To celebrate Mental Health Month, we asked our therapists to give recommendations for books related to mental health. Looking to improve your everyday life? Want to learn more about different mental health issues? Diving deeper into the art of therapy? Healing from trauma or addiction? Raising little ones and want to get them started off on the right foot when it comes to mental health? Our providers have great suggestions for all of that! Here are the mental health books they recommend. No matter where you are in your mental health journey, there's a book to help you. Choose the route that [...]

Stress is a normal part of life. It affects everyone from babies to the elderly. However, stress manifests differently in children and adolescents. Stress in children might look a little different, but there are still tools you can use to cope. What is stress? Stress is a physical and emotional response to a situation that is perceived as demanding or threatening. Where does stress come from for kids? Stress can come from a variety of sources for children and adolescents such as: Changes in their home life Conflict with peers School demands Societal pressure perceived through social media Any [...]

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Since 1983, this annual observance has recognized the importance of communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect. One of the best ways to prevent child abuse is to educate children about setting boundaries and giving (or not giving) consent. Here a few tips for getting started. Tips for increasing children's awareness of boundaries and consent Educate Them Kids don't know about boundaries and consent until someone teaches them. The best way to empower kids is through education and communication. Talk about safe touch and unsafe touch [...]

For some, the struggle of staying sober is like wading through tough waters. First Step Recovery is here to be the life raft that gets you through addiction treatment and the recovery process. Here is a beautiful testimonial from a First Step client: My treatment for recovery has shown me a path forward through troubled water. Grief and daily struggles in life can be like wading upstream along a long and winding river. The water’s flow may be just a trickle at times, barely covering my feet. At other times, the water may become deeper with a stronger current. The effort of moving upstream [...]

Mental Health Month is the perfect time to talk about overcoming the fear of making mistakes. Fear of failure can prevent us from trying new things, taking risks, and achieving our goals. But the truth is, everyone makes mistakes. It's a natural part of life. So, let's talk about how we can overcome the fear of making mistakes and not let them affect our mental health. Change your perspective Instead of seeing mistakes as failures, view them as opportunities for growth. Every mistake is a chance to learn and do better next time. Don't let the fear of making mistakes hold you back from trying [...]

Josh Luhman jokes that he bowls for a living. His day job is actually at Hornbacher’s Village West store in Fargo, where he bags groceries, wrangles carts, and loads cars in the drive-up lane. Josh has been working at Hornbacher’s for about a decade, after a placement through Connections, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities find employment. Three nights a week, though, you’ll find Josh at either All Star Bowl or Sunset Lanes, both in Moorhead. He started bowling as a teenager because it was something fun to do. Why Bowling? When asked why he likes to bowl, Josh says it's because [...]

So, you took the plunge into Dry January, and you're reaping all the benefits: you have more energy, you're sleeping well, and your overall mood has increased. Continuing Dry January can keep that healthy feeling going. Here are a few tips for staying sober after the beginning of the year. Bask in the Positivity If staying sober is a positive life choice for you, treat it like one. This is a beneficial change in your life that makes you feel good, so there's no need to hide it or be wary of what people may think. You are taking care of yourself and feeling better - celebrate that! Make It a [...]