My blog is coming to you late, this Mental Health Awareness Month! Even therapists, especially therapists, need to prioritize their mental health and I’m no exception! I was happy that I could say to Kim, our web guru, that a May 1st blog just wasn’t going to happen and have that be ok. I hope that you can give yourselves some grace as well!

During the past 6 weeks since our last blog, I’ve completed my final courses for my play therapy certificate from the Heartland Play Therapy Institute and completed my 350 hours of supervised experience! This was my pandemic project. I have been grateful for the time spent learning within a supportive and professional community of therapists. I have learned a ton and look forward to continuing to integrate play therapy into my work.

The most recent play therapy courses I took related to trauma and were immensely helpful and thought provoking. One course looked at differential diagnosis between ADHD and PTSD which was especially interesting. All of us experience traumatic events but not all of us will develop PTSD. Some folks think they have ADHD when it is actually anxiety or a trauma response. So it is important to see a skilled clinician who can assist you with understanding any symptoms you are experiencing.

During the next 6 weeks, we’ll be saying good-bye to my dear colleague, Dr. Kathleen Keenan, who will be retiring from Sastun Associates. Dr. Keenan has been my friend since graduate school, so it is hard to imagine us as “late career” professionals. I want to express my deep appreciation and gratitude for her friendship and professional counsel.

So in the spirit of self-care, I’m ending this short blog and hopefully I am role modeling for you to give yourself some grace this month!