At Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri, we are proud to provide low-cost, high-quality mental health counseling and psychiatry services to children and families across the state. While these services are essential for addressing a wide range of mental health challenges, many people may not fully understand the difference between therapy and psychiatry. Knowing which professional to turn to when your child is experiencing a mental health issue is crucial for getting the right support at the right time. This guide will help you better understand these distinct yet complementary approaches to mental health care.

Counseling: A Therapeutic Approach

Mental health counseling focuses on addressing emotional, social, and behavioral concerns through talk therapy. Licensed therapists, counselors, or social workers provide counseling to help individuals understand their emotions, develop coping strategies, and improve relationships. Common therapeutic techniques include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR, Play Therapy, and Family Counseling.

Counseling is ideal for addressing issues such as Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Stress Management, Relationship Challenges, Disruptive Behaviors and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Sessions are typically held weekly or bi-weekly, fostering a continuous, supportive relationship between the counselor and the client. This process helps clients navigate life’s challenges and build resilience over time.

At LFCS, our counseling services are tailored to children and families’ unique needs, ensuring evidence-based care that promotes growth and healing. Learn more here.

Psychiatry: A Medical Perspective

Psychiatry focuses on the medical evaluation and treatment of mental health disorders. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions, often through medication management and other medical interventions.

Psychiatry is particularly effective for managing conditions such as ADHD, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, Psychotic Symptoms, and Anxiety. Psychiatrists conduct comprehensive evaluations and develop personalized treatment plans, which may include prescribing medications to stabilize symptoms. Follow-up sessions are typically less frequent than counseling sessions and focus on reviewing and adjusting treatment as needed.

LFCS psychiatry services provide children and adolescents with access to specialized care, including evaluations, medication management, and care planning. Learn more here.

The post Counseling vs. Psychiatry: Knowing The Difference first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Emotional Self-Care: Acknowledging and Expressing Feelings

Emotional self-care involves recognizing and managing our emotions. This can include practices such as journaling, therapy, or simply allowing ourselves to feel without judgment. By normalizing emotional expression and encouraging individuals to seek support, we can break down the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. Emotional self-care helps individuals process their feelings in healthy ways, making it less likely that they’ll reach a point of crisis.

Mental Self-Care: Stimulating the Mind

Mental self-care focuses on stimulating and engaging the mind in positive ways. Activities like reading, solving puzzles, or engaging in creative hobbies can help keep the mind sharp and alleviate feelings of boredom or restlessness, which can sometimes contribute to depressive states. By promoting mental self-care, we encourage people to find joy and fulfillment in intellectual pursuits, which can provide a valuable buffer against suicidal thoughts.

Practical Self-Care: Managing Everyday Responsibilities

Finally, practical self-care focuses on managing everyday responsibilities, such as organizing finances, maintaining a clean living environment, or setting and achieving personal goals. When individuals feel in control of their daily lives, they are less likely to feel overwhelmed by stress. Practical self-care empowers people to handle life’s challenges more effectively, reducing the risk of reaching a breaking point.

The post Self-Care Awareness and Suicide Prevention: A Unified Approach to Addressing the National Suicide Epidemic first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Albert loved coming to therapy, simply because there he felt safe and accepted for who he was. One week we talked about the solar system – the next how cool ants are. Another time he’d bring in one of his favorite dragon books to read to me, then we would analyze the differences between Dragons, Griffins, Wyverns, and which was the most awesome (Dragons, obviously). Another time he’d bring in cool looking rocks for us to look up and classify, and then we’d decorate the rocks.

These were not the only times, however, that Albert and I were meeting. Albert ended up in my office in tears on quite a few occasions. Sometimes on his own, sometimes brought by a teacher or the principal. Albert would be teased by a classmate, which might have ended there, just hurting Albert’s feelings. Or it might have ended with Albert lashing out, this time also physically hurting the classmate.

