River Farrell PsyD

05/03/2022

I can’t wait to present on Saturday!

06/09/2021

SEPHORA is offering a free online class where you can explore your personal beauty style in a safe, inclusive space, designed for the trans/nonbinary community! The first class is this Friday at 4 pm ET.

If interested, sign up at http://seph.me/virtual_bold_private

12/14/2020

Mindfulness is an important tool for mental health. However; for many people it can be intimidating to try and start. It can feel silly or bring up worries about doing it “right.”

The text included here is from https://www.verywellmind.com/ and can be a helpful guide to start your PRACTICE. Meditation or mindfulness is always a practice as there is no perfect way to do it.

10/20/2020

Sometimes coffee, sunshine, and a fluffy cat are good for mental health. This is a reminder to check in with yourself and find the small things today.

10/08/2020

Repost from
•
✨AHHH ACCEPTANCE✨

We all struggle with finding acceptance in the things we cannot control...let’s not lie to ourselves and think we’ve got this skill in the bag! It’s a work in progress for most of us, and that is totally okay!

Acceptance is a skill that I often introduce to my clients early in our therapeutic journey. We learn together that acceptance is not about simply laying down and taking a situation for what it is, but rather it is an acknowledgement of what is outside of our hands and gaining perspective on what can be done instead. It’s about living, rather than dwelling.

With acknowledgment and acceptance, comes new perspectives, emotional regulation, and a sense of opportunity for what may come.

Do you struggle with acceptance? Comment your strategies to gain acceptance below ⬇️

10/06/2020

Finished my presentation for tomorrow’s event! I can’t wait!

09/27/2020

Giving a talk for the Stand with Trans youth empowerment. Check it out.

Session spotlight: Mental Health & Your Transgender Child, with Melissa Farrell, PsyD, on October 7!

Register to attend this & a month's worth of sessions at https://trans-empowerment-month.heysummit.com/

08/26/2020

Everyday emotions can feel like the tide, they come and go. They can be higher, lower, faster or slower but they are usually not destructive. Even the fastest, and lowest tide isn’t usually unmanageable without assistance. We can think of this as sadness, grief, worry, or any other “typical” human emotion.

Then there are tidal waves..... Clinical Depression, Anxiety Disorders, PTSD. They are still based in emotions, the water is still there.... but it can be harder (or impossible) to recover from a tidal wave without help. Please remember this when talking to people with tidal waves in life. “Cheer up” “Don’t worry” “Calm down” may work to stem the tide but the same may not be true for tidal waves.

Those of us with tidal waves can learn what supports we need to manage and even thrive with our waves. Therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes can all help. The problem is when we don’t recognize the tidal wave from the tide.

08/24/2020

Found this amazing resource and wanted to share. Hope everyone is continuing to work toward being anti-racist and support BIPOC Repost from .co
•
The work of therapists who identify as Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) is vital: shared identity is one of the most prioritized factors in seeking a therapist for people of color. 🛋️⁠⠀
⁠⠀
However, Black therapists account for only 5% of the psychology workforce, and this calls for non-Black therapists and particularly White therapists, who make up 83% of psychologists, to be knowledgeable, capable, and compassionate when it comes to talking about race in therapy. 💛⁠⠀
⁠⠀
We’ve heard from therapists across the country who are looking to further their knowledge on race and anti-racist practices. To encourage this development, we interviewed both White and BIPOC therapists who have sought advanced training in racial identity on ways therapists can create a safe and knowledgeable space for Black clients.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
For the full article, click on the link in our bio ☝🏾

08/20/2020

My phenomenal cohost Michael May took the lead on this and now...

ACTing Q***r is out with a new episode! In this episode, we’re honored to have the opportunity to interview Matthew Menayas-Skinta, PhD! Among the many topics discussed in this episode: his personal, clinical, and research journey, the ongoing evolution of the role of the contextual behavioral sciences in addressing the lived experience of SGM individuals, and the role of minority stress plays within the context of the behavior of both client and clinician. Without a doubt, this is a MUST LISTEN episode! Behavioral science, personal anecdotes, and unabashed vulnerability!

‎Social Sciences · 2020

08/12/2020

No time is wasted
In this time of global pandemic, quarantine, isolation and widespread uncertainty I hear people talking about this time being “wasted.” As though they are “losing a year of my life.”

I want to remind everyone that no time is wasted. You are learning and growing every day. The emotional load of this situation is like nothing you have faced before. No matter how hard things have been, THIS is new. Your brain is finding new ways to cope, survive, and even sometimes thrive (if even for a moment) in this new world of ambiguity.

When things are more “normal” and the routine of life shifts again you will not lose the tools you develop now. They will be there to help with other challenges.

You may not feel as though you are growing but in many cases it isn’t until we look back that we are able to see how far we have come.