Course Overview

• Understanding Mental Health and When to Seek Help

• Different Techniques for Improving Mental Health

• Finding the Right Help: Therapy and more

• Interviews With Collaborators

• Maintaining Your Mental Health (coming soon)

• Community Forum (coming soon)

Understanding Your Mental Health and When to Seek Help

Mental health is an integral part of overall health and affects every aspect of life. It is important to note that mental health is not simply being absent of mental illness. It is a state of overall well-being in relation to your normal life functions and interaction with yourself and others. While it is tied primarily to your emotional and psychological well-being, there are a number of factors that play into your mental health.

Factors that can contribute to your mental health can include brain chemistry and genetics, overall physical fitness, level of stressors in day-to-day life, and level of social involvement. While some of these such as genetics are out of our control, aspects like physical fitness and managing stress can often be helped with changes of habit. We hope with the assistance of our courses and your own action, your mental health will have the best bet at being healthy and sustainable.

Addressing the Stigma

Unfortunately, the discussion around mental health and finding help has carried a bad reputation for a long time. A lot of the misconceptions around addressing your mental well-being come from a place of not wanting to look weak in front of peers, denying that you might have a problem, and a lack of understanding of how to better your situation.

Fortunately, there has been a larger societal push to discuss mental health openly and find the right resources and help. From celebrities, to professional athletes, to successful people in business the conversation is starting to take shape. On a local level, being open to discussing mental health with friends and loved ones is becoming more accepted — we believe this continual conversation with those around you will lead to greatest change in the way mental health is viewed as a whole.

There is power in asking for help and wanting to help yourself. If you can be a resource to someone, offer a hand. We’re all in this together.

Different Techniques for Improving Mental Health

Whether you have depression, anxiety, or struggle with other mental health issues — or you just want to find help — there are a number of different types of techniques used to help mental health. A majority of these techniques fall into traditional mental health therapies and are a good starting point for you try while beginning your mental health journey.

It is important to remember, your mental health journey isn’t going to be a clear cut path or be short. It’s a series of trial and error until you find something that works best for you and your lifestyle — all that matters is you start and maintain an open mind.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a widely used and evidence-based form of psychotherapy that focuses on the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It is a goal-oriented approach that helps individuals identify and modify unhelpful or negative thought patterns and behaviors, with the aim of improving their emotional well-being and overall functioning.

The key principles of CBT include:

• Cognitive Restructuring: CBT recognizes that our thoughts, beliefs, and interpretations of events can significantly influence our emotions and behaviors. Cognitive restructuring involves identifying and challenging irrational or distorted thoughts, and replacing them with more realistic and balanced ones.

• Behavioral Activation: CBT emphasizes the role of behaviors in influencing our emotions and vice versa. It helps individuals identify and modify maladaptive behaviors that contribute to their difficulties, and encourages engagement in positive and healthy behaviors that promote well-being.

• Skill Building: CBT equips individuals with specific coping skills and strategies to manage their symptoms, handle stress, and solve problems effectively. These skills may include relaxation techniques, assertiveness training, problem-solving skills, and emotion regulation strategies.

• Collaboration and Active Participation: CBT is a collaborative process between the therapist and the individual. The therapist works with the individual to set goals, develop treatment plans, and provide guidance and support. The individual is an active participant in the therapy process, engaging in homework assignments, practicing new skills, and reflecting on their progress.

CBT has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, and substance use disorders. It is typically delivered in a structured and time-limited format, with a focus on present-day issues and practical strategies for change.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on helping individuals develop psychological flexibility and make meaningful changes in their lives. ACT is rooted in the principles of mindfulness and acceptance, combined with commitment and behavior change strategies.

The core components of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy include:

• Acceptance: ACT emphasizes the importance of accepting one's internal experiences, including thoughts, emotions, sensations, and memories, without judgment or attempts to control or avoid them. Acceptance involves making room for these experiences and allowing them to exist, rather than struggling against them.

• Cognitive Defusion: ACT helps individuals observe and detach from unhelpful thoughts and beliefs by recognizing that they are just mental events, not necessarily accurate reflections of reality. Cognitive defusion techniques aim to create distance from thoughts and reduce their impact on behavior.

• Mindfulness: ACT incorporates mindfulness practices to help individuals cultivate present-moment awareness, nonjudgmental observation, and a greater connection to their experiences. Mindfulness allows individuals to engage fully in the present moment and make conscious choices aligned with their values.

• Values Clarification: ACT emphasizes the exploration and identification of personal values—the qualities and aspects of life that are most important and meaningful to an individual. Clarifying values helps guide decision-making and provides a compass for setting meaningful goals and taking committed actions.

• Committed Action: ACT encourages individuals to take effective and values-aligned actions to create positive changes in their lives. Committed action involves setting specific, achievable goals and taking consistent steps toward them, even in the face of discomfort or challenges.