Albert’s mother left for good while he was in 5th grade, and his grandfather took custody of him. Then Albert’s birth father came back into his life, and started spending time with him. Albert was slowly making improvements with his anger management, self-esteem and social skills.

The post Finding Confidence & Success Through Therapy: Albert’s Story first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Open communication.

Encourage honest conversations in a judgement-free zone where children can share their concerns.

Model diverse feelings.

Demonstrate a variety of healthy emotions to normalize the idea that everyone experiences different feelings.

Teach responsibility for feelings.

While showing emotions is healthy, avoid burdening children with responsibility for your feelings. Model coping strategies instead.

Practice healthy coping strategies.

If you practice healthy coping with complicated feelings, it will be easier for your children to do the same when they need it. Examples include walking, talking to a trusted friend, meditating, or journaling about your feelings.

The post Children’s Mental Health Checklist for a Happy, Healthy New Year first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

In 2022, 49,500 people took their own lives in the U.S., the highest number ever*. Suicide is currently the 2^nd leading cause of death for those ages 10-34 in Missouri. 1,177 Missourians died by suicide in 2021
(most current state data)**, while thousands more were treated for self-inflicted injuries.

It is difficult to know if someone is feeling suicidal and even harder to know how to help. LFCS put together a brief youth & teen suicide prevention video designed to give basic information about suicide prevention. One life lost to suicide it too many. Please take 2 minutes to see what you can do to help prevent a tragedy from happening in your community.

Crisis Hotline Resources:

Call 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Text “MOSAFE” to 988 for the Missouri Crisis Text Line
Text “NAMI” to 741-741 for the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Crisis Text Line

For information about LFCS counseling services, call 866-326-LFCS (5327) or email help@lfcs.org.

* https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/suicide-data-statistics.html
** https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/suicide-mortality/suicide.htm

The post Resources for National Suicide Prevention Month first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Jasmine’s mother Kim began noticing that she seemed more withdrawn and irritable than normal. While many teens experience mood swings, these behaviors were a drastic shift from the cheerful, caring girl that Kim knew. She feared that something was wrong but couldn’t get Jasmine to share what was upsetting her. Desperate for help, Kim reached out to LFCS and Jasmine began meeting with her therapist, Lisa.

Throughout the sessions, Jasmine began slowly sharing with Lisa her experience with debilitating anxiety. Every day, whether at home, school, work, or with peers, she continuously questioned if she met the standards of others. She only judged her achievements and feelings of happiness based on the reactions of other people. Through her work with Lisa, Jasmine learned to find her own happiness, success, and satisfaction for herself, independent of the approval of anyone else. This realization allowed her to discover new ways of coping with her fears and learn skills to reduce her overall anxiety

The results were a great boost to her self-confidence and self-esteem. As Jasmine became willing to try new experiences at school and advocate for her needs, she began to feel more comfortable in her own shoes. Today, Jasmine says she has the tools necessary to express her needs and feel satisfaction with herself without external approval. Jasmine is now attending college and thriving in her campus life. She credits her relationship with Lisa as a turning point in her life and is forever grateful for the skills she has learned.

Jasmine’s story is perfect example of how LFCS Behavioral Health services can improve the lives of those struggling with their mental health. Evidence-based practices, emphasis on building strong relationships, and teaching skills that build sustainable success are why LFCS is known as the place to go when the children of Missouri need help. For more information on our Behavioral Health services, please visit lfcsmo.org/counseling.

* https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/press-release/latest-federal-data-show-that-young-people-are-more-likely-than-older-adults-to-be-experiencing-symptoms-of-anxiety-or-depression/

** https://mhanational.org/issues/2023/mental-health-america-youth-data

The post Combatting the Mental Health Epidemic: Jasmine’s Story first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Stick with your routine: Don’t forget about the healthy choices you make the other 11 months of the year!  Continue to work out, eat healthy and get plenty of sleep.  The better you feel, the better you’ll be when with family and friends and the easier it will be transitioning into 2018.

