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Mental Health Center

World Mental Health Day 2023

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World Mental Health Day

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. Why World Mental Health Day? October 10th is World Mental Health Day, founded with the purpose of raising awareness regarding mental health issues on a global scale while also holding the intention of mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.   What is mental health? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental health encapsulates our emotional, psychological, and social well-being (2021). Our mental health determines how we interact with others, cope with stress, and make healthy choices; it is crucial during every stage of life. Poor mental health and mental illness are not the same, as someone who has poor mental health may not meet the clinical criteria for a mental illness. Similarly, someone who is diagnosed with a mental illness may experience periods of mental well-being. Regardless, our mental health can impact the quality of our lives, highlighting its foundational importance in …

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Physician Spotlight 4: Dr. Miriam Winthrop

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Miriam Winthrop, MD

Physician Spotlight In today’s physician spotlight we highlight Dr. Miriam Winthrop, one of our newest psychiatrists at the Mental Health Center. Dr. Winthrop is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in general adult psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry.  About Dr. Miriam Winthrop Dr. Winthrop believes in taking a holistic approach to addressing mental health. In addition to her expertise in the use of medications, she has extensive training in multiple types of psychotherapy, including cognitive-behavioral and insight-oriented modalities. Dr. Winthrop has extensive experience working with a wide range of issues, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, dementia-related concerns, and end-of-life issues. Dr. Winthrop completed her undergraduate education at Dartmouth College and received her medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. She completed her residency in adult psychiatry at LAC+USC Medical Center. She completed her fellowship in geriatric psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. …

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About the 4 Attachment Styles

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attachment

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. Attachment As human beings, we are highly social creatures who depend on connection with others to survive. Attachment theory posits that our earlier connections with caregivers shape and influence how we move through the world and romantic relationships. The development of one’s attachment style is understood to be influenced by the following factors: Inconsistency/unpredictability or consistency/predictability in your early environment Temperament Relational trauma Your primary caregiver’s capacity to attune to your needs when you were a baby/child John Bowlby, founder of attachment theory, conducted extensive research on attachment. Psychological researchers continued to expand on his theory, including Mary Ainsworth; Ainsworth created the “Strange Situation” study in the 1970s where toddlers between the ages of 12 to 18 months reacted to a situation in which they were briefly left alone and then reunited with their mother.  Based on the childrens’ responses, Ainsworth concluded that there were three …

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7 Healthy Habits for Mental Health

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attachment

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. 7 Habits for Mental Health Our daily habits may not seem to have a drastic impact on our mental health and well-being, but they definitely do. The following are 7 healthy habits that can enhance well-being and mental health:  Exercise Yes, you could have guessed that this would make the list.  We know that exercise is recommended for improving our physical health but has also been researched and observed to have positive benefits on mental health. It increases endorphins in our bodies, which help us effectively cope with stress and pain. Further, when we exercise, studies show that this can in turn positively impact our sleep cycles, enhancing our quality of sleep (Korb, 2015).  Exercise can look different for each of us depending on our ability status and the time we are allotted with our various responsibilities, but finding ways to integrate exercise into our schedules …

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Physician Spotlight 3: Dr. Daniel Son

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Daniel Son, MD - Psychiatrist

Dr. Daniel Son In today’s physician spotlight we highlight Dr. Daniel Son, one of our newest psychiatrists at the Mental Health Center. Dr. Daniel Son is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in general adult psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and child/adolescent psychiatry.  About Dr. Daniel Son Dr. Daniel Son is unique in having completed formal fellowship training in both Child & Adolescent and Addiction Psychiatry. He has a particular interest in the treatment of severe mental illness and adolescents with addiction issues. Dr. Daniel Son completed his medical degree at Loma Linda University and completed his Psychiatry residency and fellowships at the University of Louisville. He focuses on providing thorough diagnostic interviews and providing medication management services.   Dr. Daniel Son has experience treating patients in a variety of different settings including in-patient, residential, and outpatient substance abuse treatment centers. He has worked in hospital settings, including Kaiser Permanente of Southern California where he …

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