ACT is effective in treating various mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, chronic pain, and stress-related problems. It is also utilized in improving overall well-being and enhancing personal growth and self-awareness.

In ACT, therapists work collaboratively with individuals, using various exercises, metaphors, and experiential techniques to facilitate psychological flexibility and promote values-driven action. The goal of ACT is not to eliminate or control distressing experiences but to help individuals develop the skills to respond more effectively and live a richer, more meaningful life.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based program developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in the late 1970s. It aims to help individuals manage stress, reduce suffering, and enhance well-being through the practice of mindfulness meditation and other mindfulness techniques.

The key components of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction include:

• Mindfulness Meditation: MBSR teaches individuals various forms of mindfulness meditation, such as body scans, sitting meditation, and walking meditation. These practices involve intentionally paying attention to the present moment with an attitude of openness, curiosity, and non-judgment.

• Body Awareness: MBSR emphasizes developing awareness of bodily sensations, movements, and breath as a means to anchor oneself in the present moment. Body awareness exercises, including body scans, help individuals cultivate a non-judgmental and accepting relationship with their physical experiences.

• Mindful Movement: MBSR incorporates gentle physical exercises, such as yoga or mindful stretching, to promote embodied awareness and facilitate the integration of mindfulness into everyday activities. These movements are performed with deliberate attention and a focus on bodily sensations.

• Inquiry and Reflection: MBSR encourages individuals to explore their experiences during mindfulness practices and in daily life. Inquiry involves reflecting on thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, cultivating self-awareness, and investigating habitual patterns of reactivity or automatic responses.

The overarching goal of MBSR is to cultivate mindfulness, which involves paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and acceptance. By practicing mindfulness regularly, individuals can develop a greater ability to observe their thoughts and emotions without judgment, reduce stress reactivity, and enhance overall well-being.

MBSR has been extensively studied and has shown benefits in various populations, including those dealing with stress, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. It is typically delivered in a group format over an eight-week period, with guided instruction, group discussions, and home practice assignments.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive therapeutic approach originally developed by psychologist Dr. Marsha M. Linehan. It was initially designed to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) but has since been adapted to address a range of mental health conditions characterized by emotional dysregulation, self-destructive behaviors, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships.

DBT combines various elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness practices, and dialectical philosophy. It integrates acceptance-based strategies with skills training to promote positive changes in behavior, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

The components of Dialectical Behavior Therapy include:

• Mindfulness: DBT emphasizes the practice of mindfulness to cultivate awareness of the present moment without judgment. Mindfulness skills help individuals observe and accept their thoughts, emotions, and sensations, allowing them to respond more effectively to challenging situations.

• Distress Tolerance: DBT teaches individuals skills to tolerate distressing emotions and situations without resorting to impulsive or harmful behaviors. Distress tolerance skills help individuals cope with crises, manage intense emotions, and prevent self-destructive behaviors.

• Emotional Regulation: DBT focuses on enhancing emotional regulation skills to help individuals identify and understand their emotions, modulate their intensity, and respond adaptively to emotional experiences. These skills enable individuals to manage mood swings and reduce emotional reactivity.

• Interpersonal Effectiveness: DBT provides tools and strategies to improve interpersonal relationships and communication skills. Interpersonal effectiveness skills focus on assertiveness, setting boundaries, problem-solving, and maintaining healthy relationships.

DBT typically involves both individual therapy sessions and group skills training. In individual therapy, the therapist and client work collaboratively to address specific goals and target problematic behaviors and thoughts. Group skills training provides education, practice, and reinforcement of DBT skills in a supportive group setting.

DBT has shown effectiveness in treating various conditions, including borderline personality disorder, self-harm behaviors, substance use disorders, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety disorders. It is often delivered in a structured and time-limited format, incorporating weekly individual sessions, group skills training, and phone coaching for support between sessions.

Finding the Right Help: Therapy and more

Finding the right therapist can seem like a daunting process. For a lot of people finding a therapist is like dating, you’re rarely going to get it 100% right the first time. As stated earlier, when finding mental health help (especially a therapist) it’s important to keep an open mind and try your options until you find a solid fit for you.

For this section, we’ve interviewed multiple therapists across different practices, and plan on interviewing more to give you the option to see what each kind of therapy is like and where you might want to start off. We are aware there are other factors when finding help such as cost and accessibility which we will do our best to touch on later in this resource.

Traditional Therapy

The first therapist that we had the privilege of interviewing is Mary Gibson. Mary is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) who specializes in substance abuse. She has been through extreme hardship and struggle herself and uses her experiences to help change the lives of others — including Charlie Covina. Charlie loved Mary like family, and we are beyond grateful we got the opportunity to meet with someone so close to him.

From tools and coping mechanisms, to understanding the harms of substance abuse, we got to dig in to some crucial topics regarding mental health. Please see the video below for our interview — transcription and more education to come!