs of mental illness in kids. Early recognition of childhood mental health issues can prevent suicide, learning challenges, long-term mental health issues, and homelessness. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or mentor of a child, it’s important that you are able to identify possible symptoms of mental health struggles in children. What mental health issues can children face [...]

Try to envision all of the relationships you have in your life – your relationship with your parents, your spouse, your children, or your best friend. Do any stick out to you? Would you classify any or all of these relationships as being fulfilling and mutually beneficial, or would you classify them as one-sided and controlling? If the latter option sounds more familiar, your relationships may have codependency issues. Codependency is a behavior that can be passed down from generation to generation, and it affects a person’s ability to have a healthy and rewarding relationship. To put it [...]

Has “The Talk” come up for you and your family yet? You know ... the birds and the bees, hanky-panky. Yep, I’m talking about sex. If you are anything like most people, the desire to talk to kids about sex is ranked as high as your desire for a root canal. It can feel overwhelming or downright uncomfortable. I’m here to tell you that if you are worried about what to say, how to say it, and fear “getting it wrong” – you’re doing it right! This means you’re likely to tackle difficult issues rather than leaving it to your children to get the information from their classmates or – God forbid – [...]

Suicide is never an easy topic to discuss, largely due to stigma, but it’s more important than ever that we have open and honest conversations when we’re concerned about the mental health of a loved one. While there is no single cause for suicide, it is a preventable death. We can help prevent someone dying by suicide through recognizing warning signs and risk factors and taking appropriate action. According to the CDC, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death overall in the United States in 2019, claiming the lives of more than 47,000 people. It was the second leading cause among [...]

As parents and caregivers, it’s important to encourage our children to use good manners. Saying “please” and “thank you” are social courtesies necessary to use throughout one’s lifetime. Starting early to teach our children good manners will provide the most positive results. Children learn best by modeling the behavior we want them to follow. For instance, when you ask your children to pick up their toys, set a good example by saying “please.” When they follow through on your request, say “thank you.” The behaviors you model will help your children develop a positive habit of using nice [...]