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Orchard Mental Health Group Blog

Lubing, Pamela, Psy.D., Senior Pyschologist, Clinical Director

Hello! Welcome to OMHG’s new blog!

We are so happy that you are here and hope that you will join us each week.

My name is Dr. Pamela Lubing. I am a licensed psychologist and one of the Clinical Directors at Orchard Mental Health. I have been a part of the practice since 2016. I primarily work with children and adolescents, but work with all age groups. I approach my work with patients from a relational, attachment style, while also teaching cognitive behavioral techniques.

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The Key to Finding Your Tribe

In this short 1.5-minute video, we talk about the importance of having a sense of community, as well as describe three ways you can find it.

Tips to De-Stress After Work

In this 1.5-minute video, we offer simple tips for de-stressing after work, which can be crucial for overall mental health.

Self Care Tips

In this quick, 1.5-minute video, we offer three self-care tips to help improve your mood and everyday life.

Letting Go

In therapy, letting go refers to the emotional or mental release of personal attachments, people, places or things that are holding us back or weighing us down.

Taylor Swift: Empowering Girls Through Music

Taylor Swift, the beloved country star turned global icon, has captured the hearts of millions of fans, especially among young girls and teens.

Adjust Your Crown: 3 Beyonce Hits to Lift Your Mood and Confidence

As women, we face numerous challenges while traversing through life. Oftentimes, societal expectations can impact our self-perception significantly. We are expected to maintain a certain appearance, speak in a particular manner, dress in ways that please others, and so on. This pressure can often lead to losing our identity and feeling hollow. Luckily, there is a prominent figure in our culture who has openly discussed facing similar struggles. She is known as Queen B, the Queen, or simply Beyonce.

Mindful Lyrics: Exploring Hip Hop’s Therapeutic Effects

In an era of unparalleled connectivity through the internet, social challenges are amplified, leading to unrealistic standards and expectations. In such a landscape, providing an outlet for expression that offers an avenue for young people to connect with others authentically and discover their true selves is crucial.

Anxiety “Unmasked”— Tools for a Stress-Free Mind

Anxiety has the potential to disrupt your everyday routines. Recognizing the signs and causes of anxiety can assist in managing it effectively.

Embracing Presence

What exactly is ‘presence’? It’s a simple yet profound concept. Presence is about embracing the here and now.

Using the 5-Point Scale for Emotions Expression and Management

When emotions are high and coping skills have flown from memory, what is a person to do? Use the trusty five point scale, that’s what! A simple five point scale can be an invaluable tool at home for the whole family, as well as at school for kids!

Social Media Misdiagnosis

Many teens and young adults are using social media to search for videos about mental health diagnoses, typically relating to some of the symptoms or stereotypical experiences of the content creator. This, ultimately, leads people to identify with the content creator’s diagnosis. One parent stated, “if [her daughter] sees a hint of herself in someone, she thinks she has it, too.”

The Strength of Spirituality

Although religion and spirituality have been synonymous throughout history, in the last couple of decades spirituality has detached itself as a separate entity and therefore can sometimes be overlooked.

Avoidance of Pain

As human beings, our survival instincts lead us to avoid pain. While it makes sense to avoid pain in the sense that touching fire would hurt and burn us, we have begun to apply avoiding pain too broadly.

Understanding Microaggressions as a White Person

The term racial microaggression is defined as “brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to people of color because they belong to a racial minority group” (Sue et al, 2007).

The Act of Appreciation

As we step into the Holiday season — a season marked by warmth, giving, and the promise of a new year — let us reflect on the profound value of appreciation.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, called ACT (said like the word “act” rather than A-C-T) is a type of therapy that was created by Steven C. Hayes. It is deemed the “cousin” of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) because it has some similar underpinnings to CBT in that it incorporates both cognitive and behavioral aspects, but looks at behavior and cognitions through a different lens. ACT also finds inspiration through Buddhist teachings.

A Sense of Mattering

In the intricate web of existence, amid the challenges and uncertainties, the concept of mattering shines brightly. Mattering is the profound recognition that our lives are intertwined with each other and more connected than we think.

Grief and the Holidays

While the holidays may bring celebration and joy, they can also be a difficult time for others, especially those who are in the midst of grief.

Models of Disability

A model of disability means a way of conceptualizing disabilities. While there are many models of disability, there are three main models of disability that are used today. These include the Medical Model, Functional Model, and Social Model.

Will My Therapist Send Me to the Hospital?

Therapists do not want to send you to the hospital; however, if going to the emergency room is going to keep you safe then they need to make that call.

Practicing Social Skills with Children

Social skills are very important for a child’s development. Strong social skills assist a child in developing strong language skills, creativity, social intelligence, and confidence, but social skills are tough!

Living With an Invisible Illness

October is Invisible Illness Awareness Month. In honor of this, let’s dive into what invisible illness means and work to understand how it impacts one’s lived experience.

Therapy and Medication Combination

Medication and therapy both help people relieve and manage psychological wellbeing. There are many reasons why a person may choose to only use medication or only participate in therapy

Understanding Loneliness

Loneliness, as described and explained, by Dr. Jeremy Nobel (2023) is defined as the uncomfortable feeling of a perceived gap between the connections we want with others and the connections we feel we have. He categorizes loneliness into: psychological loneliness, societal loneliness and existential lonelines

Understanding Postpartum Diagnoses

While perinatal mental health issues can start during pregnancy, postpartum is an especially sensitive time for emotional wellbeing.

September — National Recovery Month

In 1989, September became National Recovery Month as a way to bring attention to finding evidenced-based practices for helping individuals heal from addiction.

Expanding What We Think of as Trauma

This article may be triggering to some as it gives examples of trauma and discusses trauma and PTSD.

Understanding the Therapeutic Relationship

We have relationships with many people over the course of our lives. However, there is a uniqueness to the relationship we have with our therapists.

What is Mental Load and How Does it Affect Mental Health?

It can be overwhelming to be in charge of the mental load and not get credit for it because people only see the execution phase. Did your partner grill an amazing dinner for your neighbors this weekend? Amazing!

Getting Older: Memory Loss and Cognitive Concerns

If you, a family member, or a loved one believes that significant memory and cognitive concerns are present, it is best to talk with your PCP.

Exercise and Mental Health

Particularly if you are working through depression and anxiety, physical activity can play a large role in helping to manage your symptoms.

Men and Masculinity

It’s up to us to instill a broader view of what being a man means in our culture, across all racial, sexual, and other social identities, so that we can create a healthier view of masculinity.

Supporting a Loved One with Depression and Anxiety

Loving someone who is struggling can be hard. Make sure you have your own support system and are taking good care of yourself.

What exactly is ADHD?

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is most often diagnosed in childhood (symptoms must be present prior to age twelve) and can persist into adulthood.

Coping with Chronic Illness

While most people can see some of the more surface level difficulties of having a chronic illness, those are just the tip of the iceberg.

How to Understand Your Psychological Evaluation Results and Recommendations

Although some individuals may feel like receiving a diagnosis means that there is something “wrong” with them, this is simply untrue. An evaluation can be beneficial in understanding specific concerns or differentiating between diagnoses; however, an evaluation can also highlight an individual’s strengths and abilities.