Among the goblins, ghouls, and other ghastly beings that emerge during the month of October is something else truly haunting: a child who’s been traumatized by something they've seen during Halloween. Children may react negatively to costumes, decorations, or movies that are unfamiliar or too scary to process. Bad dreams, stomachaches, and headaches can indicate that the child has more fright than delight. They may become more clingy or nervous, suddenly be afraid of the dark, or not want to go trick-or-treating. How To Tell When Halloween Is Too Scary & What To Do Parents should watch their [...]

Little bodies can be stressed with big emotions. Frustration, anger, and anxiety can bubble up quickly and be hard to rein in without the right tools. Learning how to regulate these feelings can be fun! Lots of regulation strategies for kids can actually look just like play. Children can experience a variety of mental health issues, including: Anxiety and Depression Attachment Disorder ADHD/ADD Autism Spectrum Disorders Early Childhood Mental Health Issues Behavior Issues Childhood Trauma Sensory Processing Disorders/Difficulties And More Many Village counselors are specially trained to [...]

Do you need a mental health day? Sometimes the stresses of life spill over into our work, or workplace pressure can begin to affect our mental well-being. During times like these, a mental health day can be a useful tool to care for ourselves. Village Therapist Signe Miller shares information about how mental health days can be beneficial and how workplaces can support their staff. What is a mental health day? We all have mental health. Along with our physical, spiritual, social, and financial wellness, it is one component that contributes to overall well-being. Just like we might have [...]

Sometimes in life we end up in situations we can’t change. Radical acceptance is all about fully accepting reality in situations that are beyond your control. This doesn’t mean you approve of the situation, are giving up, or that it isn’t painful. You are still allowed to (and should!) feel however you feel, but by accepting that it is what it is, you give the problem less power over you and you can begin to move forward. Practicing radical acceptance has been shown to reduce feelings of shame, guilt, and anxiety, and it can reduce distress in dealing with negative thoughts or events. Mental [...]

Go to work. Drive carpool. Make dinner. Wash the dishes. Do the laundry. Help with homework. Put the kids to bed. Buy the groceries. Pay the bills. Our to-do lists seem never-ending, and many of us are exhausted even before we’ve added in important self-care habits like exercise, journaling, or relaxation. It’s even harder if you’re struggling with mental health issues. That’s why a healthy routine is so important. “By creating routines, we organize our days in such a way that taking care of tasks and ourselves becomes a pattern that makes it easier to get things done without having to think [...]

It was close to Mother’s Day when Ruth Weber and Britany Williams headed out for their first get-together as Big Sister and Little Sister. They decided to drop by the Humane Society garage sale and let 6-year-old Britany choose a gift for her mom. After passing over a variety of Mother’s Day gift possibilities, something caught Britany’s eye. “I found this statue. It was of, like, a sewer rat with red glowing eyes, and it was really ugly,” Britany said. “And I was like, ‘I want to get this for my mom!’” “And it lit up,” Ruth said. “Not only did it have red eyes and it was grey and awful, but [...]

Scott struggled with PTSD, but didn't know what was wrong. He found help at The Village. Scott Geiselhart should have died. The gun should have fired. Instead, when he aimed his revolver at himself and pulled the trigger, it just clicked. Nothing more. Scott slammed the gun on the desk at his mechanic shop in Frazee, MN. He was stunned and shaking. A long, painful path led Scott to this moment. He had been a volunteer firefighter for 20 years. It was something he was proud of. He helped build the Frazee Fire Department’s extrication unit. “Got the truck together and all of a sudden, we got a [...]

Framed photos decorate Char Laney’s tidy desk at JDP Electric, Inc., in Fargo. Among pictures of family members and pets is a small silver frame. It shows Char with her “youngest friend,” on their first outing to West Acres mall. Since 2014, Char has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of The Village as a mentor. It started with a simple commitment: to meet with her young mentee once a week at a nearby elementary school over her lunch break. “The first day, I just knew we clicked,” Char says. “I have no problem making conversation. Neither does she.” Char Laney would spend one lunch hour [...]