Melissa Clark

In this episode of Counselor on Call, we discuss the difference between active suicidal ideations and passive suicidal ideations. 

Warning – this contains references to suicide and may act as a trigger to some. Please listen with caution.

Suicide is a leading cause of death but continues to be misunderstood. An essential part of understanding suicide is having the proper terminology.

Passive suicidal ideation occurs when you wish you were dead or that you could die, but you don’t have any plans to commit suicide. Active suicidal ideation, on the other hand, is not only thinking about it but having the intent to commit suicide, including planning how to do it.

Passive suicidal ideations:

• Defense mechanism
• Not a character flaw or sign of weakness
• Signifies that you’re dealing with pain and sadness

Active suicidal ideations:

• Giving away possessions
• Talking about death, dying, or not being around in the future
• Using phrases that make death sound like an option, such as “When I am gone,” “If I were to kill myself….”
• Saying goodbye or making amends with loved ones
• Collecting items that are harmful or potentially dangerous
• Social withdraw
• Increased drug or alcohol usage
• Not participating in activities that were once enjoyable
• Engaging in risky or potentially harmful behaviors

If you or your loved ones are dealing with either, please reach out for help: National Suicide Hotline, 800-273-8255

*DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek your doctor’s advice or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or my website.  

If you require counseling, please check out Psychology Today or Nami for helpful resources.

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Today on the podcast, we are wrapping up our conversations about body image and body shame. I’m so excited to talk with my friend and fellow counselor, Whitney Russell.

Whitney is the owner and founder of Brave Haven Counseling in Richardson, Tx. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist-Supervisor. Whitney began her counseling career at the Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center, working with struggling teens at a rehabilitative residential treatment center. From there, she started her journey as an expert in the field of eating disorders. Her experience in this area ranges from being a primary therapist at a partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient setting at The Renfrew Center of Texas to being the Regional Director of Operations for Center For Discovery.

She is also a wife, mother of 4, and an Enneagram 1. She is a lover of plants, Nutella, thrift stores, and collecting books.

Things that we discussed :

1. Body Shame is so subtle. Whitney and I share ways everyone shames themselves and how that impacts our mental health.
2. How can parents have conversations with their children about body shame and body image?
3. Our body is a gift from God, and we need to treat it as such.
4. Stay in tune with your body and respect its biological urges and needs, and eventually, you will be liking and loving your body.

Want to connect with Whitney:

Website: www.bravehavencounseling.com

On Instagram @whitneylpc

Check out her podcast: realmessyrealhappy.com and on Instagram @realmessyrealhappy

Resources

• The Intuitive Eating Workbook 
• Life of the Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen 
• American Psychiatric Association: Expert Q&A – Eating Disorders
• The Academy for Eating Disorders
• National Institutes of Health Information on Eating Disorders
  National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

If you loved this episode as much as I did, add some stars to the review!

Melissa

*DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek your doctor’s advice or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or my website.  If you require counseling, please check out Psychology Today or Nami for helpful resources.

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In this episode of Counselor-on-Call* we are discussing body image. If you struggle with an eating disorder or have struggled with an eating disorder this could be triggering for you.

Today, I want to tell you a little of my story of body image and how this led to my eating disorder and then give you some practical, tangible strategies to help you have a healthier body image.

Here are 7 practices for a healthier body image:

1. Redefine your definition of beauty
2. Recognize and reject the lies
3. Recognize your triggers
4. Renew yourself with Truth
5. Respect yourself.
6. Redirect your thoughts
7. Remember you are worthy, valuable.

I hope you loved this episode as much as I did! If so, please leave a review.

Have a great week,

Melissa

*DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website. 

 If you are in need of counseling, please check out Psychology Today or Nami for helpful resources.

Check out this episode!

If you struggle with body image, you aren’t alone.

Approximately 91% of women are unhappy with what they see in the mirror. Research shows that the higher the body dissatisfaction is associated with a poorer quality of life, psychological distress, and the risk of unhealthy eating behaviors and eating disorders.

