No matter what it is you’re going through, if you’re in need of support and guidance, group therapy can be a wonderful option in conjunction with individual therapy, or on its own. This is why the clinical team at Valera Health is excited to announce and expand our group therapy options, starting with a virtual Grief Support Group* in New York. If you’re interested in learning more or signing-up, fill out this form to get started. 

Read on to learn more about how group therapy works, its benefits and some warning signs you may be experiencing complicated grief.

What is Group Therapy?

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy (a.k.a. “talk therapy”) in which multiple patients are treated at once by one or more mental healthcare providers. While it can be an effective treatment for a wide array of things, group therapy is most commonly used to treat conditions such as trauma/PTSD, anxiety, depression and substance use disorders. 

As opposed to more traditional psychotherapy with one provider seeing one patient at a time, group therapy can create a sense of community for patients. Other benefits of group therapy can include—but are not limited to—growing your support system, improving your self-expression skills (such as learning how to talk openly about your emotions), finding others going through similar issues to relate to, learning from others, and learning you are not alone in whatever you are going through.  

Grief Support Group

Valera Health is excited to now offer a Grief Support Group. By joining a group of peers who have also lost a significant person in their lives, you can receive and give support during the healing processes. 

Some of the several benefits of joining a grief support group include:

• Hope

In a group setting, the experience of loss is shared. Meeting with and talking to others who have experienced a similar loss shows that it is possible to feel a sense of joy again. For those who are further along in their healing process, sharing reassurance and encouragement can provide affirmation to themselves and further convey group as a helpful resource.

• Support

Experiencing grief can feel extremely isolating, especially when those around you seem to be ‘getting on with their lives.’ Hearing the affirming statements of ‘We’ve been there’ or ‘We understand you’ is extremely powerful.

• Learning from Different Perspectives

Every single person grieves differently. By listening to others you may come to various different perspectives and different levels of understanding of your own healing process. 

• Finding Your Sense of Purpose

Giving back to others can help people feel a sense of purpose and meaning. At times, it may be difficult to fully realize how far along you are in your grief journey until you are able to guide and support someone else.

• Acceptance

As humans we have an innate need to belong. Research has shown that a sense of belonging can contribute to our overall happiness. With loss, we can sometimes feel alone or left out, and different from others. Finding a group that understands and accepts you can be critical to your healing process.

Signs & Symptoms of Complicated Grief

During the first few months after a loss, many signs and symptoms of normal grief can look the same as those of complicated grief. Complicated grief is defined by a prolonged heightened state of mourning that can keep you from healing. With time, normal grief symptoms start to fade while symptoms of complicated grief linger and can get worse. But with grief support group therapy, symptoms of complicated grief can improve significantly. 

Here are some warning signs of complicated grief:

• Intense sorrow and rumination
• Problems accepting the death
• Bitterness about your loss
• Lack of trust in others
• Inability to enjoy life or think back on positive experiences with your loved one
• Numbness or detachment
• Having trouble carrying out normal routines
• Isolation from others
• Self-blame or guilt

To learn more about complicated grief, click here. 

(source: Generations Senior Living)

How To Sign-Up For Valera Health’s Grief Support Group

If you’re interested in signing up for Valera Health’s virtual Grief Support Group, or would like to learn more, please fill out this quick form to schedule a consultation with a designated Health Connector. Make sure to select “group therapy” under the “What brings you to therapy today?” section. Please note that at this current time, our virtual Grief Support Group* is only available to those in New York. Stay tuned for more group therapy offerings from Valera Health in the future. 

*VH’s Grief Support Group is only offered in New York at this time.

*HealthFirst patients are ineligible for insurance coverage at this time.

As mental health professionals, therapists and psychiatrists have the same goal—to treat and manage their patients mental health symptoms and struggles so they can live a happy, healthy and fulfilling life. However, they play different roles to treat mental health disorders and symptoms.

What is a Therapist?

Therapists are licensed mental health professionals who use talk therapy to treat their patients symptoms and help them develop useful skills such as healthy coping strategies, communications skills and more. Therapists specialize in treating mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. They also help those without a diagnosable mental illness with interpersonal conflict, internal conflict and more. 

