Kelly Lannon Counseling

09/28/2023

03/29/2022

08/23/2021

*Discussions of trauma can bring up significant discomfort for people who have experienced their own trauma. As a warning, some of the content in this article may be triggering* I believe it’s incredibly important to talk about this mental health struggle (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)). Especially as it relates to the LGBTQIA+ Community, as it has been found over years of studying that trauma affects communities and individuals who are most vulnerable....

http://kellylannoncounseling.com/2021/08/23/ptsd-the-lgbtqia-community/

*Discussions of trauma can bring up significant discomfort for people who have experienced their own trauma. As a warning, some of the content in this article may be triggering* I believe it’s incr…

08/23/2021

BackgroundThere have been many movements throughout history to recognize, build awareness around, and highlight the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse women face on a regular basis. Some big moments throughout history include, but are definitely not limited to: Civil Rights Era (1940s-1950s) Social activism (1970s) which brought about the first r**e crisis center in San Francisco Take Back the Night event (San Francisco, 1978)...

http://kellylannoncounseling.com/2021/08/23/consent-matters-a-sordid-history/

BackgroundThere have been many movements throughout history to recognize, build awareness around, and highlight the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse women face on a regular basis. Some big mom…

08/17/2021

Trigger Warning: Afghanistan/Suicidal Ideation/PTSD/Grief

As the world watches what is happening in Afghanistan right now, there are a lot of people struggling. Outside of the obvious turmoil and fear happening within the borders of Kabul, this situation is affecting everyone who has ever deployed or lost someone to a deployment in Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom.

Active Duty Service-Members and Veterans are likely struggling with questions like: "what's next," "what was it all for," "what was ___'s death even for?" And many other questions. It is normal within this abnormal situation to be struggling. Trauma may be triggered, grief may hit a strong wave, and suicidal or homicidal thoughts may arise due to the anger, hopelessness, and/or helplessness you may feel. You may want to isolate, and that is also normal, but try to have at least one person you can rely on to check in on you.

Reach out to your mental health providers. If you do not have one, please find someone you feel comfortable with and ask about initial appointments. There are resources and supports out there.

I want to provide a few specific resources that can help. If you need to talk to someone, but you don't want to "burden" your loved ones, or you feel like they won't understand, please reach out to the following places:

For Veterans, Active Duty, or family members of either:
Veterans Crisis Line: (24/7)
Call: 800-273-8255, and press "1"
Text: Hello to 838255
Chat: VeteransCrisisLine.net

Vet Center Combat Call Center: (24/7)
800-WAR-VETS (800-927-8387)

For those who did not serve, or do not have direct relationship with Veterans/Active Duty:
Lifeline: 800-273-8255, and stay on the line to be connected to your closest crisis lines.

Crisis Text: Text hello to 741741

07/29/2021

This thread is an important read. As therapists we need to understand the history of how beauty standards are seen in womxn of color and how it impacts self-esteem and self-worth.

Standardized beauty standards are more about the male gaze vs actual womxn's bodies. To fit these standards womxn may develop struggles & unhealthy relationships with eating, exercising, image, and much more.

Finding a way to accept and love your body as is can be incredibly challenging, but worth it in the long run. Being able to love yourself and your body as is paves a healthy way forward to take care of yourself. Please talk to someone if you experience any of these struggles and work toward self-love. Let's change the way womxns bodies are talked about.

Read for yourself on Twitter

05/27/2021

Memorial Day: A Day of Grief

This is a day that is always difficult for our Military and Veteran communities. With the amount of loss people have experienced over the past year, grief has the potential of being incredibly overwhelming. Read more about what it might look like in my newest blog post here.

http://kellylannoncounseling.com/2021/05/27/memorial-day-a-day-of-grief/

A day of remembrance. A day to endure. If you are a Veteran, Service Member, or loved one of either you have either felt or witnessed the impact of military-related loss. This Memorial Day is likel…

02/04/2021

Friendly reminder that a person does not need to fit specific beauty standards or perform gender conformity to be considered mentally well. As therapists we need to be aware of any internalized biases we may have regarding femininity.

