Comprehensive MedPsych Systems

08/25/2025

The lazy days of summer are over. Returning to school brings back busy schedules. For some kids, the new year can also bring worries. They may be concerned about their new teacher or about the workload. They could be stressing about who they’ll sit with at lunch. Or they could feel anxious about making the leap to middle school or high school. 🌻

Normalize your child’s feelings. Let your child know that their feelings are OK. Tell them that new things can feel scary. Plus, it’s natural to be jittery about a new school year, no matter how old they are. As you’re talking, you can share a time that you felt nervous about something, too. Be sure to focus on the positive: It was a little hard at first but then everything turned out fine.

You can also remind them about the good things that come with a new school year. They’ll learn new things and make new friends. Maybe they’ll also get some new privileges, too, such as a later bedtime or a later weekend curfew (for older kids).

And don’t forget the power of new school supplies. Buying new notebooks, pencils and other school supplies is fun for kids. Set aside time to pick out things together, then get their homework space set up. You can even decorate it together. That will help them see that you’re excited, too.

Wanting to know more about your mental health?
📲 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013

08/22/2025

Back-to-school jitters are real—but your child doesn’t have to face them alone. 💛 CMPS therapist Nashon McPherson shares quick tips to help kids feel confident and ready for the year ahead.
Need extra support for you or your child? We’re here to help.
👉 Find care: optumbhcare.com/en-US
📞 Call 1-877-OBC-0013

08/21/2025

Meet the Team!
Arthur Barfield III, LMHC🌊

✏️With a deep understanding of life transitions such as grief, loss, divorce and trauma, he works with clients to improve communication skills, rebuild trust in relationships as well as address concerns such as self-esteem and self-confidence. He is also skilled in supporting geriatric patients facing unique challenges related to aging such as, chronic illness, cognitive changes as well as behavioral concerns. Using evidenced-based approaches such as (CBT), he assists clients in developing healthier thought patterns and coping strategies.

Whether assisting clients with chronic stress, Veterans with re-adjustment concerns, clients with relationship difficulties, or major life changes, he is dedicated to providing compassionate and effective therapeutic support tailored to each individual’s needs.

Want to learn more?
https://www.medpsych.net/

08/11/2025

Youth can find a lot of educational, fun and inspiring content online. But they also may come across unsettling, inappropriate and distressing content that can impact their mental health and wellbeing. 👧 👦

1) Define boundaries. Limit exposure to news coverage and social media use. Let them know they can talk to you about what they see, so they have a supportive outlet. Also, consider blocking sites you prefer they don’t see or think may trouble them.

2) Share information. Talk with your child about the news, explaining things at a level appropriate to their age. Listen and answer any questions they may have. Also, let them know it’s OK to ask questions and encourage them to do so. The more questions they hold inside, the more they might wonder, worry and let their imagination spiral to worst-case scenarios.

3) Be as truthful as possible. Answer their questions to the best of your knowledge and ability, and in a way they can understand. If you do not know the answer, that’s OK. Tell them you don’t know. You also could use this as an opportunity to teach them useful “media literacy” skills by showing them how to find information from a reliable source.

4) Be patient. Until a child fully comprehends the situation or feels reassured, they may ask the same question or similar questions several times. This is natural. By remaining calm and compassionate, you can help them sort it out and feel less stressed.

Wanting to know more about your mental health?
📲 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013

08/08/2025

🌟 Give yourself space to change. Whether you’re heading off to university, moving to a new city or starting a job, you don’t have to know everything right now. Expect to grow and shift as you experience life.

😁 Make good choices. You need to look out for yourself. That includes considering the consequences of your actions, like staying out late the night before a major exam or splurging when you’re on a tight budget.

✍️ Understand you’re a work in progress. You may legally be an adult, but your body, mind and spirit continue developing well into your early 30s. Don’t be afraid to ask for help thinking through tough decisions or difficult feelings.

👨‍💻 Stay connected. Regularly keep in touch with trusted adults who can offer support and valuable advice.

🥗 Take care of yourself. Practice self-care for better health and wellbeing. That includes getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods and being active.
Wanting to know more about your mental health?
📲 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013

08/04/2025

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.

👉 Complete 3 activities each week on your own or with an adolescent in your care:
http://spr.ly/6182fdPSM

Wanting to know more about your mental health?
📲 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013

08/01/2025

Preparing for transitions: Back to School 🎒 ✏️

🍎 Be empathetic
One of the most important ways to support your child is to consider their perspective. Sure, they may be excited to graduate to a new level, do new activities and meet new people. But they also are likely to feel nervous about the uncertainty change brings. Will they like their new teachers? Will they miss their current friends? Will they remember where the restroom is? Will they be able to manage the schoolwork? Will they feel accepted?

🍎 Recognize signs of stress and anxiety
Change is tough for most people at any age. Moving grades or schools can bring anxious thoughts and stress. Younger children might tell you through changes in behavior. They might get clingy, act out, withdraw or misbehave. They also might show their feelings through drawings and role-play with toys.

🍎 Encourage communication and expression
When they begin sharing what’s on their minds, do your best to listen and give them space to feel what they feel. As a caregiver, you can help them process their thoughts and emotions — and find comfort in the process. Use gentle, age-appropriate prompts to help guide them to think through their feelings and worries.