How we view and treat our bodies matters.

This week, I sat down with Amanda Cunningham. Amanda Cunningham is a former model and current writer, speaker, wife of a Fire Captain, and mother of two girls. 

After modeling for 10 years and becoming a Christian at age 30, she looks for God’s beauty (His loving design) in everything and hopes after you spend time with her that you will too. Amanda is passionate about loving others by serving in ministry and by sharing what God is teaching her. She has written for the international women’s ministry Love God Greatly, for her local church, and is currently working on a book about rescuing God’s masterpiece in us called Modeled by the Maker. 

Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @amandafromtx or her website amandafromtexas.com.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Amanda’s modeling career
• The importance of a biblical body image
• The meaning of true beauties
• Ways we can use our bodies for good
• Roadblocks and barriers to a healthy body image

A Quote I love:

“Lies are heavy, the truth is light. Which one are you asking your body to carry today?”-  Unknown (Instagram Post) 

Links to great things we discussed:

Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image by Dr. Paul Brand and Phillip Yancy

Thank you for joining me this week on the Thrive: Mental Health and the Art of Living Free. Make sure to visit my website where you can subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher so you never miss a show. Hey, while you’re at it, help me out by adding some stars to the rating and tell a friend about the show.

Have a great week!

Melissa

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On this episode of Counselor on Call, we will continue the conversation from last week’s episode. We talked with Ginger Sache about finding wonder and chasing joy. She talked with us about the practice of tuning in to the present and how this created more meaning and purpose in her everyday life.

Are you finding yourself distracted, scattered, or stressed? If so, it may be because you’re living in your head and missing out on living your life.

You may find yourself worrying about the future. This can be anything from imagining worst-case scenarios (i.e., “I’m going to get fired,” “we are going to break up,” etc.) or getting stuck in the past, ruminating on what I shoulda, woulda, or coulda  done differently. These thoughts are likely snatching you away from what you could be experiencing in the present.

I’ve heard clients say, “I don’t remember much; it’s like I wasn’t even there.” Can you relate to this? If so, mindfulness is a powerful tool that will help you slow down and connect to the moment. Mindfulness is simply being aware of what you are experiencing as you are experiencing it.

Benefits of mindfulness:

• Reduced ruminating thoughts
• Reduction of stress
• Increased focus
• Less emotional reactivity
• Increased emotional satisfaction

Here are a few simple ways to practice mindfulness. And it really is a practice. These are simple tools, but don’t overlook them because of their simplicity. Often the simplest tools are what we forget the soonest in times of stress and chaos. As you practice these, they can become a habit and, therefore, what your brain does automatically.

Here are some great ways to begin practicing mindfulness:

Mindful breathing

1. Start by breathing in and out slowly.
2. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
3. Let go of your thoughts. Let go of things you have to do later today or pending projects that need your attention. Let thoughts rise and fall of their own accord and be at one with your breath.
4. Continue to focus on your sense of awareness the air fills your lungs and then how it feels to exhale.

Mindful immersion

1. This exercise intends to cultivate contentment at the moment and escape the persistent striving we find ourselves caught up in daily. Rather than anxiously wanting to finish an everyday routine task to get on with doing something else, take that routine and fully experience it like never before.
2. For example: if you are cleaning your house, pay attention to every detail of the activity.

Mindful observation

1. Choose a natural object from within your immediate environment and focus on watching it for a minute or two. This could be something in your office or home.  You can also find something in nature like trees or the sky.
2. Don’t do anything except notice the thing you are looking at. Relax and watch for as long as your concentration allows. It’s okay if you only focus for a few seconds.  You may become distracted.  Simply take a breath and try again.
3. Visually explore every aspect of the object.

I love how God calls himself I AM. Meaning He is in our present. I don’t know about you, but I want to experience the opportunities and experiences God is creating for me. Mindfulness creates an opportunity to connect with the present and what God is doing at that moment.

Blessings to you,

Melissa

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