Pamper yourself: Schedule time for yourself and put it on the calendar.  Whether it’s a day at the spa, an at home mani/pedi, cuddling up with a good book or a holiday movie marathon, pick an activity you enjoy and make it happen.  Give yourself permission to focus on just you.

Lower your expectations: This holiday, give yourself a break and lower your self-expectations by taking things off your to-do list.  If store bought cookies under the Christmas tree or a pre-made dip for the work holiday party mean you get to bed at a reasonable time, then it’s worth it.

Say No/Don’t Over Commit: Make plans to spend time with people you enjoy.  This may mean saying no to a few gatherings and that’s okay.  Or, ask another family member to host the annual gathering, freeing up some of your time and energy to focus on your self-care.

Allow yourself to grieve:  During this time, many people remember losses over the holidays.  Take time to think about and remember those special people.

Shop online and in the comfort of your own home.  If you find that you have to go out into the hustle and bustle of stores, plan ahead and allow yourself enough time so you don’t feel rushed.

Give back and spend time focusing on others.  There are many volunteer opportunities this time of year. Check with your local paper for opportunities to give back.  Sometimes the best self-care is not focusing on ourselves at all, but rather the help and hope we can bring to others.

The post Keep Calm and Holiday On: Self-Care Ideas for the Holiday Season first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

For many, family celebrations are a joyous time, but there are few perfect Norman Rockwell families. Usually, there are at least a few sharp edges and obstacles that need to be navigated.

There are many reasons why spending time with family over the holidays can be challenging: if there are unresolved resentments or rivalries; if you’ve had a difficult year that has had some reverses; if you’ve experienced the loss of a family member; if there is ongoing tension or conflict; if a family member is abusive or troubled. The list is endless.

In a split second, we can revert back to childhood dynamics and childhood roles. Couple that with too much stress, irregular schedules, overeating, overdrinking and overspending and you have a recipe for trouble.

It’s vital to remember that we have no control over other people and their behavior. We only have the power to control our own reactions and behavior. Whether you are religious or not, the common sense advice from the serenity prayer can help. “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

Here are a few other survival tips:

DO

• Have realistic expectations.
• Set your own boundaries and limits in advance.
• Give the benefit of the doubt.
• Listen more than you talk.
• Keep a sense of humor.

DON’T

• Expect to change people.
• Try to solve other people’s problems.
• Let your buttons be pushed.
• Push other people’s buttons.
• Drink too much, which lowers inhibitions.

Read the original article here

The post Surviving the Holidays first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Make sure your kids learn healthy habits early in life. Children have fewer physical health concerns and less risk of obesity when they get adequate exercise. It is also extremely important for their mental health. At least 60 minutes of physical activity is recommended children ages six to 17 each day.

You can help your child develop good habits by practicing these yourself. Do active family activities together. Enroll your child in a sport if possible. Encourage them to play outside daily. Make it fun! With adequate exercise, they are improving their physical and mental health.

Read more information on how exercise benefits kids.

The post Physical Health / Mental Health first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Social media impacts our mental health because it:

• is addictive.
• makes us compare our lives with others.
• makes us restless.
• gives rise to cyber-bullying.
• glamorizes drug and alcohol use.
• can make us unhappy.
• can lead to fear of missing out, aka FOMO.
• often leads to multitasking.

Many experts have compared the immediacy and reward of social media dependence to the “hit” of a drug. It can become a problem when it starts to interfere with living a normal life. If you have a teenager, especially one with a cell phone, it may seem impossible to limit the amount of time they spend on social media. However, it is important to have open conversations about the risks associated with social media. Continue to encourage them to spend time off of their computers and phones, interacting with people face to face whenever possible.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Take this opportunity to consider if social media is impacting your mental health.

Click here to read the 10 Ways Social Media Affects Our Mental Health

The post Social Media’s Impact on Teens first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.