Not all therapists use the same approach, since several forms of talk therapy have been developed to treat a wide array of mental health disorders and symptoms. Therapists can even offer specialized care depending on their training and experience—for example, some therapists are experienced in LGBTQIA+/gender affirmative therapy, while others may specialize in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), which is used to treat post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition to using talk therapy to help their patients manage symptoms, licensed therapists are also able to diagnose different mental health disorders. However, unlike psychiatrists, therapists are not able to prescribe medication. 

Examples of Different Types of Talk Therapy:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Humanistic Therapy
• Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Interpersonal Therapy (IBT)
• Group Therapy
• Couples Counseling
• Family Therapy

What is a Psychiatrist?

Psychiatrists are mental health professionals who go to medical school to learn the field of psychiatry. As part of their professional training, they study how to treat mental health disorders as defined by the DSM-5. DSM-5 stands for The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, which is the most up-to-date version of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—a standard tool in psychology, psychotherapy and psychiatry used to diagnose and treat mental health disorders. 

Rather than treating mental health disorders through talk therapy, psychiatrists use medication to treat and manage their patients mental health conditions. While some psychiatrists also have the credentials to conduct psychotherapy (a.k.a “talk therapy”), therapist and psychiatrist are not interchangeable terms.

Services that Psychiatrists Provide:

• Diagnosing mental, emotional and behavioral disorders
• Prescribing medication to treat mental, emotional and behavioral disorders
• Monitoring patient’s symptoms, success of prescribed medications, and monitoring side effects
• Provide medication management such as medication changes or dosage adjustments through follow-up visits

Aside from using medication to treat mental health disorders, some psychiatrists are able to recommend and even provide alternative therapies for certain conditions when appropriate. 

This can include the following:

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
• Light therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Ketamine infusions for treatment resistant psychological conditions, such as treatment resistant depression (depression that is unable to be managed through the use of antidepressants)
• Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS)

Getting Help

No matter what you are going through, seeing a therapist or a psychiatrist can help. 

In fact, studies have shown that seeing both a psychiatrist and therapist at the same time can result in a higher success rate when it comes to treating mental illness and mental illness symptoms. If you’re interested in therapy, psychiatry, or both, Valera Health can help. We offer virtual therapy, psychiatry and medication management services for our patients. To learn more about our services and to schedule a free consultation, visit www.valerahealth.com or click here.

At Valera Health, we understand that getting started with virtual therapy can feel scary—especially if you’ve never done therapy before. But our therapists and dedicated telemental healthcare team are here to help you each step of the way. 

Making the most out of each therapy session plays a key role in your healing process, which is why we’ve put together this guide all about what you need to know and do to have a successful online therapy journey. Read on to learn more.

What To Do Before Your First Session

Before you meet with your therapist for your first scheduled session, there’s a few things you’ll want to take care of. First, you’ll want to submit all required paperwork, which will likely include consent forms and submitting your insurance information. 

To make the most of your first session, we also recommend providing information to your therapist about your medical history. This may include sharing any previous mental health diagnoses, as well as any psychiatric medications you are currently taking. 

To prevent technical difficulties during your first session, make sure you have reliable internet as well as test your camera and microphone in advance. Whether you’ll be meeting with your therapist on your phone, computer or tablet, make sure to sit down and fire up your device at least five to ten minutes before your session. 

Being in a comfortable, quiet environment for your therapy appointment will help you have a successful and rewarding session with your therapist. This means meeting with your therapist at home, not in public. Have a notepad and pen within arms reach during the session so you can jot down notes or questions for your therapist. 

To avoid interruptions, let your roommates/household members know what time and day you have your appointment in advance. If you have thin walls, consider investing in a white noise sound machine so others can’t overhear you during your session.

Questions to Ask Your Therapist

If this is your first time in therapy, you might be unsure what to expect. That’s why it’s a great idea to come up with a list of questions for your therapist before your first appointment. This will not only help you get to know your therapist better, but also help you understand the therapeutic process better.