🍎 Empower decision-making
Giving them age-appropriate choices can also help them feel more in control. For a younger child, it could be picking a book to read or choosing their favorite snack. For an older child, it could be letting them choose their own outfits or supplies. For an adolescent considering universities, it could be narrowing the options based on practical criteria — such as admission requirements, cost, location, fields of study, their interests and cultural or familial considerations — and letting them make the final decision.

Wanting to know more about your mental health?
👉 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013

07/28/2025

Beyond awareness: Take action to support your mental health

Value yourself 🧠
We all start from different places with different experiences, goals and opportunities. Take time to get to know yourself. Why do you believe what you believe? What has shaped you? What things and people do you genuinely enjoy? What are your hopes and goals? How do you want to be treated? And how do you want to treat others?

Make decisions 🧠
If you ignore your thoughts and feelings, they just stay there. Over time, they may add up and grow. But you have the power to decide what to do with those thoughts and feelings to help yourself.
For example, let’s say you have a co-worker who frequently interrupts you during meetings. It’s frustrating. And over time, it becomes more frustrating. You begin to anticipate the interruptions ahead of meetings, which angers you. You then begin to brace yourself to be annoyed during meetings. It keeps building, until you become openly hostile to them, such as snapping at them during a meeting or showing your anger through your body language. In either case, the situation is causing you stress and potentially hurting your work performance.

Let go 🧠
All you can control is yourself and how you react in any given situation. That includes how you interact with other people. So, rather than getting worked up or thinking through something over and over, do your best to pause and consider what’s in your control and what’s beyond it. A good example is standing in an airport security line. Getting upset the line isn’t moving faster won’t do anything but make you angry. Instead, you could decide to go with the flow and amuse yourself with a podcast or visualizing fun memories.

👉 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013

07/24/2025

Meet the Team!
Jordan Steckler, LMHC🌊

✏️Jordan (she/her) is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who stives to create an inclusive and compassionate space for clients to delve into what brings them to therapy. She supports adults who are searching for new ways to cope and thrive, going through different life changes (like starting or graduating from college, the end of a relationship, leaving or starting a new job, entering a different stage of life), LGBTQ+ matters, depression, anxiety, stress and other related concerns. Jordan uses her 8 years of experience and training, including implementing a trauma informed approach, knowledge from her yoga teacher certification, experience with CBT, information about the nervous system, and the belief in working with the whole person not just symptoms to provide an integrated and eclectic approach to therapy.

Want to learn more?
https://www.medpsych.net/

Comprehensive MedPsych Systems serves both Alabama and Florida locations!

07/21/2025

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.

👉 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013

07/18/2025

Heat exhaustion may not be serious. But it can quickly change into heatstroke if you're not careful. "Heatstroke affects your nervous system. And it can have very serious results, including death," says Neil Gokal, MD. He's the medical director of clinical education for Southwest Medical, part of Optum, in Las Vegas, Nevada. ☀️

If a person doesn't get better after about 30 minutes, heat illness has the potential to turn into fatal heatstroke. "When someone becomes confused or irritable or starts having seizures, they need emergency medical attention," said Gokal.

🔆 This is especially true if their body temperature reaches above 103° F. Besides heat exhaustion symptoms, signs of heatstroke include:
-Hot, dry skin or skin that becomes very hot and sweaty
-Strong, fast pulse
-Confusion or slurred speech
-Loss of consciousness
-Seizures

🔆 When signs of this serious form of heat illness appear, act fast.With heatstroke, your body temperature can reach 106°F or more in 10 to 15 minutes. It can cause a disability or death otherwise. You should:
-Call 911 right away.
-Move the person to a shady, cool area to help lower their body temperature.
-Take off their outer clothing.
-Have them sit in cold water. The faster someone with heatstroke can be placed in cold water, the less likely they'll suffer damage to their organs, lasting disability or death.

Wanting to know more about your health?
👉 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013

07/14/2025

Why We Stress 🤔 💭
When you experience stress, your body reacts as though it is under attack and usually you go into fight or flight mode. That is, you either defend yourself or remove yourself from the situation. In certain cases, you may also “freeze” or “fawn.” Freezing can feel like going numb, where you can’t think clearly or move. Fawning happens when, for example, you feel threatened by someone and try to calm them down to protect yourself.

In any case, stress motivates you to protect yourself, and then you return to your regular state.

🤝 Control what you can:
When you focus on controlling what you can, it helps narrow your attention and calm you. Once you’re calmer, you’re more likely able to think through how to manage the stress, or at least the parts of it within your control.

👍 Depending on the situation, you may need to:
Find a way to avoid the trigger:
Decide to do something differently if it were to happen again
Remove yourself from the situation
Accept it’s something you cannot change

🧘‍♀️ For example, if your co-worker often tries to get you to reveal confidential information or wants to gossip about others, you could:
-Choose not to engage and instead steer the conversation in another direction
-Tell your colleague politely but directly that you prefer not to discuss such topics
-Limit the time you spend with the co-worker, such as by excusing yourself from the conversation or scheduling shorter meetings

👉 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013