Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc.

07/08/2025

Music has always been known as a way of expressing feelings and thoughts, or to process feelings but could it actually do anything else? The Washington Post, on Instagram, posted on June 12 how singing can be beneficial for your brain. If you kept reading it explained how the act of creating music boosts your brain and mental health. Creating music boosts brain health by engaging various cognitive and emotional processes....

Music has always been known as a way of expressing feelings and thoughts, or to process feelings but could it actually do anything else? The Washington Post, on Instagram, posted on June 12 how sin…

07/03/2025

Although we can’t control all the factors that play a part in determining our mental health, we do have control over many of our lifestyle choices. Making healthier lifestyle choices can help us improve our psychological wellbeing. Getting enough sleep, for example, has been shown to strengthen emotional processing, improve mood, decrease stress, improve memory, and increase productivity. In the past ten years or so, a great deal of research has been conducted about how the foods we eat might affect our mental health, especially our mood....

Although we can’t control all the factors that play a part in determining our mental health, we do have control over many of our lifestyle choices. Making healthier lifestyle choices can help us im…

07/01/2025

Whether you’re a young adult investigating potential career paths or an experienced professional thinking about a career change, O*NET, the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network, offers an abundance of information about hundreds of jobs to help you identify the career path that is right for you. What does an exercise physiologist do? Do I need a masters degree to work as a survey statistician?...

Whether you’re a young adult investigating potential career paths or an experienced professional thinking about a career change, O*NET, the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Informat…

06/27/2025

Getting a good night’s sleep doesn’t just help us wake up feeling great. A full night’s sleep supports our mental health. Getting enough sleep can strengthen emotional processing, improve mood, decrease stress, improve memory, and increase productivity. Psychologist and sleep disorder specialist, Dr. Michelle Drerup, of the Cleveland Clinic, reports that most healthy adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every night, even older adults who are often, incorrectly, believed to require fewer hours of sleep....

Getting a good night’s sleep doesn’t just help us wake up feeling great. A full night’s sleep supports our mental health. Getting enough sleep can strengthen emotional processing, improve mood, dec…

06/25/2025

The teenage years are a crucial time of change and development. The family dynamic might change as the growing teens seek more autonomy and independence, and the parents try to maintain rules, protection and guidance. This combination creates tension and conflict between teens and parents. Learning how to diffuse conflict and maintain respect and connection between parents and teens is crucial....

The teenage years are a crucial time of change and development. The family dynamic might change as the growing teens seek more autonomy and independence, and the parents try to maintain rules, prot…

06/20/2025

When I think about marriage, the first thing that comes to mind is a strong union that is maintained by love, connection, understanding and friendship. I am currently reading the book The Power of Two: Secrets to a Strong and Loving Marriage and I am learning a lot about how we communicate with our significant other plays a big role in how the relationship will be and if it is going to be a healthy and strong relationship....

When I think about marriage, the first thing that comes to mind is a strong union that is maintained by love, connection, understanding and friendship.  I am currently reading the book The Pow…

06/19/2025

Happy Juneteenth!⁣ ❤️💛💚
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It is a time to reflect on the struggles of the past, acknowledge the ongoing journey towards equity, and honor the strength and contributions of black individuals and communities. It is also a time for joy, connection, and the recognition that healing, both personal and collectively, is essential for true liberation.⁣
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Tell us below! ⁣
What does freedom mean to you? How can we continue working towards equity in our communities?

06/17/2025

When living life day-to-day, it is easy to get caught up in responsibilities and the busyness of the world. Sometimes it is necessary to sit still and give yourself a moment of peace. The practice of meditation and mindfulness is often overlooked. People dismiss its effectiveness because they don’t make time for it, they get intimidated when they realize it is actually difficult to practice, or they think it’s silly....

When living life day-to-day, it is easy to get caught up in responsibilities and the busyness of the world. Sometimes it is necessary to sit still and give yourself a moment of peace. The practice …

06/12/2025

In his book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt compares modern-day parenting to carpentry and parents to carpenters. He explains that, like a carpenter envisions the finished result of their project, parents have a clear idea of what they are trying to mold their kid into. Parents have character traits personalities in mind that they want their child to have, hobbies they want them to enjoy, and ways that they want them to interact with the world planned out....

In his book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt compares modern-day parenting to carpentry and parents to carpenters. He explains that, like a carpenter envisions the finished result of their pr…

06/10/2025

When summer rolls around, it often brings with it an unspoken pressure: make every moment count. Vacations, BBQs, road trips, kids’ activities, festivals—the calendar can fill up faster than we realize. And while these experiences can be joyful, the constant busyness can leave us feeling just as stressed and exhausted as the busy seasons we thought we left behind. It is important to be reminded that you do not have to be busy all summer....

When summer rolls around, it often brings with it an unspoken pressure: make every moment count. Vacations, BBQs, road trips, kids’ activities, festivals—the calendar can fill up faster than we rea…

06/05/2025

Through my internship here at Olive Branch Counseling Associates this semester, I have been reading the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and have written several blogs about the implications screens and social media have on our society and our youth. The most recent chapter I read from this book addressed how social media companies design their apps to maximize engagement at all costs....

Through my internship here at Olive Branch Counseling Associates this semester, I have been reading the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and have written several blogs about the implic…

06/03/2025

Whether you’re a proud cat person, or a die-hard dog lover, or still undecided, there’s no denying the profound impact a furry friend can have on your life. Beyond the cuddles and companionship, owning a pet, commonly a dog or a cat, can improve your overall quality of life in ways you might not expect. Most pet owners would agree that their mental health benefits from owning an animal....

Whether you’re a proud cat person, or a die-hard dog lover, or still undecided, there’s no denying the profound impact a furry friend can have on your life. Beyond the cuddles and companionship, ow…