Timothy Dearhamer LCSW

12/08/2025

The holidays aren’t joyful for everyone—and that’s okay.

While this season is often wrapped in messages of togetherness and cheer, many people experience the holidays as stressful, lonely, or emotionally exhausting. Family tension, grief, financial pressure, unmet expectations, or simply feeling overwhelmed can make this time of year especially hard.

If the holidays are difficult for you, you’re not broken—and you’re not alone. It’s okay to set boundaries, simplify traditions, or step back from what doesn’t serve your wellbeing. You don’t have to force cheer to be “doing it right.”

Be gentle with yourself. And if this season brings up more than you can carry on your own, support can help. Reaching out—whether to a trusted person or a mental health professional—is a strength, not a failure.

You matter, even when the season is hard.

11/28/2025

An emotionally manipulative and abusive person will question you NOT ask a question about you to trigger you and gain control. Listen closely and read between the lines. If it implies any of these, it's about manipulation and abuse:

“You’re the problem.”
“You’re selfish.”
“You’re hurting us.”
“You should feel guilty.”
"You should be ashamed."
"You're the one causing the hurt."

11/27/2025

The Department of Education is proposing new rules that could limit how much students can borrow—based on whether a degree is labeled “professional” or “graduate.”
Right now, social work isn’t included in the professional category, meaning future MSWs could face lower borrowing limits and fewer pathways into the field.
are essential. Our degrees should be recognized.
🖊️ Sign the petition. Raise your voice. Protect the profession.
👉 https://www.votervoice.net/NASW/Petitions/6290/Respond

11/27/2025

Social work is a professional degree!
A master's and doctoral degree in social work is and will continue to be a professional degree.

10/29/2025

Please share this research for finding a food assistance program in Oklahoma. If able, please donate to a local food program today as millions of Americans will not be receiving their food assistance in November.

Learn more about Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma food assistance programs, food pantries, and food distribution events, and get help applying for SNAP benefits.

09/19/2025

Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

09/18/2025

Reaching out for support can feel scary, but 988 is here 24/7—ready to listen, without judgment. Connecting with someone can make all the difference.

Compassionate Help. Anytime. Anywhere.
Text. Call. Chat. 988

09/10/2025

It's ***dePreventionDay 💙

Today, we honor those we've lost and share resources to support those who are struggling. It's okay to reach out for help. You're never alone.

The 988 Lifeline is available 24/7 across the U.S. Call, text, or chat 988 to connect with a skilled, compassionate counselor. For more resources, visit 988lifeline.org.

09/08/2025

Understand your child federal education rights with this super handy reference and explanation.

Three federal laws protect the rights of people with disabilities: IDEA, Section 504, and ADA. But which law does what? Here’s an overview.

08/31/2025

“When a mother tells her son, ‘You are a mistake,’ it constitutes emotional abuse. Unlike a critique of behavior, which can be corrected, this kind of statement attacks the child’s very being. It carries the same destructive weight as saying, ‘You should never have been born.’ Words like this plant deep seeds of shame and unworthiness that can follow a child into adulthood. Understanding this distinction is vital: calling out the abuse isn’t about blaming, but about naming the harm so that healing can begin.”

08/27/2025

If you are using or thinking of using one of the "AI" programs for coaching or therapy, please take time to tell it what style or type of therapy you would like. I would encourage you to use a prompt like: ""Act as a therapist using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I’m struggling with racing thoughts about work, and I feel like I can’t shut my brain off at night. Please guide me through an ACT-based exercise that helps me notice these thoughts without getting stuck in them, and suggest a way I can connect to my values in this situation." Please know that the AI is not a therapist but has read about what therapists do and combines with what it has read about the principles and practice of ACT.

08/07/2025

I'm sharing this resource far and wide. Su***de prevention developed by one of my best professors at OU.

https://sprc.org/resources/su***de-risk-assessment-toolkit/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMB6UBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi6DTvueKDgq1amh2igxXU7l6TWUh8rzmCDIXyJ9A74zj_XLs9vULDDIkI4z_aem_ygeLePz0VlTAjemvIrmAUA

SPRC’s Su***de Risk Assessment Toolkit is designed to help social workers and other behavioral health clinicians conduct effective su***de risk assessment. The toolkit contains the following downloadable resources: