Upward Behavioral Health

08/29/2025

🌟 Upward Spotlight on UP-and-Coming Psychologist, Amelia Geist (Part 2)🌟

Check out the key points from her poster presentation, Living within Limits: The Impact of Boundaries on Life Satisfaction, at the Alabama Psychological Association's annual conference.

Amelia and her UA Think Tank co-authors investigated the impact of intrapersonal boundaries in different contexts on life satisfaction in a group of adults ranging from ages 19 to 95. Here's what they learned!

💫 The Impact of Boundaries on Life Satisfaction 💫

🔹Stronger and more numerous boundaries were linked to higher life satisfaction.

🔹Older people generally had stronger and more numerous boundaries and reported greater life satisfaction.

🔹In our population, spiritual and professional/academic boundaries had the strongest effect, but boundaries in all areas gave the greatest boost to life satisfaction.

🔹The seven boundary types were: Romantic, Family/Friend, Health/Vitality, Spiritual, Professional/Academic, and Addiction.

⭐ These findings enhance our understanding of the impact of intrapersonal boundaries on life satisfaction. Moreover, these may findings may assist therapists in incorporating the role of boundaries to increase clients' life satisfaction. ⭐

Congrats to Amelia and her team once again for the new insights you are providing to our field! 💙

08/28/2025

🌟 Upward Spotlight on UP-and-Coming Psychologist, Adair Klapow 🌟

Check out the key points from her poster presentation, Cognitive and Behavioral Factors Predicting Self-Reported Executive Functions in Young Adults, at the Alabama Psychological Association's annual conference.

Adair and her co-authors' objective was to compare the results of performance-based executive functioning measures with self-report measures and see if thinking skills or self-perceived social and emotional challenges better predict how people rate their own executive functioning.

Here's what they learned in Adair's own words!

"We found that a performance-based measure (D-KEFS) of executive functioning was not predictive of a self-report measure (BRIEF-A) of executive functioning.

Other self-report measures of anxiety (STAI-T) and social impairment (SRS-2) were highly correlated with the self-report measure of executive functioning.

This may be due to the subjective nature of self-report measures and is essential to remember when assessing actual executive functioning abilities.

Due to the correlation between self-report measures, there is also a chance that anxiety and social impairment can play a role in the individual's perceived executive functioning impairment."

⭐ These findings suggest that anxiety and social challenges may influence a person's perceived executive functioning. Therefore, a thorough assessment should include both self-perceptions and performance-based measures of executive abilities. ⭐

Congrats to Adair and her team for the contribution you are making to our field! 💙

08/28/2025

✨ Opportunity to Participate in a Childhood Anxiety Study! ✨

Do you have a child who is 6- or 12-years-old? Are you 18 or 19 year of age?

Our child psychologist, Dr. Ramsey, is recruiting participants to help develop a tool for clinicians to better assess childhood anxiety.

KEY DETAILS:

💡 Purpose: Create a new tool for assessing childhood anxiety.

🔍 Procedure:
For children 6- or 12-years old, you will complete a 15-25 minute online survey about your child’s behavior. Your child and one of their teachers will also fill out similar surveys.

For participants 18 or 19 years of age, you will complete a 15-25 minute online survey about your behavior. With your permission, a close friend or family member will fill out a similar survey.

⚖️ Benefits/Risks:
🔹Help develop a vital clinical tool.
🔹Receive a $25 electronic gift certificate upon completion.
🔹Mild discomfort possible while answering sensitive questions

🛑 Please note, this study is not seeking participants who fall within one of the following categories:
▪️Typically developing 8–11-year-olds
▪️Typically developing 16-year-olds
▪️Children whose parents/guardians have earned a bachelor's degree or higher

Interested?

Please contact Dr. Ramsey at 205-983-4063 (Ext. 4) and leave your name & email address. She will send you more information about the study.

Join us in making a difference! 💪🏻💪🏼💪🏽



*Image by pressphoto from freepik

08/27/2025

🌟 Upward Spotlight on UP-and-Coming Psychologist, Amelia Geist 🌟

Check out the key points from .geist1's poster presentation, Blueprints for Boundaries: Early Predictors of Boundary Quantity and Strength, at the Alabama Psychological Association's annual conference.

Amelia and her co-authors investigated the impact of childhood experiences on intrapersonal boundaries later in life. Here's what they learned!

💫 Early Predictors of Boundary Strength and Quantity 💫

🔹We studied how childhood family experiences relate to adult intra-personal boundary strength and quantity.

