Blog

18 Mar

COVID-19: YOU CAN’T BREAK ME!

19 Things You Can Do Right Now To Keep You Active, Connected, Healthy, and Sane During This Time Of Crisis

  1. Play card games.
  2. Start a virtual book club.
  3. Practice meditation.
  4. Take an online class.
  5. Foster an animal.
  6. Face time with friends/family.
  7. “Adopt” a nursing home resident and send them letters, emails, call them.
  8. Find your 19 favorite hits and enjoy your own dance party .
  9. Purge your home for the next 19 days of a bag a day of misc things you no longer need.
  10. For the next 19 days write down one thing your grateful for .
  11. Do a virtual scavenger hunt with friends/family (make a list of random things you could find around the house and scramble to be the first one done!)
  12. Take a run/walk outside and be with nature.
  13. Every day for 19 days remind your partner/child, or both if you have them, why you’re grateful for them.
  14. Set up a virtual house party! Dance/make a recipe/do a craft!
  15. Virtual funny story night! Pick a theme!
  16. Virtual poetry night! Pick a theme or be random!
  17. Start a workout program; download a great program and do virtually with a friend or on your own.
  18. For the next 19 days, remind yourself what you are grateful for about your job/coworkers and share with them.
  19. Finally-eat healthy, get enough rest, and take breaks from all the noise-turn off the news/social media etc and just breathe. Feel free to give us a call at Riverwalk (630) 848 0445. We are offering in person, as well as, Zoom (online sessions). We are here for you and we can get through this together!

Written by,
Kandee Willis, LCPC

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09 Sep

National Suicide Prevention Month

What is it?

September is the month designated to draw awareness and attention to major public health concern of suicide. Suicide is among the leading causes of death in the US. Over the past 20 years, suicide rates have been on the rise in every state in the US but Nevada, according to the CDC. In 2017, the CDC found there were more than twice as many suicides in the US as there were homicides. Millions of others have serious thoughts of suicide, have made plans or have attempted to end their life. The American Association for Suicide estimates, based on information from 2016, there’s a suicide attempt every 28 seconds.

What You Can Do?

Although there’s no single cause of suicide, one of the risk factors is social isolation. Reach out to people, engage them in conversation, help them know they aren’t alone. Steps we can all take to assist those in crisis:

  1. Ask direct questions. Ask directly if they are thinking about suicide
  2. Listen to their answers. People with suicidal thoughts often feel alone, so be sure to let them know you care about what they have to say. Acknowledging and talking about suicide may reduce rather than increase suicidal thoughts.
  3. Do a safety check/keep them safe. Ask the person if they have a plan. Then try removing or disabling things they could harm themselves with such as alcohol, drugs, medications, weapons, sharps and even access to a car.
  4. Don’t keep a secret/help them connect. Let them know you’ll help them come up with a plan that involves telling a professional who can utilize the many services and resources available to help.
  5. Stay connected. Staying in touch after a crisis or after being d/c from care can make a difference. Studies show suicide deaths go down when someone follow up with at risk person.

If you know someone in crisis call lifeline 1 800 273 8255 or text the crisis text line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24-7. The deaf and hard of hearing can call via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential.

If you find yourself struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, we are here to help. Please consider reaching out to us. We’re in your corner.

Written by,
Kandee Willis, LCPC

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26 Aug

August Clinicians Connect

As a way to get to know the staff at Riverwalk at little better, we will be featuring a different clinician each month and talking about them. This month’s Clinician Connect is:

Dan Novak, Intensive Outpatient Coordinator

Dan began his internship at Riverwalk Counseling Center in May of 2018 while completing his Master’s of Clinical Psychology degree at Benedictine University. Coming on board as a clinician after completing his internship, he continued to grow his passion for the field of counseling and is very motivated to help his clients by going the extra mile to meet their needs. He is eager to meet every challenge that meets him and takes great pride in his work.

1. What influenced you to become a therapist?

“I became interested in helping others when I was a child. I grew up with an older brother who has special needs, and at a very young age quickly realized how poorly the world sometimes treats those of us who are different. My desire to advocate for, help, and protect him lead me down a path of eventually becoming a therapist.”

