by Ashleigh Louis | Sep 24, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
While more attention is often paid to familial and romantic relationships, strong and healthy friendships also play an essential role in providing support, joy, and understanding to individuals throughout their lifespan. It’s important to not only have friends... by Ashleigh Louis | Sep 17, 2018 | Guest Author
As an ER nurse, there are countless examples of how mental health affects me personally and professionally. When offered to write an article for the Inner Fokus blog, I debated whether to discuss my perspective on how mental health affects the emergency room or... by Ashleigh Louis | Sep 10, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Suicide in children and teens is a major public health concern and is among the leading causes of death in the United States. In fact, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among individuals between the... by Ashleigh Louis | Aug 27, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
1. The blood brain barrier is a protective network of blood vessels and tissues that regulates the movement of substances between the blood and the brain. Compared to similar membranes in the rest of the body, the blood brain barrier is composed of cells that... by Ashleigh Louis | Aug 20, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
The Big Five is a personality theory that provides a blueprint for understanding ourselves and others based on commonly used terminology that can effectively describe our personalities and approaches to life. The five broad categories of personality traits are... by Ashleigh Louis | Aug 13, 2018 | Guest Author Chelsea Louis, MA
As a guest writer for Dr. Louis (and also her sister), I want to thank you all for reading this article. I am honored to write a segment about growth and fixed mindsets, especially regarding my field, which is Secondary teaching. I have taught growth mindset to many... by Ashleigh Louis | Aug 6, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Self-care encompasses any deliberate attempt to positively impact one’s mental, emotional, and/or physical health. There are unlimited approaches, but overall tend to be most effective when they align with personal values and goals and are within the individual’s... by Ashleigh Louis | Jul 23, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Grounding techniques are increasingly popular approaches to coping with stress, anxiety, and other difficult and/or overwhelming emotional states and experiences. They work by reorienting the person back to the present moment by focusing on sensory information, such... by Ashleigh Louis | Jul 16, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
The stress response is often referred to as “fight or flight” because the changes that take place within the body are designed to prepare the person to perform those activities to the best of their physical and mental capacities. The sympathetic nervous system... by Ashleigh Louis | Jul 9, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang refer to the complementary yet opposing forces that are both interconnected and interdependent and that together create all aspects of life. Just like a shadow cannot be created without light, both forces are necessary and must be... by Ashleigh Louis | Jul 2, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
1. Brené Brown: Listening to shame. 2. Johann Hari: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong. 3. Elyn Saks: A tale of mental illness – from the inside. 4. Adi Jaffe: Rebranding our shame.... by Ashleigh Louis | Jun 25, 2018 | Guest Author Naveen Jonathan, PhD, LMFT
June commemorates LGBTQ Pride Month worldwide. But what exactly is Pride? Commonly in society, Pride brings up thoughts of a parade, festival and celebration of the LGBTQ community. However, Pride is much more than that. The origins of Pride are very different. The... by Ashleigh Louis | Jun 18, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Summer break commonly brings a sense of freedom from the pressures of homework, grades, and rigid scheduling for kids and their parents alike. Children suddenly transition from a great deal of structure, discipline, and routine to a new normal, often devoid of any... by Ashleigh Louis | Jun 11, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Diaphragmatic Breathing In general, there are two types of breathing: 1. costal (or chest) breathing and 2. diaphragmatic (or abdominal) breathing. Chest breathing is characterized by outward and upward movement of the chest wall, which visibly causes... by Ashleigh Louis | Jun 4, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
1. Find the Right Therapist. In order for therapy to be maximally effective, it’s essential that there’s a good fit between you and your therapist. Do your research (Psychology Today has a great therapist listing) and be open to interviewing many potential therapists... by Ashleigh Louis | May 21, 2018 | Guest Author Shaleise Collier, PhD, Pediatric Neuropsychologist
The topic of concussions has generally been in reference to professional sport athletes, although we now know that children and adolescents are also common victims of this injury, which can occur during any type of activity. A concussion is defined as a type of brain... by Ashleigh Louis | May 14, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Stigma refers to the negative view of people who demonstrate a particular quality or who face particular circumstances. In terms of mental health, it is the shame and judgment that surrounds individuals who have a mental health condition, such as depression,... by Ashleigh Louis | May 7, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
A self-fulfilling prophecy refers to a belief that comes true because we act in ways that make it more likely to occur. When we have positive or negative expectations about events, people, or circumstances, we are more likely to behave in ways that fulfill those... by Ashleigh Louis | Apr 30, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Dichotomy refers to things or ideas that have two opposite parts or two things that are very different from each other. Dichotomies are usually expressed with words such as “either” or “or;” terms that suggest that there are only two possibilities in terms of... by Ashleigh Louis | Apr 23, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Ever do something you know you shouldn’t? It could be anything from sharing a friend’s secret, to lying to your mom, to cheating on your partner; if your action conflicted with your values and beliefs, you likely felt a sense of unease and disharmony associated... by Ashleigh Louis | Apr 12, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Are left-handed people more creative? Will gun control help make our country safer? Does the average welfare recipient abuse drugs and alcohol? Are people with mental illness violent? These questions tap into our confirmation bias, which refers to our tendency... by Ashleigh Louis | Apr 9, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Let’s face it, we can’t trust our minds to give us totally reliable information much of the time. Instead, we are susceptible to a variety of short-comings that affect our ability to reason, problem-solve, make good decisions, and accurately interpret ourselves,... by Ashleigh Louis | Apr 2, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali is widely considered to be one of the foundational texts of classical yoga philosophy. It consists of nearly 200 rules and aphorisms (general truths) that are referred to as “sutras” and that are used to guide people in their yoga... by Ashleigh Louis | Mar 26, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
“Invisible” chronic illness refers to health and/or pain conditions that significantly impair activities associated with daily living without causing the person to look particularly different from the healthy people around them. Lacking clear signs of illness... by Ashleigh Louis | Mar 19, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Last week, in How Antidepressants Work Part II: The Nitty Gritty, we discussed various ways antidepressants impact the brain. This week, we’ll explore nonpharmacological strategies that can also be used to help improve symptoms of depression. These strategies... by Ashleigh Louis | Mar 12, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
As explained in last week’s blog, How Antidepressants Work Part I: The Basics, antidepressants largely exert their effect (at least initially) by impacting the availability of various neurotransmitters in the synapse. The goal is to extend the amount of time... by Ashleigh Louis | Mar 5, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
One way that brain cells communicate is through the passage of chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters carry messages across the space between brain cells known as the synapse. Their goal is to excite or inhibit neighboring cells by binding at their... by Ashleigh Louis | Feb 26, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Anxiety disorders are the most common class of mental illness in the US and affect approximately 40 million US adults per year (nearly 20% of the population!). Between the rise in school shootings, terrorism, issues of oppression and discrimination, poverty,... by Ashleigh Louis | Feb 19, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Self-care refers to intentional activities that are aimed at promoting and maintaining physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. While the particular experience that best suits an individual may vary greatly, most approaches share a common goal of... by Ashleigh Louis | Feb 12, 2018 | Ashleigh Louis, PhD, LMFT, PA
Intimacy: nearly all of us want it and yet so many of us struggle with it. Whether it’s getting to know a new person better, connecting with that coworker you interact with daily but know little about, or deepening your existing bond with a romantic partner,...