Welcoming in December: Amber Phelps

Amber (they/them) is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) and working toward becoming Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). They are passionate about working with individuals, families, and couples by utilizing harm reduction, trauma-responsive care, and providing culturally affirming therapy to help people embrace recovery from a holistic approach. They are trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help survivors of trauma manage symptoms and to assist people to discover their hope from within to achieve their recovery goals. Amber uses a collaborative approach to therapy and is experienced with treating and diagnosing PTSD, depression, anxiety, dissociative disorders, substance use disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

They have nearly 10 years of varied experience working with survivors of complex and historical trauma, people experiencing homelessness, substance use treatment, crisis intervention, case management, and community-based harm reduction programs. Amber graduated from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota with a MA in Counseling and Psychological Services and a Graduate Certificate in Addiction Studies. In addition to this, Amber has specialization in working with diverse populations as an intersectional, sex-positive, and social justice oriented therapist.

In their free time, Amber enjoys spending time with their family by hiking, thrift shopping, and going to concerts.

Welcoming in September: Alison Campbell, MSW, LICSW

We are very excited to announce the newest addition to the Birch Counseling Team: Alison Campbell, MSW, LICSW!

Alison enjoys working with both adult individuals and couples across the lifespan from all walks of life. She uses a holistic, mind-body perspective and recognizes that a wide range of past and present influences effect both our individual well being and our relationships. With a collaborative, kind and practical approach, Alison helps people explore patterns that may not be serving them and offers guidance and tools for better coping, balance and resiliency so that they can feel more empowered to make the changes they desire. She uses a strengths based, person centered approach with evidence based practices informed by a blend of frameworks. She has had extensive training in mindfulness and somatic practices.

Alison has experience addressing depression, anxiety, stress reduction, trauma, health issues, substance use, relationship difficulties, grief and loss and personal growth. She has lived on both coasts of the US and has worked with people in a variety of settings including low-come housing, correctional facilities, long term care facilities and hospice and community counseling centers. She received her Master’s degree in Social Work from Washington University in St Louis.

Alison has two children, enjoys good books, good cooking, meeting new people and being in the outdoors. She is also a certified yoga teacher.

Spotlight with Brian Borre: Metacognitive Therapy

Before we get into theory, or how this approach might apply to you, let’s take a detour into language. When used as a prefix in the English language, “meta-”, stemming from the Greek for “after” or “beyond”, means something that goes beyond, to be all-encompassing, or become transcendent. When “Meta” and “Cognitive” are put together, the result essentially means “thinking about thinking.” For example, have you ever had an experience where you’re certain you know the name of something--a person, product, or place--but you can’t recall it? This “tip of the tongue” experience is just one example of how metacognitions work to inform our everyday lives--we’re thinking about how we’re thinking. While most of our meta-processes aren’t so conscious, our metacognitions are in the background actively controlling and influencing our conscious experience of the world, 

Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) focuses on targeting and modifying our deeply held beliefs--the thinking about our thinking--that fosters states of perpetual worry, rumination, and/or fixation. For example, if you say to yourself, “worrying about this keeps me safe,” or “I have no control over my thoughts,” you are both observing your own thinkingand having thoughts about thinking. The goal of MCT is simple: identify, challenge, and reduce what they dub, “Cognitive-Attentional Syndrome” (CAS). CAS is an umbrella term that refers to the kinds of beliefs that imply: we need worry, are incapable of stopping worry, and would be better off if we hyperfocus on tackling each individual worry.  

You might be thinking to yourself, “Birch Counseling, this is starting to sound a lot like CBT,” (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). The truth is, you aren’t exactly wrong. In CBT, we are dealing with our thoughts. For example, if we were to use CBT to challenge our social anxiety, we might ask ourselves, “how likely will this outcome be, and will it be as bad as we’re thinking it will be?” Essentially, we identify an irrational thought and we challenge it with a more realistic lens. 

In comparison, with MCT, we are dealing with how we think about our thinking. We don’t give a lot of attention to the individual thoughts. Instead, we challenge the thinking around the thoughts themselves by asking ourselves, “should I spend my time worrying if the worry doesn’t make it less likely to happen? And if I already worried about it and made a decision, why am I re-worrying about this when I don’t have any new information?” This process, which encourages us to refuse to engage with unhelpful thinking, is called “Detached Mindfulness.” It works because it isn’t avoidance--it challenges people to view their worry and irrational beliefs as something that is outside of their core, observe the thoughts, stay non-reactive to them, and choose to respond without the preoccupation with worry about worried thinking. 

