Notice

NYFA Well News Issue #9

National Depression Screening Days
Thursday, October 15th | Friday October 16th

Join Director of Counseling NYC, Jacky Hunt, LCSW, Director of Counseling, LA, Stanley Tam, PhD and Therapist, LA, Kathia Rabelo, LMFT for virtual screenings for depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and eating disorders. To reduce stigma and to make it OK to talk about mental health, we are encouraging everyone to attend, so please participate whether or not you have concerns about your own well-being. Bring a friend to get screened too!

The more we talk about mental health, the more comfortable everyone will be reaching out and getting the help they need.
Understand yourself better by getting screened.

Click your campus to reserve your 20 minute space!
Anxiety and Stress Support Group: Los Angeles
Tuesdays (Ongoing) at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET
Join therapist Kathia Rabelo, LMFT in a supportive space for expressing weekly challenges in regard to anxiety and stress, including coping mechanisms and skill building. This group will explore such themes as managing school, maintaining and developing relationships, safety and empowerment. Develop a greater awareness of body/mind connectedness and strategies to better understand and manage difficult emotions.


 
Anxiety and Stress Support Group: NYC
Tuesdays (Ongoing) at 12 p.m. ET
Join Director of Counseling, NYC Jacky Hunt, LCSW in a supportive space for expressing weekly challenges in regard to anxiety and stress, including coping mechanisms and skill building. This group will explore such themes as managing school, maintaining and developing relationships, safety and empowerment. Develop a greater awareness of body/mind connectedness and strategies to better understand and manage difficult emotions.


 
LGBTQI+ Support Group: Los Angeles
Wednesdays (Ongoing) at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET
Join therapist Kathia Rabelo, LMFT in exploring gender, sexuality and identity in a supportive space. This group will explore such themes as dating, loneliness, creativity and passion. Develop a stronger sense of awareness and mindfulness to feelings, exploring limits and boundaries of school, relationships and self.


 
Love Your Body, Body Image Group: NYC
Fridays (ongoing) 11:15 a.m. E.T, NYC
Do you want to feel differently about your body? Would you like to focus on what you appreciate rather than what you don’t like? Join Director of Counseling NYC, Jacky Hunt, LCSW for a weekly group to explore your relationship with your body, learn tips for body positivity, and reinvent your conversation with yourself.


Meeting ID: 941 143 8627

 
Mindfulness
Mindfulness isn’t just meditation. It’s the practice of bringing non-judgmental attention to whatever you are doing in the moment: breathing, laundry, walking outdoors, or working to clear your head of busy thoughts. Review some wonderful options for meditation, mindfulness, and self-care via the Rubin Museum.

Join NYFA’s own Maylen Dominguez for Mindfulness Mondays
Every week at 9:45 a.m. ET via Zoom


Meeting ID: 977 253 7963


Read what mindful.org has to say about the benefits:
  • Meditation helps you navigate stress, both acute and chronic. Mindful breathing can interrupt our stress and fight-or-flight reactions—preliminary research has found that meditation may “quiet” the amygdala, the area of the brain that responds to stress.
  • Regular mindfulness practice improves mental focus. Pulled in too many directions? When we multitask, our concentration levels deplete. As you continue to practice mindfulness meditation, the simple act of returning to the breath, over and over again, builds the “muscle” of attention, helping you both stay on task and recognize distractions. A small study suggests that even 10 minutes of meditation a day can contribute to better focus.
  • Meditation boosts compassion—toward yourself and toward others. Studies suggest loving-kindness practices can change our response to suffering, increasing altruistic behavior. Additionally, research on meditators with a long-term practice suggests that the “default mode network” of the brain—where we ruminate and let our thoughts wander when we’re not focused on a particular activity—quiets down, which might indicate Olympic-level meditators do not ruminate as much over their identity.
  • Mindfulness reduces bias—toward the negative, and toward others. It’s not a surprise—we tend to focus on the negative. Preliminary research suggests mindfulness might help us shift gears out of our knee-jerk reactivity toward “bad” things. But what about bias on a larger social and psychological scale? Researchers are considering how mindfulness-based approaches might help minimize bias.
  • Mindfulness may improve mental health. When combined with traditional approaches, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy may help individuals with anxiety and depression work with rumination and troubling thoughts.


Many of us want to make changes to support our overall health. This is particularly important when we try to balance academics with the rest of our lives. When it comes to developing habits that support our success, small changes make all the difference. Check out our Do’s and Don’ts for habits:

DO: Try a little each dayDON’T: Expect drastic changes overnight

Example:
Getting up earlier 
Set your alarm 15 mins earlier than normal each week
 
Expect yourself to get up 2 hours earlier than you typically do
 
Healthier eating habits 
Plan and prep 2 healthy meals/weekTell yourself you’ll NEVER eat fast food or “junk” again
 
Completing Assignments Early 
Carve out 30 minutes to work on big projects each day
 
Wait for the sun, moon and stars to align for the perfect time to get started.
 

Create your own healthy change goal by asking yourself these questions:
  • What do I want to achieve?
  • In what time frame?
  • Is this goal realistic? Is it achievable? Do I need to shift expectations to make it so?
  • Do I need support to get there?
October marks both National Depression Screening Day and World Mental Health Day. Both began in an effort to increase awareness and decrease stigma around mental health conditions. Since 1990, health care providers throughout the U.S have provided mental health screenings to help share resources and provide guidance around finding support. Don’t have time to sign up for an appointment on NYFA’s Screening Day? Email your Counseling Office or find information and support from one of these national organizations.Want to learn more about Mental Health?
Remote psychiatry appointments nationwide Mindful Urgent Care | Same Day Psychiatric Services
Follow NYFACares4U on Pinterest
Have a question or suggestion?
Let us know via email: counseling@nyfa.edu

 

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