How to manage mental health through connections: 6abc Town Hall
Mental and emotional well-being are integral to healthy living. Being well significantly impacts all aspects of life, including family, relationships, employment, leisure activities, and the basic satisfaction experienced from fully participating in life.
Main Line Health has long been committed to serving the behavioral health needs of our community, offering comprehensive services that range from professional counseling for mood disorders, to drug and alcohol treatment, to crisis intervention, and so much more.
Over the holidays, we touched based with clinical experts from Main Line Health to learn ways to maintain simple and practical mental health habits. Our topics included:
- Managing mental health through making connections
- Managing life transitions
- Preventing burnout
Watch our 6abc Town Hall video for lively and engaging discussion and advice on mental health matters.
Simple and practical mental health advice from featured mental health experts
Making True Connections
Meet Michele Gallagher, MS, LPC, NCC, psychotherapist at Mirmont Outpatient Center, part of Main Line Health.
In this panel discussion, Gallagher explores the importance of human interactions in a hyperconnected world. Despite being able to reach out to anyone, anywhere, with a text, tweet or post, many of us still feel emotionally isolated.
Says Gallagher, “Forming authentic, supportive relationships requires introspection and courage.”
In this panel, you’ll find out what keeps people from making genuine connections, and what might be holding you back. Gallagher responds to the impact social media has on building authentic relationships and provides advice on how to reconnect—make real connections—with friends and loved ones.
Changes and Transitions Affecting Mental Health
Transitions can be both exciting and challenging, according to Chimere Holmes, MA, MSEd, LPC, a psychotherapist at Main Line Health’s Women’s Emotional Wellness Center. While changes can be refreshing, a transition can get in the way of the comforts of daily living.
A larger scale transition like a break-up, job change, becoming an empty-nester or a move may have a different effect on our life than a small one. Learning to deal with transitions is important as our busy lives are almost always changing.
In this panel, you’ll get a stronger understanding of why people struggle with transitions and how women, especially, deal with transitions in their lives. Holmes also provides guidance on how to remain calm during a transition. Transitions are a normal part of living.
Preventing Burnout
Constant stress may have you feeling disillusioned, helpless, and completely worn out, says Erin O’Brien, LPC, a psychotherapist at Mirmont Outpatient Center, part of Main Line Health. In fact, you may be suffering from burnout.
When you’re burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care—let alone do something about your situation.
O’Brien offers simple and practical mental health tips to help prevent burnout or getting to a place that looks so dismal you don’t feel you can do anything about it.
Need mental or emotional health support or addiction recovery and care?
To access any of our behavioral health services or substance abuse treatment across Main Line Health, talk with your primary care physician or specialist, or call us directly at 1.888.CARE.898 (227.3898).