2. What did you do prior to your current role?

“I spent almost 19 years in the business world, but always believed there was something else out there for me. When my dad died of cancer in 2013, I decided to leave the business world and go back to college and pursue the career I always wanted as a child. I competed my bachelors is Psychology in 2016, my master’s in clinical psychology in 2019, and began working as a therapist in June of 2019.”

3. In what ways do you engage in self-care, including hobbies and leisure activities?

“Self-care is something everyone should engage in. I love sports, spending time outside, and hanging out with family and friends. One of my favorite hobbies, playing golf, combines these all three of activities and allows me to clear my mind for 4-5 hours. Laughter is another self-care activity I love to engage in. Whether it’s quoting a funny movie, telling a bad joke, or sharing a funny story. I truly believe laughter can often be the best medicine.”

4. What is a fun fact about you?

“I was ranked 19th in the state of Illinois in men’s one-meter springboard diving my senior year of high school.”

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19 Dec

The Stress isn’t Going Anywhere

Where is the stress going to go?

Often times, stress or the weight of our responsibilities is heavy on our shoulders. So heavy that we don’t take time to ourselves till that weight is gone. However, you have to ask yourself, where is the weight gonna go? Whether it is financial, personal, or academic stress; it will be right where you left it. So you can take a minute (or more) to yourself every now and then to cope with that stress

So what should you do?

Take a step back.

Whatever stressful situation you may be in, whether it is dealing with school, family, or finances, it is essential to practice self-care. Self-care can look different for each person depending on how they choose to cope with the situation they are in.

One way to practice self-care is by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is when an individual takes their time doing certain activities and becomes more aware of their actions and emotions. For instance, meditation would be a form of mindfulness in which the individual is focusing on their breathing and decreasing their ruminating thoughts.

Another way an individual can practice self care is by asking people for help. Don’t feel ashamed or feel weak asking others for help. Everyone goes through stressful times, but it may become easier if you have someone by your side supporting you and giving you advice along the way.

Stay in the here and now.

Just as taking a step back can help with stressful situations, so too can learning to stay in the here and now. This technique involves keeping your thoughts focused on what is happening at a particular moment in time in order to keep you from stressing about what the future might bring. What might happen in a week or a month from now is out of your control, but what is happening right now is in your control. It therefore makes sense to focus on the here and now, as opposed to worrying about what might happen in the future. By doing so, you can take time to truly enjoy what you are doing in that moment without letting the future get in the way of that.

 

Written by:

Daniella Raimondi, Clinical Intern

Dan Novak, Clinical Intern

 

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26 Mar

The Positive Light

Looking at the positive,

Along with staying active in one’s own recovery, there is one important behavior that should be taken into consideration, looking at the positives. While looking at the positives will help keep you in a mindset that supports your recovery, it has another purpose, helping in relapse prevention. Through observations, while relapses happen in a short span of time (minutes, hours), they are actually happening over days, weeks, or months before the physical relapse. A number of variables come into play when you look into it, but one is just simply not being active in your recovery. That might look like not going to meetings, not taking care of yourself, going into isolation, not dealing with your emotions appropriately, or not asking for help.

The day after,

The common feelings and thoughts experienced after a relapse all point to the negative experience serving as a reminder to not making the same mistakes again. The feelings at that moment are so strong, that it’s hard to understand why the relapse happened in the first place, especially if you have experienced the same ones before. The fact is, these negative emotions and thoughts lose their significance and momentum over time. The more time gets between you and the relapse, the less significant it may feel. So how do you remind yourself of the reasons to not to relapse and stay in recovery? Pictures, a letters to yourself, or recording yourself? While those things serve as a zip-locked reminder of those negative feelings and thoughts from that moment, they are a negative reminder. They could potentially bring about feelings of shame and guilt, or over time lose their significance.

