MDS Counseling Services, LLC

08/05/2025

International Youth Day is celebrated around the world every year on August 12. The United Nations’ goal is to give youth a voice in how communities and the future are shaped. In honor of this important day, let’s explore ways to nurture and raise awareness for youth mental health and well-being. 🧒 👟

Quick Stats:
-1 in 7 adolescents are affected by mental illnesses
-50% of mental illnesses begin by age 14

People with mental illnesses can and do lead active, productive lives, showing that these conditions can affect individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life. It’s important to understand that seeking professional help is nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone deserves the support they need to thrive.

07/24/2025

Who are you? 🤔
A combination of factors shapes your self-identity, which is how you see yourself. These include your personality, abilities, appearance, interests, culture and more. It also includes the role you play in your close relationships and the larger community. When you feel uncertain about who you are, it can sometimes lead you to do things you don’t want to do or that aren’t in your best interest. It can also make it harder to appreciate your own value, purpose and potential.

Be honest with yourself 😁
It’s important to consider your own perceptions and potential biases that shape how you think, feel and act. It’s natural to feel more comfortable with people who are most like you, to favor information that supports your existing beliefs and to hold onto assumptions. But just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it always serves you or others.

Ask for feedback 😳
Another approach is to ask people you trust for feedback. You could ask them to share qualities they admire in you, as well as areas they think you might consider improving. You could also ask them for their take on experiences you remember strongly or have strong feelings about. For example, you might ask your sister how she remembers the argument you recently had with your parents. She may offer insights into the situation you didn’t consider or don’t remember, which could help you understand the impact of your own actions differently. And you might realize that these actions reflect patterns of behaviors that have influenced your relationships.

07/16/2025

06/19/2025

Juneteenth is a U.S. federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery. It marks June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that all enslaved people were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Today, Juneteenth is celebrated as a day of freedom, remembrance, and reflection, and it’s a time for honoring African American heritage, resilience, and culture across the United States.

06/03/2025

Pride Month exists to honor and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, recognize their struggles and achievements, and promote equality and inclusion. It’s held every June to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising of June 1969 in New York City—a pivotal event in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

Here’s why Pride Month matters:
1. Visibility and Representation: It helps LGBTQ+ people feel seen, heard, and valued, especially in societies where they’ve been marginalized or erased.
2. Awareness and Education: Pride raises awareness of ongoing issues like discrimination, mental health disparities, and legal inequality.
3. Celebration of Identity: It’s a time for people to embrace who they are without fear or shame—encouraging authenticity, joy, and solidarity.
4. Honoring History and Progress: It pays tribute to activists and community members who fought—and continue to fight—for equal rights.
5. Community and Support: Pride events foster a sense of belonging and shared purpose, helping many LGBTQ+ individuals and allies feel less alone.

In short: Pride Month is both a celebration and a call to action, rooted in a history of resistance and a vision for a more inclusive future.

05/07/2025

Emotions seem straightforward. They’re about taking in data. But if so, why do our feelings get so messy? 😀😅😕😍😡

Enter judgment. Most of us don't like feeling uncomfortable. So when we encounter emotions that make us feel that way, we often label them as negative. And then we try to avoid them. But that can lead to problems.

For instance, have you ever downed an entire pint of ice cream to numb your stress? Or had a glass — or more — of wine to take the edge off? Those are knee-jerk reactions to unpleasant emotions. They can be ok once in a while. But if they become your go-to coping strategies, they can lead to health issues.

Besides, those reactions are brief distractions from bad feelings. Your emotions are trying to get your attention. So they’re likely to keep coming back until you heed their message. And avoiding your emotions can have short- and long-term effects on your body.

For instance, a review of 24 studies found that when participants were told to suppress their emotions while under stress, they had higher heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels.

Long term, this heightened stress response may be one reason why squashing emotions is linked to earlier death from a variety of health conditions. Another likely factor? Unhealthy coping behaviors, such as over-eating.

This may sound dire. But here’s the upside: You can choose how to respond to your feelings. Even if it doesn’t always seem like it.

05/01/2025

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

At MDS Counseling Services,
we promote emotional and behavioral well-being every day.

We are committed to breaking the stigma
around mental health challenges
that affect so many individuals and families.

You are not alone.
Help is available — and it works.
Support, grounded in science, can make a real difference.

Mental health challenges can impact anyone —
regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity,
sexual orientation, age, or socioeconomic status.

Let’s stand together.
We are stronger united —
and together, we can break the stigma.