Why does Brian like it? Besides being a philosophical guy interested in all things “meta” (emotions, beliefs, and communication), Brian saw that CBT wasn’t always helpful with anxious, depressed, or addiction-driven thinking. From his perspective, it can be equally harmful to hyper-focus on our worry if we feel utterly incapable of controlling or changing it. He thinks about it like “giving in to a screaming toddler you know is just seeking attention because they want something from you, and you don’t know how to handle the upset anymore. Ultimately, it doesn’t help you, or them, to keep caving in or feeling totally helpless to stop it.” Instead, you can learn how to provide the tantruming child in your brain--the anxiety, depression, or addiction monster’s voice--the reassurance that you know what’s best, have a plan, can essentially “pivot” yourself out of the situation, or rebound if you make a mistake. It deflates the tantrum in your brain. And that’s a powerful tool. 

If you think Brian might be a fit for you, or have any additional questions about metacognitive therapy, please feel free to reach out to our team at BizOffice@birchcounseling.com. 

References:

1. https://mct-institute.co.uk/therapy/

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6246690/#:~:text=Conclusions%3A%20Our%20findings%20indicate%20that,psychotherapies%2C%20including%20cognitive%20behavioral%20interventions.

3. https://mental-health-matters.com/what-is-metacognitive-therapy-and-how-can-it-help-anxiety/

4. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00031/full

Welcoming in May: Brian Rose, MA, LADC

Brian worked as a professional bicycle mechanic for 29 years. This allowed him to travel around the country and connect with people from all over. He enjoys spending time on the bike, meeting people and trying to learn to fly a drone. 

After working in the bicycle industry for so long he found himself working for a non-profit that focused on underserved communities. He  envisioned doing more for people and decided to change careers. His own journey with mental health and recovery lead him down the path to becoming a counselor. He earned his master’s degree in Addiction counseling and advanced practice from Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School. He received a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a religious studies minor (focused on Islam) from Hamline University. 

Brian believes that his clients are the experts in their own lives. He brings an existential approach to therapy that focuses on meaning, purpose and personal identity. Brian feels his role in the therapeutic relationship is to create an environment where a sense of safety and acceptance allow for openness and collaboration.  Brian enjoys working with clients on topics around culture, identity and helping find where they meet.

Trade-in Your New Year’s Resolutions for SMARTER Goals This Year

In a normal year, January would be our starting-point for identifying all the changes we want to make in the next 12 months. But this isn’t a normal year, and as a means of coping with the uncertainty and disappointments of 2020, many of us started making our resolution list a little early this year. Birthdays, holidays, and traditions only feel remotely tolerable right now because we are promising ourselves that we will have more memorable ones next year. Similar to promising ourselves we would use that gym membership more, or spend less, or whatever resolution you tend towards, we often find ourselves at great (or even guaranteed) risk of disappointment. 

Part of why this happens is because humans have a predisposition towards thinking errors, also known as cognitive distortions, which cause us to struggle to identify what is realistic. One of the hardest cognitive distortions to overcome is referred to as magical thinking, and it can frequently be found masquerading as its healthier counterpart, positive thinking. These two are difficult to distinguish from each other because, fundamentally, they are not all that different. Each side wants things to be better, require belief that all parts involved have the capacity to change, and both can contribute to an optimistic outlook on the horizon. We need to have faith things can be different, and that we can feel different, perhaps now more than ever. 

Where positive, or magical, thinking tips over into unhealthy territory is when we set expectations that are impossible to achieve, unintentionally keeping us stuck in unhealthy patterns. When we set these kinds of expectations for ourselves, others, or institutions, we are engaging in what the 12-step community commonly refers to as “premeditated resentments.” We end up building logs of evidence, expectations and failures, compounding hurt and disappointment, increasing our pressure and avoidance of the behaviors needed to succeed. It is, in short, a set-up-to-fail. And no one needs any unnecessary hardship next year. Luckily, there is a better way, and you don’t need therapy to do it. 

Some of you might be familiar with SMART goals, which stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Therapists often use this acronym when setting goals and objectives for client treatment plans. If increasing health is a goal, we ask you specifically what you mean by that—how would you measure your success? Is it achievable for you in your given context and circumstance? Do you have evidence you have the capacity to do it at the level you are setting out for, or should we lower the bar just a bit to help you gain your confidence? Every few months, we check back in about these goals and revise them based on how you have been doing, not what you thought you would be capable of. Missed a day of exercise because you were sick? Sure! Missed a day of exercise because you skipped Monday and so the whole week is basically a moot point? We can work on that! 