Look at the positives,

Looking at the positives of being in recovery. What you have gained and the progress you have made during your recovery. This doesn’t bring about feelings of shame and guilt, in fact the opposite. Your progress in recovery is constantly growing with time, every minute; as opposed to looking back at the negative feelings of a relapse, which decreases with time. It is easy to get caught up in the negative emotions that we experience every now and then. They tend to stick out more than and even cover up the positives around us at times. These negative emotions can have an impact on our mood and, over time, can accumulate into depression. However, focusing on the positives around us and the positives that we are often unaware of is key in fighting the negative feelings we experience, both in that moment and in the long run.

Get in the habit of acknowledging the things you are grateful for can alleviate stress and low mood. It is not uncommon to overlook aspects of our life that we often take for granted, yet without them our lives can be much more difficult. Thinking of the things in your life that you are grateful for can be an important tool to use every day in lifting your mood and keep you in a positive mindset.

 

Ali Elrehaimy, MS,  LPC
IOP Coordinator/Compliance Officer

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26 Mar

March Clinicians Connect

As a way to get to know the staff at Riverwalk at little better, we will be featuring a different clinician each month and talking about them. This month’s Clinician Connect is:

Eric Mueller, LCSW, CADC

Eric has worked in the behavioral health field since 1994. He worked for Naperville Community Outreach in 1994 and in 1996 he began working at Edward Hospital for 12 years and spent eight of those years as a Clinical Therapist with the Addiction Services Department. There he helped clients and their families cope with the impact of drug and alcohol addiction.

 1. What influenced your decision to become a therapist?

“In 1994, I began working with Naperville Community Outreach. I started working with young adolescents upon entering the field and it brought me a sense of satisfaction in being able to advocate for them.”

2. What did you do prior to your current role?

“Before coming to Riverwalk, I was working with Naperville Community Outreach as a youth worker. In 1996, I began my 12 years at Linden Oaks Hospital working with adolescents and adults with dual diagnosis, and their families in both an inpatient and outpatient setting.”

3. In what ways do you engage in self-care, including hobbies and leisure activities?

“Outside of work I like to spend my time with the family, play golf, and read non-fiction novels.”

4. What is a fun fact about you?

“I own 150 Frank Zappa vinyl records.”

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05 Feb

How To Find A Mental Health Clinic That Supports Women’s Individual Recovery Needs

Finding an intensive outpatient program that fits your needs can be an overwhelming task; seeking help in itself is a difficult first step. However, finding a mental health clinic that stresses the importance of tailoring its program and curriculum to the needs of its clients can have a substantial impact on the therapeutic experience. In the Naperville, Wheaton, Aurora and DuPage County areas, this can be especially difficult.

Focusing on the treatment of substance use, both time and research have demonstrated to us that the disease does not discriminate based on an individual’s age, race, sex, or socioeconomic status. Yet, when the treatment is best fitted to that individual’s needs and background, it can be more effective in producing a successful outcome. Further examining the differences in the treatment of substance use between men and women, we can denote that while the destination of addiction is the same, the journey can be quite different for each one with different dynamics playing a significant role in recovery.  For example, factor such as self-esteem, guilt, shame, body image, or self-care can add another layer of complexity to recovery for women and can create a positive wave in treatment if addressed and processed. For mental health clinics that provide treatment to individuals that suffer from substance use and addiction, it is crucial to take these factors into consideration in order to best help them.

Riverwalk’s intensive outpatient program for women is one of those programs. We understand that women’s needs can differ from men’s when it comes to treatment. Providing an environment of care that is structured, safe, and gender specific can make a significant impact on the success of treatment as well as develop an atmosphere that nurtures recovery.

 

Ali Elrehaimy, MS
Jumpstart Coordinator/Compliance Officer
Riverwalk Counseling Center, Inc.

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04 Dec

December Clinicians Connect

As a way to get to know the staff at Riverwalk better, we will be featuring a different clinician each month & discussing personal information about each clinician. The clinician we will be connecting with is:

Ashley Wilkinson, MSW

AshleyW

Ashley is new to Riverwalk Counseling Center, but she has over 13 years experience in the mental health field. Her background is in child welfare and trauma. She has been working as a foster care and adoption manager at Our Children’s Homestead for 10 years. She also teaches a course about trauma in children and teens at Aurora University. She has a lot of experience working with children 3 to 18 and would say this is where her passion lies. However, She has worked and still loves to work with individuals or families that would be past the age of 18!

