Nexus Family Healing
Restoring Hope. Reshaping Futures.
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Receiving a depression diagnosis for your child may not feel celebratory, but it’s an important first step toward healing. Be proud of seeking help—now focus on creating a safe, consistent, and supportive home to help your child grow and recover.
Love and kindness should go hand in hand, and random acts of kindness are scientifically proven to positively impact yourself and those around you. Making the choice to be kind and focusing on compassion can have a huge impact on mental health.
This time of year can be filled with optimism and hope, and feelings of a fresh start. It can also be a time of anxiety and uncertainty. To help yourself and your loved ones move successfully into the new year, we’re giving you tips on how to pack your theoretical suitcase filled with the good things for the new year.
Winter often means driving in snowy, icy conditions—something many Midwesterners are used to but still find stressful. For some, especially those with anxiety or past accidents, the thought of driving can bring on heightened fear or panic.
Winter is the season of stillness. We are often under a constant barrage of “new year, new me” messaging. Instead of constant change, the season invites us to slow down, embrace quiet, and enjoy time together.
How can hope improve mental health? Studies on the science of hope began in the 1980s, and it was determined that hope is an action-oriented skill that can be learned, not just something that you “feel.” To cultivate positive change, restoring hope is the vital first step.
Recently, I posed the question, “In what ways has gratitude impacted your life?” to this group. Their answers were very similar and profound, and I wanted to share their insights on how a gratitude practice can impact your life.
January for many is a cold, grey, and gloomy time of year, bringing with it the onset S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder). If you are feeling down this time of year, read for some reasons why you may be feeling this way, and some solutions you can try at home.
Poetry is a great way to express your thoughts and feelings. Nexus Family Healing youth write and share what hope means to them.
Talking about our own feelings, and in particular suicide, can be uncomfortable and overwhelming. Learn how to engage teens in a valuable, yet difficult conversation.
Use our Circle of Control worksheet to help you reflect on things you ultimately have control over compared to things you don't have control over.
When I feel unsure about what I see on the news, I think back to Mr. Rogers. He once said to “find the helpers,” in times like these. If you’re unsure where to start, research causes to support that are aligned with your personal goals and beliefs.
Our first instinct as adults is to protect children from information deemed as “too difficult to understand.” While this is true when the information serves no purpose, children need to discuss life events so they can appropriately make sense out of what is happening. When done with real intent and thoughtfulness, talking about current events provides the opportunity to help children develop critical thinking skills, as well as provides the chance to educate and encourage appropriate action in terms of diversity, ending racism and supporting community.
Through the journey of knowledge, bravery, and strength, the child and adoptive family make a significant and meaningful impact on one another. The child and adoptive family allow for vulnerability in getting to know each other and open their hearts to begin a new chapter together.
At Nexus Family Healing, we serve youth and families who have often either been victims of and/or witnessed domestic violence. For a parent/caregiver who was the victim of intimate partner violence, navigating how to handle it with your children can be extremely tough.
It’s second nature to put our children’s needs before our own. But that is a surefire path to burnout. Taking care of yourself so you have the resources to be a healthy and effective parent is so important.
Burnout is common in many fields and can creep up unexpectedly. When it does, remind yourself why you do what you do, challenge yourself to start a new hobby, take mindful breaks from work, and seek support in friends, coworkers, and supervisors.
Working with youth experiencing suicidality is a routine part of my role as a family responder. While parents are often the first to support their child’s mental health, they don’t always have the same tools as professionals—so I often share key guidance based on what I’ve learned working with families.
Childhood bullying is a near universal experience with 1 in 5 children encountering it it at some point. To help our children navigate this, it is crucial to engage in candid discussions about various bullying types and effective coping strategies.
With the school year underway, kids may feel everything from excitement to anxiety. One simple way to support them is by sending a small note of encouragement in their backpack or lunchbox—a comforting surprise during their day.
With school in full swing, let your child know that you are thinking of them with our hope notes down below, which can be cut out and placed in their lunch box, backpack, book, or wherever you think seeing it will brighten their day!
You can also be creative and make your own notes! Write a fond memory, a poem or haiku, a joke your child will like, a doodle, or a little reminder of something fun you and your child have planned that week.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, an opportunity to focus on the prevalence of suicide in our communities and talk about steps we can all take to support mental health and suicide prevention. Learn more about the warning signs and what you can do to help.
When a student is facing a mental health challenge, teachers often walk a fine line of providing support while being cautious to not overstep boundaries. So, what should teachers do if they observe a student struggling with a mental health issue?
From acrostic to free verse, a variety of poetic styles help us explore our feelings with freedom and confidence.
Resources provided through our website are informational in nature and not meant to take the place of consulting your physician, mental health professional, or other qualified health providers regarding your well-being or the well-being of others.