However, at home, we encourage the SMARTER approach, adding: Expectations and Rigidity to the mix. Ensure that you are expecting some setbacks and failures along the way, and that your expectations aren’t outside of your control (like wanting a parent or partner to change). Assess if your goals are too rigid (it can only happen in this way at these times in this way), or are too weak under external fluctuations (like needing to move or a job change). Through taking the SMARTER approach, you can mitigate the risks of over-relying on positive thinking, let go of thinking errors and thoughts about how things “should be”, and cultivate the resilience and mental flexibility to make the most out of how things actually are. This should allow you to work smarter, not harder, on all the ways you’ll make 2021 the best it can be. 

Wishing you all a Happier, Healthier, and SMARTER 2021!

The Winter is Coming: Managing Mental Health Outside of Therapy

Those ominous words from Game of Thrones have taken on totally new (and dare we say intensified) meaning to Minnesotans this year. In an average year, the National Institute on Mental Health reports that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) impacts millions of Americans annually, lasts 40% of the year, and disproportionately impacts people living in the Northern parts of the country. This year, compounded by the pandemic, people who study and suffer from mental health are expecting this winter to be one of the worst on record. And similar to how hospital beds fill up with patients when there’s a virus outbreak, therapists have started filling up as we start to deal with the first wave of the mental health crisis. 

 So what do you do if you need to supplement therapy, can’t find a therapist, or don’t have the resources to get regular mental health care? We’ve got some tips to help you fight the good fight at home. 

1. Try An App or Two

   • Track your mood so you know where you are at in an objective way: Daylio and eMoods are two popular choices, but there are many more to explore!

   • Practice your skills at home with ACT iCoach, What’s Up, or DBT Diary Card

   • Increase your practice of caring for you: Happy Not Perfect, Grateful, and Sleep Cycle help you take the headache out of self-care.

   • Use an app to use less apps: OffTime helps take the shaming out of screen-time management

2. Offline Solutions

   • Workbooks: There are so many, it’s hard to know where to start! You can find one based on an issue (anxiety, depression, self-esteem) or pick based on a particular approach that appeals to you (ACT, CBT, DBT). Whichever you choose, these can be great ways to increase insight, coping, and positive change.

   • SAD Lamp: Sure, it may seem silly, but these powerful lamps help you get your daily dose of sunshine, even on the most cloudy of days.

   • Body Maintenance: We all know to eat right, exercise, and take care of our bodies, and try to do it when we have the time and energy to. When we aren't attuned to our bodies, it can be easy to ignore or explain things away that actually might have an organic cause. Going to your doctor and making sure your vitamin levels are at their levels and that we have optimized what we have control over can be empowering. If you think it's needed or appropriate, talk to them about your mood and if any if there are any solutions, natural or pharmaceutical, that might be appropriate. We do maintenance updates on our phones and cars... we might as well do it for ourselves, too.

3. Done Everything? Try Alternative Solutions:

   • Healing crystals: Change up the energy in your life and ground yourself with some stones

   • Try something natural: Harvard Medical School found some benefits to things like St. John's Wort and Omega-3 Fats for mental health.

   • Try a homeopathic solution: Acupuncture, Massage, and Aroma Therapy might not feel as legitimate, but their benefits have been well researched and studied. If you've tried everything else, it might be worth a new approach.

4. Get Fancy (When/If Appropriate)

   • Meditate, with training wheels: Use a brain-sensing headband and app combination, like Muse, to give you bio-feedback on how you're doing on your practice of daily meditation.

   • Get your frequency right: Brain stimulators, like Fisher Wallace, can be helpful in treating and managing chronic issues of insomnia, depression, and anxiety.

   • Get your rhythm right: HearMath is a program to get your heart and your brain in sync.

Still unsure about how you're going to make it through the winter, give us a call or email us and we'll be happy to connect you to the right resources for you!

What Trauma Looks Likes →

In this powerful short film from producers Nathanael Matanick and Christina Matanick, we witness the impact of domestic violence on a young girl.  The consequences of her caregivers’ violence are far-reaching.  The girl's world is shattered, her family breaks apart, and her life is turned up-side-down.   

This is trauma.

This film shows graphically how trauma fragments the world outside.  But it also depicts how the world within is injured.  Trauma undermines self-esteem and erodes trust,  setting the stage for difficulties ahead.

As difficult as it is to watch,  the film illuminates the core elements of trauma.  It offers a starting place for understanding, repair, and hope.

Stress in a Stressful Time

Even if your life before this year was relatively smooth sailing, likely, you are not making it through this year unscathed. After all, who could mentally prepared for civil unrest, unemployment, natural disasters, and a global pandemic all at once?