🔹Adults rated how often certain experiences happened in their childhood as well as the strength and number of boundaries they have in seven contexts.

🔹Positive predictors: church attendance, family devotions, shared meals, and chores.

🔹Negative predictors: criticism, home conflict, drinking, and prescription drug use.

⭐ These findings enhance our understanding of the impact that family patterns in the home can have on intrapersonal boundaries in later life. Moreover, this study paves the way for future research on the impact of family patterns on other aspects of adult life. ⭐

Congrats to Amelia and her team for the impact you are making in our field! 💙

Stay tuned to learn more about Amelia's second poster presentation...👀👀👀

08/27/2025

🚨 Teaser Alert! 🚨

We're thrilled to be spotlighting the future of psychology! 🧠✨

We recently attended the Alabama Psychological Association's annual conference in Orange Beach, and were incredibly impressed by the innovative research from undergraduate and graduate psychology students. 💫💫💫

At Upward, we are dedicated to supporting and promoting these up-and-coming psychologists by sharing their remarkable work and findings. 🎉

Stay tuned as we introduce you to some of the wonderful research from student members of and . 🌟

The next generation of psychologists is here, and the future of psychology has never looked brighter! 😎😎😎

📅 STAY TUNED...more coming soon!

08/27/2025

🚨 COMING SOON: New Features Spotlight! 🚨

Get ready for "STRAIGHT UP with Upward" – Our bold new series tackling mental health myths head-on. 🧠💪

We're breaking down misinformation and misconceptions with clear, concise, and science-driven information. 💡

No fluff, just straight talk. 🗣

Because understanding mental health should be straightforward. ⬆⬆⬆

Stay tuned for honest, actionable insights that'll change the way you think about mental health. ✨✨✨

📅 Launching Soon! 🚀

08/26/2025

Learn how trauma impacts the brain from Dr. Tanja Jovanovic in this recent episode of Minds on the Frontline podcast from Frontline Strong Together 5 Program.

DTP’s Director, Dr. Tanja Jovanovic, is interviewed for the podcast ‘Minds on the Frontline’ as part of the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program. FST5 provides streamlined access to behavioral and mental health services, as well as crisis resources for Michigan’s frontline workers and their families. In the podcast, Dr J breaks down how trauma rewires the brain, why PTSD is a neurological response—not just a diagnosis—and how science offers hope for recovery.

Listen to the full episode: https://tinyurl.com/54fvyde3

08/25/2025

🌟 MENTAL HEALTH MONDAY🌟

We are excited to tell you.....STAY TUNED! 👀👀👀

We have several new features COMING SOON just for you, our incredible Upward Community! 💙🩵💙

Our mission is to provide science-driven, accurate information about mental health as well as effective mental health treatment and psychological evaluations.

As part of our ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, we want to share with you our plans for our second year! 🎉🎉🎉

Are you ready for THERAPY THAT WORKS?

STAY TUNED to learn what is COMING SOON for YOU!!



*Image by starline from Freepik

08/24/2025

✨ New Service Spotlight ✨

We are thrilled to announce Dr. Courtney Worley is offering Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (CBT-N) at Upward! 🌙🌙🌙

CBT-N is an evidence based therapy for Nightmares. Commonly used as an umbrella term for a group of three different options to address nightmares from different causes. This can include:
Imagery Rehearsal Therapy
Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescription Therapy Lucid Dreaming Therapy.

Regardless of the option chosen, patients can expect to see changes in 3-6 sessions. CBT-N targets all aspects of the nightmare cycle including:
Nighttime anxiety
Distressing disturbing dreams
Awakenings
Disrupted sleep
Next day distress and functional impairment

If you have been struggling with nightmares for weeks, month, years or even decades, recovery is possible.

Dr. Worley has dual specializations in behavioral sleep medicine and trauma. She has more than a decade of experience in treating trauma-related nightmares, but also helps individuals with nightmares related to anxiety, depression, narcolepsy, or REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.

08/24/2025

About last night… 🌙

We loved attending awards ceremony and banquet! ✨✨✨

Pic 1: Our Upward team celebrating a wonderful conference & incredible first year! 🎉🎉🎉

Pic 2: Veronica & Marquita along with several of the amazing psychology students who attended this year’s conference. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pic 3: Dr. Keyes and Dr. Norton were both winners in the door prize drawing. 🏆🏆🏆

08/23/2025

Upward on the beach! ☀️🌊🏖️🐚.

08/23/2025

Dr. Keyes facilitating a workshop for therapist’s on enhancing their trauma-focused therapy skills in CPT and PE. ✨