Here are some ideas of questions to ask to get you started:

1. How would you describe your approach as a therapist?
2. What is your experience with treating my condition?
3. What type of therapy do you recommend for my condition? Can you tell me more about how this type of therapy works?
4. How long will therapy last?
5. Will you take a more directive, or less directive role in our sessions?
6. What is your availability like if I need to talk to you or ask questions outside of scheduled therapy sessions?
7. How do you prefer to be communicated with outside of therapy sessions?
8. How do you handle emergencies? What’s the best way for me to reach out to you if I have an emergency?

Treatment Goals

Your first therapy session will be centered around the intake process, which is the foundation to developing a treatment plan with your therapist. However, it may take you a couple of sessions to develop a full treatment plan with your therapist.

While your therapist will work with you to come up with a solid treatment plan, it can be helpful to think about your treatment goals before your first session. Ask yourself “What is driving me to therapy in the first place?” Reflect on any distressing thoughts or feelings, or other symptoms you’ve been experiencing lately, such as feelings of sadness, increased anxiety, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, etc. Think about what areas of your life you want to improve.  Write down the answers in a journal so you can have notes ready to discuss with your provider. Be as thorough as possible when discussing this with your therapist. From there, they will help you come up with actionable steps you can take inside and outside of therapy to achieve your goals. 

Additional Tips

• Relax before therapy and take time for self-care
  • While the thought of starting therapy can be nerve racking, your therapist is there to help you. Carve out time to unwind and tend to your needs before and after each therapy session.

• Ask clarifying questions if you’re confused about anything your therapist says.
  • Therapy is a learning process and your therapist is here to help you learn.

• Therapy is an ongoing process, inside and outside of each session. 
  • It’s important for your growth and healing to practice what you learn in therapy outside of your regular therapy sessions. 
  • To make the most of your experience, do any recommended exercises your therapist gives you in between sessions.
  • Take note of how you’re feeling each day by journaling.
    • Write down stressors and things that come up between each session to discuss with your therapist. 

Ready to get started? Our diverse team of compassionate therapists are highly trained in providing virtual therapy services to treat a wide-array of symptoms and mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety and Serious Mental Illnesses (SMI) such as bipolar I & II, personality disorders, schizophrenia and more. 

To learn more, request a free consultation with a designated health connector or visit valerahealth.com. 

Holidays are known for being a joyful time of celebration and winter cheer. But for some, this isn’t the case. If you’re feeling extra stressed or sad during the holidays, you aren’t the only one. In fact, late fall and winter have some of the highest rates of depression—thanks to stress, loneliness and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

What is SAD?

While feeling down due to shorter days and less daylight in the fall and winter can be common, Seasonal Affective Disorder occurs in cases where “…these mood changes are more serious and can affect how a person feels, thinks and handles daily activities,” according to the National Institute of Mental Health. 

SAD is considered to be a type of depression characterized by a recurring seasonal pattern, with depression symptoms lasting four to five months out of the year. People with major depression disorder, bipolar disorder type I and bipolar disorder type II are more likely to experience SAD.

Most of the symptoms of SAD are the same symptoms that occur in major depression, including:

• Feeling depressed most days
• Loss of interest in activities and hobbies you once enjoyed
• Appetite or weight changes
• Low energy levels or fatigue
• Sleep issues
• Feeling hopeless
• Feeling worthless
• Difficulty concentrating
• Suicidal thoughts or behaviors

Additional seasonal specific symptoms of SAD include:

• Oversleeping (a.k.a. hypersomnia)
• An increased craving for carbohydrates
• Overeating
• Weight gain
• Social withdrawal

For more information about SAD, as well as tips for treating SAD, click here.

What causes the “Holiday Blues”?

Other causes of the “holiday blues” a.k.a. increased stress and/or sadness during the holidays may include:

• Increased financial stress
• Family trauma
• Social isolation
• Grief
• Unrealistic expectations
• Not being able to be with loved ones (family or friends) over the holidays
• Over-commercialization of the holidays

Coping with the “Holiday Blues”

Check out this infographic from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is full of great tips for combating the holiday blues.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or in need of some extra support this holiday season, consider therapy. Valera Health offers convenient telemental health services including therapy and psychiatry services. Visit www.valerahealth.com or click here to learn more and schedule your free initial consultation with a designated Health Connector.