The dramatic events of 2020 are especially difficult for those with a trauma history. People with trauma include those whose past is marked by economic insecurity, frequent moving, homelessness, food insecurity, sudden or unexpected loss, or medical trauma.

Trauma survivors typically develop an “Early Warning System,” alerting against perceived danger. For example, suppose your parents fought a lot when you were a child. In that case, you are likely to be especially sensitive to tension, conflict, or discord around you. This additional sensitivity offers insight as to why today’s upheavals are incredibly stressful for trauma survivors.

 If this sounds like you or someone you know, what can you do?

Become fully aware of your feelings and name them.

If you’re watching the news at home and feel panic starting to flood your system, become consciously aware of your reactions. After acknowledging your feelings, recall that you have heightened sensitivity to current events because of your past traumas. Try watching the feelings as, in most cases, they will fade in time. Also, this is an excellent time to change your environment, like going for a walk.

Use your support system.

By putting your truth on the table with someone you trust and acknowledging the impact it’s having on you, you’re gaining control over the uncontrollable. You’re also modeling to others that it’s okay for them to share with you. If you have a limited support system, it might help do some resourcing online or in therapy.

Self-care is important.

Stretching, yoga, journaling, meditation, cooking, or watching comedy can help you feel safe and present. Taking good care of ourselves requires making your needs a priority. As we take better care of ourselves, we will show up as a better partner, parent, worker, and friend.  

If what helps you happens to be watching puppy videos on Instagram, please tag us so we can also enjoy a little puppy Prozac!

Be kind to yourself.

The world was stressful before 2020, and it certainly doesn’t seem to be winding down any time soon. Allow yourself to feel sad, scared, stressed, exhausted—whatever comes up. Give yourself time to acknowledge and validate these feelings. You may find it helpful to acknowledge at least one positive for every negative thing you noticed.Are you struggling to go back into the office? Remember that you now have half the traffic you used to  Struggling trusting yourself? Remember, it’s okay to not feel like the authority after your entire world has changed. Ask someone you trust what their honest evaluation is of the situation.

Making small adjustments like this work to help you to keep you in balance.

If there was ever an appropriate time to feel a little crazy, this is it. If you find that your internal alarms are going off an awful lot lately, remember you are hardly alone, and at least you know your system is working! Finally, if you are struggling to turn them off, we are happy to connect you with help. Feel free to call us at 866-522-2472 or drop us a line at bizoffice@birchcounseling.com.  

Welcoming in August: Mark Bartley, MA, LPC

Mark earned his Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas. He sees therapy as a safe place to discuss life’s problems, stresses, and relationships where no topics are off limits. An empathetic and authentic experience is important to him with a goal of helping clients improve their quality of life, meeting them wherever they may be. Mark enjoys working with teens and adults who are struggling with anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. Personally, Mark enjoys all things outdoors certainly anything by the water or fishing is a plus. 

Welcoming in June: Pamela Hyatt, MSW, LICSW

We are delighted to announce that Pam Hyatt, MSW, LICSW will join our team on June 8, 2020.

Pam (she, her) enjoys working with children, adolescents, and adults ranging from serious, persistent mental illness, sexual offending behavior, anxiety, loss, gender identity issues to reinventing individuals in search for meaning, balance, or strength.  She arrives with an eclectic, background rich in creative opportunities starting in theater, politics, business, healthcare, inpatient psychiatry and outpatient behavioral health.  

Pam holds a masters in Organizational Leadership and a masters in Clinical Social Work from the University of St. Thomas and St. Catherine University.  She uses evidence-based approaches that are founded in holistic, mind-body and trauma-informed therapy. Pam is deeply respectful of each individual’s needs.

Pam finds joy in nature just sitting or taking a walk in the woods with her husband and dog. She enjoys renovation shows, design, color, viewing edgy movies, reading, going to the theater, visiting family in Southern California and loves all that is quirky.

“I hold a firm belief that we are more alike than different and are but a minute from being in each other’s shoes.” 

Pam Hyatt, MSW, LICSW

THRIVING DURING SOCIAL ISOLATION

Of all the adjustments we need to make during the COVID-19 pandemic perhaps the most challenging is learning to live with social isolation.  In this post I am sharing a link which features undoubtably an expert in social isolation, astronaut Chris Hadfield, who has spent many months on the International Space Station.  Hadfield encourages embracing these challenging times including enjoying the slower pace and perhaps learning something new.

Hadfield also points out that living on the International Space Station, like living through a pandemic, involves being isolated in a high-risk environment.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uL5sqe5Uk8&feature=youtu.be

Hadfield offers the following key points:

Know the Risks.  Hadfield recommends that we go to a reliable source to understand “what is truly the risk you are facing.”  This clarity will help you stay balanced and “not be afraid of everything.”

Create Clear Goals.  Hadfield says it is important to set goals for the next day, next week, and month.  Goals give structure to your life.

Acknowledge your Constrains. Who is telling you what you need to do?  What financial resources do you have? What are your obligations?

Take Action. Once you are informed on actual risks and you have set your goals keeping in mind realistic constraints, take action.  Aside from taking care of your family and yourself, Hadfield suggest that you can try things you have never done before.  He points out that with the Internet and all that it allows access to “there is never been a better time to self-isolate.”

Sourced from:

Hadfield, C. (2020, March 21). An Astronaut's Guide to Self Isolation. Retrieved March 22, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uL5sqe5Uk8&feature=youtu.be

Accepting what is versus chasing happy

Somewhere, somehow most of us have learned that a happy life means never having to feel anything other than positive emotions.  When sadness visits, or anger, or disappointment, it feels sick, like something is wrong with us. It feels as though we are not enough, our lives are not enough.  We try to distract from negatives and chase happy feelings, only to fall short again and again.

What if we could learn to work with these “negative” feelings in a way that better informs us?  Accepting and being curious about the entire range of our emotions can help us become more compassionate, healthy and ultimately more resilient.  

Breaking news: Office Canine Willow loses mind over SNOW

As you all know, we had our first big snow of the season and Willow LOVED it. How can we tell? Uh, she ran through the white stuff in circles, jumped into the big piles…also ate it. She turns nine months on Dec. 6th and already weighs in at over 60 lbs. Willow will be sharing Thanksgiving with her parents and delight in snow as well as baked sweet potato treats. Feel free to ask our Office Manager Hannah for the recipe. Make sure to stop by Hannah’s desk in Golden Valley, say ‘hi’ to Willow (caution: expect to be showered with affection) and let her show off her favorite tattered toy.

As for recent accomplishments: Willow graduated from intermediate obedience and begins advanced training in January. She will then be able to take the Canine Good Citizenship test and begin therapy dog training. Yay, Willow!

Considering a better Life? Please Read Further.

Everyone needs guidance in life. Think about all the stages of life; someone taught us how to walk, how to talk, and how to feed ourselves. Later in life we need support in learning how to drive, how to manage finances, how to study, and how to get a job. Many of us seek guidance for the basic necessities of life. So when it comes to how to manage feelings of low self-worth, depression, anxiety, stress, crisis in relationships, and chemical use concerns, why is there often hesitation to seek support? Let’s address some of these barriers below:

"The problem is not that bad"

Sure, things might be going okay, but why be satisfied with an unsatisfying lifestyle? If we catch the concerns early, we can prevent the problem from getting worse. Often, symptoms of prolonged stress or sadness are the warning signs that some area in our life may need further attention. It’s just like seeing the doctor when you have minor pain for preventative care.

“I should be able to handle these concerns on my own; others seem to manage fine without professional support”

Others manage the problem because they did receive support. The support doesn’t always have to come from a professional. Our parents and caretakers are given the responsibility to navigate us through life, but they don’t always have the tools to navigate through every problem in life, or it may be something they are not familiar with. Many of us did not have the proper guidance from their family because of an absent/abusive parent or the parent was never given the tools to cope with the problem themselves. A trusted counselor, teacher, respected leader, or family member can give to us what we never received in the first place.

Stigma around seeking support for mental health

Many people would not hesitate to take off of work to address a serious injury or illness; yet they neglect their own mental well-being? The stigma around “mental health” is being addressed better than ever now, but it still exists. Everyone is prone to sadness, stress, traumatic experiences, insecurity and fear. If you were to deny ever experiencing any negative thoughts or emotions, then you would either be a robot or be in denial (see below). The healthy person is the one that gains insight into these symptoms and obtains support in addressing them.

“I don’t have a problem or the problem is not with me”

One of the hardest steps in anyone’s life is to admit they have a problem or need support. To admit we have a problem means we have to take a hard look at our life. It may mean that we have to change. Change can be a difficult process; things would be easier if they just stay the same. But defensiveness and denial ignore the truth and the role your actions play in any given scenario. The consequences to denial can be loss of relationships, and having areas in life that never improve or never receiving access to a person that can assist you in growth.

You see the doctor for medical concerns, an advisor for your finances, a lawyer for legal concerns. A counselor or therapist can offer you guidance through some of life’s most difficult, complicated and painful circumstances. Receiving counsel is a gift, and without it we risk going through life lost, frustrated, or unsatisfied. Don’t ignore the warning signs and schedule with a licensed professional near you to address your concerns.

StarTribune on Birch Counseling Walk-In Clinic

WEST METRO 512664872

Hopkins mental health clinic offers same day and walk-in therapy

Birch Counseling aims to reach patients who are in the midst of emotional unrest.

By Katy Read Star Tribune

JULY 12, 2019 — 8:08PM

Maybe a spouse walked out on them, they lost their job, they found drugs in their kid’s bedroom — or all of the above. People in crises over life events often want to discuss them with a mental health counselor right away, but many therapists and clinics are booked days or weeks out.

Birch Counseling walk-in clinic in Hopkins opened in May to provide same-day counseling. Clients can call for an appointment, request one on the clinic’s website or just show up. It’s designed to help people cope with emotional turmoil when they’re experiencing it.

“The need is there,” said counselor Christa Surerus, founder of Birch Counseling, which also operates traditional clinics in Hopkins and Golden Valley. “People call in and say, ‘I need to be seen; I can’t wait three weeks — I can’t wait.’ ”

“Anyone can have a crisis,” said James Mallon, a licensed mental health counselor at Birch who is also Surerus’ husband.

So far the clinic’s four counselors have seen at least 100 walk-in clients. More than half were first-timers to therapy.

Surerus sees Birch as the equivalent of an urgent care clinic but for mental health issues.

Although most walk-in clinics see clients with problems of varying severity, including people posing immediate physical danger to themselves or others, Birch focuses primarily on the milder end of the continuum.

Its clients often face the sorts of personal crises that many people experience at some point in their lives, such as job loss, major illness, marital and family problems, and addiction.

A few other mental health clinics in the metro area also can accommodate walk-in patients, who may have to wait for a cancellation or no-show to create an opening later that day.

“We have walk-and-wait at all of our sites, and we have a mobile team that can go out and fill in the gaps if in fact there are people in the lobby at the end of the day,” said Jill Wiedemann-West, CEO of People Incorporated Mental Health Services, which offers four outpatient clinics in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Coon Rapids. “We kind of build all of that in so we’re pretty assured that it would be very, very rare that someone would come in and not talk to [a therapist].”

The more places that offer immediate services the better, said Jin Lee Palen, executive director of the Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs.

“Access is an issue everywhere, so the more places we can find for people to get services when they need them, the better,” she said. “We do need to see more of that, making it easy. We’ve been pushing for urgent cares to take mental health clients for many years.”

Even seemingly ordinary problems can have serious consequences. Since 1999, national suicide rates have increased by 33%, to 14 per 100,000 people. In Minnesota, the increase has been more dramatic, with rates over that same period soaring by 53%, from 9 per 100,000 people to 13.8 per 100,000, according to the state Department of Health.

Theories for the rise in suicide rates range from stress due to current politics to despair over climate change to peer pressure on social media, Surerus said.

More than half the people who die by suicide have no previously diagnosed mental health issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, relationship problems are a factor in more than 40% of suicides.

“A guy in crisis last week couldn’t get into his regular therapist for a week and a half,” Mallon said. “He left here with his anxiety lower. He felt heard out.”

Katy Read is a reporter covering Carver County and western Hennepin County. She has also covered aging, workplace issues and other topics for the Star Tribune. She was previously a reporter at the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, La., and the Duluth News-Tribune.

katy.read@startribune.com 612-673-4583

Anxiety and Need for Control

If you experience a high level of anxiety in your weekly schedule, then you probably identify with the desire to control something in your life related to the anxiety. Controlling behavior usually takes place to try to prevent a bad or terrible outcome from happening. Some examples of this controlling behavior are:

• Refusing to delegate work-related tasks to others.

• Attempting to control how your spouse or partner spends their time away from you.

• Spending excessive time cleaning or washing to prevent illness.

• Frequent checking patterns, which could apply to everything from checking bank account to locks or appliances multiple times a day.

• Reassurance-seeking behaviors that may include validating that spouse/partner will not leave you to frequently asking a professor what is going be on the exam.

• Refusal to let children participate in routine activities with peers or frequent arguing with child’s teacher/coach about child’s outcome.

Other forms of controlling behavior are more subtle, but still used to either prevent a fear from occurring or to predict the future:

• Avoidance of situations in which there is a small likelihood of the feared event occurring.

• Excessive online researching about illness or finances (google is your best friend).

• Speaking in overly cautious words or not sharing true opinions.

• Needing to sit in places, in which there would be a quick escape from the situation.

• Spending too much time thinking of the perfect topic to write or excessive re-writing rough drafts of a paper.

Maybe the control gives you a desired outcome or temporary peace of mind the feared event did not occur. But let’s be real, does the excessive time and energy spent into attempting to control the worry or fear ever take away the anxiety in the long haul? There tends to be a nasty cycle of a situation with potential of a bad outcome or fear which produces anxiety, followed by controlling or safety-seeking behavior to reduce the anxiety. The problem is there will always be another situation in which the bad outcome or fear could occur again, followed by the need to spend additional time and energy preventing this fear from occurring!

So what is the solution? Do the opposite action of what fear is telling you to do! Will there be risk of the fear occurring? Yes! But uncertainty and risk is a part of life. Leaving your home every day involves a small level of risk. Our future plans could be altered in an instant, even with all the controlling and safety seeking behavior. By getting more comfortable with uncertainty in life, you will see the anxiety and worries reduced. A majority of our worries tend not to happen, or we underestimate our ability to cope with them.

Working with a trained professional is the best way of coming up with a concrete game plan to face the fears or address the worry. A counselor can guide you in how to best approach the anxiety in your life and address any concerns specific to your situation.

Sun Sailor introduces Birch Counseling Walk-In

Birch Counseling in Hopkins offers same-day, walk-in mental health counseling

By Kristen Miller kristen.miller@ecm-inc.com

To address the lack of immediate mental health counseling options in the Twin Cities, Birch Counseling has opened a dedicated same-day, walk-in clinic at 904 Mainstreet in downtown Hopkins.

“What we are offering is akin to urgent care for mental health,” explains Christa Surerus, licensed professional clinical counselor.

She and her husband, James Mallon, also a licensed mental health counselor, operate three other Birch Counseling locations with an office in Golden Valley and two offices in Minneapolis.

However, they wanted to provide greater flexibility and accessibility for those in crisis.

“Currently, it takes about three weeks to get into Golden Valley, and that’s very common with just about any counseling service,” Surerus said

“Up until now, if someone was experiencing a mental health crisis, that person would have to choose between scheduling an appointment for a later date, which could be days or weeks away, or going to an emergency room, which is really meant for life-threatening situations,” she said. “We are filling in that gap for when those unexpected issues in life become too much.”

They have seen that the demand for care, having witnessed people walking through closed-door sessions in order to be seen, and decided they needed to do something about it by making mental health care more readily available.

With 12 offices, people can walk in and expect to be seen that same day.

“There are so many people who are dealing with these sorts of traumatic situations that can come up very suddenly,” Mallon said. “We are here for them today. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Today.”

The most important reason they opened the walk-in clinic is to help combat the rising number of suicides in Minnesota.

“As you may know, suicide rates around the country have been going up, and Minnesota is one of the top gainers,” Surerus said.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the suicide rate has increased 53 percent from 1999-2017.

Surerus also noted that 85% of males who die by suicide have no known mental health condition, “which means they never sought professional help,” she said. Completed suicides by females are also on the rise, she said.

“It is our goal to offer a safe place for individuals, families and couples to get the support they need by helping them calm and stabilize sufficiently to problem solve life challenges,” she said.

Birch Counseling also has the capacity to grow and expand its hours.

Currently, they are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with hopes of offering evening and weekends hours in the fall.

They accept all major insurance, medical assistance and out-of-pocket payments.

To make an appointment, call 952-562-4116 or visit birchcounselingwalk-in.com.

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Twinc Cities Business Magazine features Birch Counseling Walk-In Clinic

HEALTH CARE

Birch Counseling Launches Walk-in Mental Health Clinic

Owner Christa Surerus sees it as ‘urgent care’ for mental health crises.

MAY 23, 2019

DAN NIEPOW

Birch Counseling last week opened a walk-in mental health clinic in Hopkins. 

The clinic is intended to address mental health issues on a quicker time frame than traditional therapy. 

Before the clinic’s opening, Birch Counseling providers had been struggling to meet increasing demands for services, says owner Christa Surerus.

At the company’s Golden Valley clinic, for instance, every provider has a three-week waitlist.

“It is quite frankly difficult to keep up with demand,” Surerus says. “We noticed there’s a huge gap in our community between what people need and what’s actually offered as far as mental health services.”

The clinic is aimed at serving folks “whose worlds have fallen apart,” she says. That could include people who have just lost a job or received a dire health diagnosis.

Surerus sees her clinic as a sort of “urgent care” for mental health crises. She believes it's the only clinic of its kind in Minnesota.

The clinic accepts all forms of major insurance, though it doesn’t yet have a contract with Medicare, according to Surerus.

For those who want to pay for services out of pocket, the cost is $120 to see a licensed provider. For $95, clients also can opt to see providers working toward licensure.

Mental health issues and suicidal behavior often go hand-in-hand, according to Surerus. What’s more, the uptick in demand for more services locally is emblematic of larger issues brewing across the nation. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 45,000 Americans died by suicide in 2016, marking a 25 percent increase since 1999.

Avoidance: Depression's BFF

If you have ever been depressed before you know how difficult it can be to get out of bed, deal with the stressors of daily life, and have the energy to speak with people. The longer the depression lasts, the more exhausting life becomes and there is little hope that things are going to get better. At this point the future job situation looks gloomy, you may feel isolated and unable to connect with anyone, and previously enjoyable activities seem to bring no pleasure or interest anymore. 

As life becomes more challenging we naturally look to those activities that offer us comfort and relief. It is easiest to pick the ones that get us further away from the problem. The comfort of sleeping in offers more time rested and less time worrying. That favorite show you just started offers eight seasons of drama, suspense, and excitement. More time isolated offers a safe haven from some of the chaos in the world. We all have a need for retreat and relaxation, but what happens when these retreats happen daily? Usually the misery doesn’t just go away on it’s own and we wake-up to the same problems day after day. 

Avoidance is the term known for escaping the difficulties and anxieties of daily living. Avoidance is depression’s best friend because it offers short term relief, but never leaves a satisfying remedy for the long haul. Avoidance often creates new problems! If you decide it’s time to hit the bar immediately after a break-up, this will probably lead to you feeling worse the following day and ruminating about how bad things are (this is not including all the legal troubles with a potential DUI).  

We have to be careful because often avoidance comes in subtle ways or in the form of positive activities. Exercise is viewed as a healthy activity, but what if exercising is being used to avoid attending that group you were invited to or study for an upcoming test. Avoidance is different for everyone and an activity could serve two different purposes. To explain, taking a nap isn’t avoiding if it is being used to gain more energy to complete daily tasks. However, if it is your third nap of the day when you need to be searching for a job, then the nap is avoidance. 

Once we come to know that avoidance is the enemy we can develop a path for overcoming depression! Behavioral Activation is a therapy that seeks to identify these avoidance patterns in our lives and find the alternative way to cope. After getting fired or laid-off from a job, there probably is a high urge to sleep, talk negatively about the job, or drink, but one of the best things you can do is immediately begin job searching. Even when you’re feeling down and defeated, we see our mood uplifted after making positive steps towards the problem. It’s a difficult path to do this, but beating depression is not an easy battle. 

Having supports that will keep you accountable is also recommended! You never have to fight depression alone (which is actually not recommended for overcoming depression). Rather then waiting for the perfect mood to begin working on your goals, lets start working now and the mood will follow. 

Minneapolis and St. Paul Business Journal features Birch Counseling Walk-In

By Alex Wittenberg  – Staff writer, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal 

May 29, 2019, 2:58pm EDT

People in the Twin Cities suffering from a mental health-related condition have a new option for treatment. 

Birch Counseling on May 15 opened a walk-in mental health clinic in Hopkins that provides same-day counseling services to patients. The service, the first of its kind in the Twin Cities, according to Birch, hopes to make mental health treatment more accessible. 

"Our clinic in Golden Valley has a three-week waitlist, and that's just not good enough," said Christa Surerus, founder and owner of Birch Counseling. "People are calling in with very urgent needs, and they can't wait even a week to be seen. We're trying to close that gap."

The clinic, located at 904 Main St. in Hopkins, has four dedicated counselors on staff. As demand for the service increases, Birch plans to have as many as 40 staff members working extended hours at the clinic, Surerus said. 

Surerus expects the clinic to treat people who feel overwhelmed by grief, sadness or worry. One recent patient was a woman who was struggling going about daily life after the death of her partner. Other patients, for example, may feel unsettled over job and housing precarity or a serious health diagnosis they have to share with their family, Surerus said. 

"We wanted to make it accessible in the terminology we use," she said. "Very rarely do people wake up at 3 a.m. and say, 'Oh my god, I need to see someone, I have anxiety.' Most of they time they don't know they have anxiety. They just know they're worried." 

Birch works with most major insurance plans. The out-of-pocket cost for an appointment with a licensed counselor at the new clinic is $120.