  1. What influenced your decision to become a therapist?

When I was 16 I had an awesome psychology teacher and teacher’s assistant who really encouraged me to follow this path! I am thankful for all the people I meet along my journey and continued to push me into this role! I have been in the field for 13 years and still enjoy what I am doing.

2.What did you do prior to your current role?

I am still working as full time Adoptions Manager at a Specialized Foster Care Agency in Naperville called Our Children’s Homestead. I have been with this agency for 10 years. I help find homes for children who do not have families and match children with families who are ready to expand their own! This job has its ups and downs, but in the long run it’s so worth it!

3. In what ways do you engage in self-care, including hobbies and leisure activities?

I have a rescue lab mix named, Archie. I love to take him on adventures and explore new places.  I find being outdoors very peaceful and calming!  It helps to center me. A great book and a comfy couch is where you can find me when I am unwinding or just need some time to myself!
4. What is a fun fact about you?

I LOVE to sing. I have been singing since I was three years old. I have classical training and participated in multiple choirs over the years 🙂 My friends call me the “human jukebox.”

 

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05 Nov

Clinicians Connect Blog- Mary Reagan-Vorasorn

As a way to get to know the staff at Riverwalk better, we will be featuring a different clinician each month, discussing personal information about each clinician. The clinician we will be connecting with is:

Mary E. Reagan-Vorasorn, M.A.,
LCPC, CADC
Student Program Coordinator

1.What influenced your decision to become a therapist?

“I was in college when I decided to study psychology after taking a year of physics!  I then began teaching DUI classes in Spanish two days after graduating from Lake Forest College being one of the few Spanish speaking Psychology majors in my graduating class.  A classmate was offered a job from an internship which she declined and instead of returning to Ohio, I stayed in Illinois.  Thus began my career in addiction and mental health. ”
2.What did you do prior to your current role?

“Prior to working at Riverwalk Counseling Center, I had worked as a case manager at MacNeal Hospital in the Behavioral Health Outpatient program.  Then after having children, I decided to try private practice.  I contacted my former supervisor, Char Scott who was forming her practice and have thoroughly enjoyed this part of my journey in this profession.”
3.In what ways do you engage in self-care, including hobbies and leisure activities?

“I like to hang out with my children nowadays.  There’s nothing like a rousing game of Uno or a read-in to end the day. ”
4.What is a fun fact about you?

“I met my husband at swing dance lessons!  He is an awesome dancer though we don’t cut a rug nearly enough lately.”

 

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02 Oct

Clinicians Connect- Char Scott

As a way to get to know the staff at Riverwalk better, we will be featuring a different clinician each month, discussing personal information about each clinician. The clinician we will be connecting with is:

Charlene Scott

 

 

  1. “What influenced your decision to become a therapist?”
    I think in some ways, I was always a therapist albeit not trained.  Growing up in a high stress family as the third of three children, I was always trying to be the peacemaker.  I have had my own therapy experiences which were very important in preparing for this role especially doing psychoanalysis for an extended period.
  2. “What did you do prior to your current role?”
    My original career was in marketing & market research.  Then, I went through an addictions training program and ultimately received a Masters in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago.  I have done many things, including case management, crisis assessments, home health social work and developed two successful dual diagnosis programs in Chicago area hospitals.  My career goals were to develop a private practice and teach since as a single mother, I needed the flexibility of being able to set my own hours.
  3. “In what ways do you engage in self-care, including hobbies and leisure activities?”I enjoy getting together with friends on a regular basis, taking my dogs to the dog park, spending time with my now 18-year-old son, riding my bike, going to movies, cooking and Netflix.
  4. “What is a fun fact about yourself?” I guess that I am from a small town in Indiana and I still regard myself as a “small town girl”.

 

 

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