Having a conversation with someone about why they choose to, or not to, perform to these societal pressures can also provide you with insight into what that person needs, how someone copes, and what their priorities are.

As a client, I do not want someone coming to see me and to be worried about what they look like. They are coming in for help. For someone to talk to. Worrying about whether they dressed up enough, or put on enough makeup is not something I want them concerned with.

Let’s change the way people reach out for help.

01/14/2021

11/01/2020

During this difficult time we are living in: pandemic, voting, struggles with communication with family, friends, partners - we are all likely coming in contact with someone who is experiencing cognitive dissonance.

Do you know someone who says they care about something, but all their thoughts and behaviors show something different? That's what we are talking about.

It can be hrs to have conversations with someone who is experiencing cognitive dissonance, and attempting to call someone names or thinking or behaving a certain way is likely to just cause further discord. Instead, pose questions for someone to consider why they think and behave a certain way, and allow space for them to admit if they are wrong. Defensiveness is likely to be a huge barrier.

10/02/2020

***Trigger Warning for Intimate Partner Violence***

October is domestic violence awareness month. IPV/DV is all too common and often dismissed by families, communities, and society.

As of today, there have been 473 gun related domestic violence fatalities this year.
20,000 calls are placed per day to domestic violence hotlines.

In this thread of information you will find different types of abuse and what it looks like. Because IPV is NOT just physical violence. There are many forms of power and control a partner may attempt to use in their partner.

08/20/2020

Trauma doesnt just show up as hypervigilance, difficulty with emotional regulation, nightmares, or other various symptoms. It shows up in our lives in various ways, having an impact on multiple areas of our lives.

08/17/2020

Something I remind myself and my clients of. No one is perfect. If we strive for perfection we are always going to criticize ourselves if and when we fall short of this ideal. Focus on making progress in your life, in different ways and spaces you find yourself in. Focus on making progress forward and you will find it is much easier to work toward and meet goals.

07/13/2020

If you have been on my website, you have likely scrolled by this quote. There are so many reasons I use this specific one. The main one come from recognizing there are many times in life where we come to the conclusion we need to change something. This might be our living situation, a major in school, a job, a relationship, etc... Sometimes this is fairly easy, we make those changes. But it's not always this simple. Sometimes we have to find a way to change our internal views and change our perceptions in order to make the positive and healthy changes we need.

When one comes into therapy it's usually somewhere in one of these processes. Changing life situations or ways we deal with those situations. Your therapist is there to help guide you on this journey.

07/04/2020

Taking a walk can help clear your head and get away from situations that are uncomfortable or anxiety provoking.

During the times of quarantine it can be difficult being cooped up all day, so finding an obscure path or hiking trail to get out into some fresh air and away can be helpful too. Or maybe you prefer a park nearby or your neighborhood.

Remember to wear a mask, leave no trace on trails, and hydrate. Take care of yourselves and the community out there.

06/17/2020

We all have those lyrics, quotes, or some form of written/spoken word that speaks to us in a calming or connected way.

Using this in times of difficulty can help us refocus and reframe our minds in the moment. Sometimes it can feel like the world is exploding from underneath us and having these moments of inner connectedness and calm can help us continue in these hard moments.

Doing this is not to minimize the problem by any means. It is to help us maximize our presence in these moments. Write it down, give it a nice graphic and save it on your phone. Make it your screensaver. Whatever you need to do to remind yourself in the moment.

06/15/2020

Describing your environment in detail. This can be helpful because it forces you to physically ground to the enrivonrment you are in.

Looking at the color, texture, and other identifying characteristics of the room around you. Include sounds and scents. Anything that will help you focus on the environment and help distract you from the overwhelming emotions you are feeling.

06/13/2020

Remembering safe places: it's a good reminder when you are feeling lost and unsafe that there are places you feel safe. This doesn't have to mean a physical location. Maybe there is a person or thing that makes you fee safe.

Conjure up those memories when you are in a place of feeling overwhelmed and take some deep breaths.