As a parent, seeing your teen struggle with suicidal ideation is about as scary as it comes. The experience can not only be emotionally draining, but often lonely and disorienting - not knowing where, how or who to ask for help. However, finding support and resources to help both you and your child through this life-threatening situation is paramount. In this article we will provide you with local (ID & WY) and national resources that can help.

Being a military spouse comes with great challenges and a constant raw state of revolving emotions, but there is also great pride in service and other benefits ... Good and Bad. I am Suzanne Hughes, LPC - licensed counselor, mother and military spouse. This is my journey navigating the ups and downs of military life, and finding myself along the way.

With a new diagnosis, the process of grief often begins. Chronic or serious illness, disease, and pain can threaten our way of life and plans for the future. It may even force us to confront our own mortality and fear of death. So, how do you begin to cope with a serious diagnosis, while mourning the healthy life of yesterday? HCBH counselor, Sarah Thompson, PPC, shares some advice.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is not a passing case of the winter blues - it is a major depressive disorder. Individuals experiencing symptoms of SAD, should seek treatment from a medical or mental health professional. Learn more about the symptoms, cause and treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Parenting can be a challenging task for all of us.  When kids have been through something hard such as a traumatic event, medical issues, mental health issues, separation from a parent, foster care, or adoption, they need even more from their parents.  Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) is designed to help parents navigate parenting a child who has extra struggles. 

While this time of year can be merry and bright, it can also be an understandably stressful time – not only with the social pressure and economic strain of gift giving, but with crowds, time constraints, and family tensions. Not to mention, 1 in 5 of us also struggle with mental illness, grief, depression or anxiety, which can become worse during the holidays and winter months. Thus, it becomes increasingly important for us to manage stress and practice self-care during this time of year. It seems like the perfect time for us to share some tips to help you to reduce holiday stress and keep yourself grounded!

The holidays can be a particularly difficult time for those struggling with eating disorders or disordered eating issues. Experiencing an increase in thoughts about food, weight and body is very common for these individuals during this time and can be related to emotions activated around family members, or the hyper focus on food and weight perpetuated by diet culture. Whatever the source of the eating disorder or disordered eating, here are 5 tips to reduce the chance of spiraling into eating disorder thoughts and behaviors over the holidays.

It’s not surprising that animals have made their way into the psychotherapeutic process. When we bond with an animal, we create a beautiful unspoken connection. This connection can help us to heal. Animal-assisted psychotherapy works to guide clients and animals through interactions that will help the client find healing, adopt desired behaviors, overcome obstacles, and improve mental and physical well-being.

Following 9/11, many young men and women joined the military, inspired to be a part of something bigger than themselves and protect our country from further attacks of terrorism. Little did they know that the “War on Terror” would last another 20 years.  The traumatic experiences that our soldiers endure in wartime, is something that most of us cannot completely comprehend. Just because our troops are home does not mean that the war is over for them. We cannot simply thank our soldiers for their service and move on, we must provide them ongoing support in any way that we can. Most importantly, we must ensure that our soldiers have the mental health support that they need help them process their experiences and acclimate to civilian life.

Grief is a natural response to the loss of someone or something that we love. It can be extremely difficult and affect us any many ways; emotionally, spiritually, cognitively and physically. There are many types of grief, and our grief journey is just as varied and unique. For most of us, over time, we can eventually accept our loss, process our grief, and find coping mechanisms to help us move forward and embrace happiness again. But for some, their broken heart refuses to heal and they remain engulfed in the acute pain of their loss. They are unable to find happiness in life or hope for the future. This is called complicated grief, and it is a cause for concern, often requiring treatment.