Resilience Lab

At a recent town hall meeting, Resilience Lab NY clinician Shweta (Shway) Modi, LMSW shared a grounding exercise that draws from the basic elements we experience throughout the day. Find a quiet spot and be still for just a minute. Think about Earth. Water. Fire. Wind. As you think of each element, engage your body in an actual physical movement inspired by said element. For example, tap your foot for earth, sip from your favorite glass for water, rub your hands together for fire, and breathe deeply for wind. This somatic exercise can enhance focus and well-being instantly. Try it out and feel the difference!

You’ve probably heard of the “midlife crisis”–a moment when folks around their 50s may undertake deep self-reflection (and buy a sports car?). But in reality, this sort of existential crisis can occur to anyone, at any moment throughout life. Perhaps you’ve just gotten married, or welcomed a new baby into the family. Or maybe you’ve switched jobs, or moved to a new neighborhood. Any number of life changes might cause you to start thinking about how you want your life to be, versus what it actually is now. So how exactly do you navigate this moment of questioning? Start small: • Practice mindfulness • Show self-compassion • Plan for the future • Start a gratitude journal • Build and lean on your support system • Make tweaks to your habits • Align what you do with your values A professional therapist can also help with setting goals and moving forward. In the meantime, you can read more about existential crises here: https://lnkd.in/gJ32mxMR

Can you remember playing a rousing game of “This or That?” as a kid (or an adult)? Reflecting on your preferences makes for an especially delightful moment of mindfulness, as our team recently discovered. Try this Mindful Minute as shared by Stav Koinis, LMSW on our team. Get comfortable and consider–do you like this, or that: Take a moment after reading each pair to feel what resonates with you and why–there’s no wrong answer. And you just may find yourself realizing … “neither!”

For those seeking mental health care, a myriad of barriers exist. One of the most prominent? Cost of care. We believe that any provider strategy to improve accessibility must include affordability. Therefore, we continue to prioritize new insurer partnerships. To this end, we are excited to announce that we are now providing in-network services to Highmark BCBS members. “Through our contract with Highmark, we can now offer more options for high quality, affordable services to nearly two million additional PA residents,” says our VP of Payer and Revenue Cycle Management, Stephen O'Beirne, LCSW For more information on our insurer partners: https://lnkd.in/gDGZcWPT

On June 13th, Resilience Lab joined the Urban League of Westchester for the transformative event "From Trauma to Triumph.” Mental health providers, educators, and others who work with local underserved communities came together to share, listen, and learn. Our very own Beatrice Hirsch, LMSW, participated on a distinguished panel including Dr. Maysa Akbar, Dr. Andrew Belland, and Jen L., Deputy Commissioner of the Mount Vernon Police Department. A few takeaways? • Resilience isn’t merely an individual trait. It can also be a reflection of the broader societal systems that either support or hinder personal growth. • Kindness and empathy can dismantle shame and stigma, paving the way for open, constructive dialogue. • Instead of asking "What's wrong with you?", ask "What's happened to you?" or "What didn't happen for you?" to foster understanding and support. "If only THIS conversation could be heard by the whole country," one of the 100 attendees said. We look forward to continuing these important conversations within our communities.

Suicide takes a heavy toll on our youth, leading to more deaths in 10-24 year olds than nearly any other cause. LGBTQIA+ youth are especially vulnerable—facing a 4x higher likelihood of attempting suicide. Our Executive Clinical Director and Provost Dr. Anica Camela Mulzac shares, “As mental health professionals, our first priority is the safety and wellbeing of our clients. While it is never fun to discuss, it is extremely important that we all refresh and sharpen our skills in tackling this sensitive and consequential issue.” This month, via the Resilience Institute’s Amplified Learning Series, clinicians are focusing on how to support people dealing with self-injury and suicidality. Drawing upon the personalization pillar of our Resilience Methodology, clinicians refresh their ability to identify unique presentations and tailor custom-fit interventions. To speak to someone urgently for crisis support, dial 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. For crisis support and information for the LGBTQIA+ community, visit The Trevor Project: https://lnkd.in/gSG_Ckx

As a tech-enabled mental health company, we prioritize innovative tools that empower clinicians to better serve our clients. Our tech team pushes to turbocharge our work every day. As our VP of Technology Vijay Singh says, “Our tech & clinical teams collaborate to build intuitive technology solutions that empower clinicians, enhance care delivery, & improve lives of our clients. We foster open dialogue, seeking feedback to create technology that supports the human connection at the heart of mental healthcare.” Here are just a few of the ways our technology is making a difference: • Digitizing the client-to-clinician matching and intake processes. This means improved therapist recommendations for therapy-seekers, and faster time to treatment. • New billing automations. Our end-to-end billing process for EAP workflows, for example, minimizes payment-related headaches for clients and clinicians. • Large-scale platform evolutions. With major BI and client management initiatives on our roadmap, we’re innovating in bigger ways as our client base grows. Today we thank our entire tech team—the product managers, engineers, and designers—who are constantly challenging the status quo and making mental health care more accessible for all.

Ever catch yourself scrolling endlessly through social media, noticing how every post perfectly aligns with your interests and opinions? The algorithms behind these platforms are designed to keep your eyes glued to the page. They intentionally show you content that aligns with your interests. In this way, they may also create unhealthy “echo chambers” that can reinforce your anxieties, and actually make you feel more isolated rather than connected. Break free of echo chambers by diversifying your news sources, engaging with varied perspectives, and being mindful of how social media platforms work. Get more tips here: https://lnkd.in/gnMk4Ucn

Anxiety can feel all-encompassing, like a mental whirlpool that’s hard to escape. But therapy can help people confront their stresses and fears to reach a place of calm and understanding. At our last company-wide town hall meeting, Jithin Vijayan, LPC and RL clinical supervisor in PA, presented on how exposure therapy, which gradually exposes a person to the things they fear, can benefit those with anxiety: •Build an exposure hierarchy •Refrain from avoidance or other safety behaviors •Ask targeted questions like “Do the feared scenarios occur as frequently or as intensely as I anticipate?” and “Am I as incapable of handling the feared scenario as I worry I am?” A big thanks to you, Jithin, for sharing these insights!

The first U.S. Pride March took place in NYC on June 28, 1970, marking the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. This pivotal event saw thousands of LGBTQIA+ individuals rally for equal rights. While Stonewall was one turning point, it took nearly 50 more years for same-sex marriage to be legalized by the Supreme Court. Even now, there's still much work to be done. Want to get involved? Here are a few ways to practice allyship this Pride Month: