We are very fortunate to have Dr. Richard Blackburn, who heads up Nystrom's Sleep Academy, share with us a ton of helpful and enlightening information about sleep. If you're like me, I thought to myself, "Sleep is great, but I don't have enough time to sleep and I'm doing just fine." or if you struggle with sleep, you do not want to miss these podcasts! We planned for one hour and there was so much helpful and practical information, that we decided to just keep recording! Listen, learn and share these episodes with others because healthy sleep is a real game-changer and improvement upon our overall quality of life.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at: podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

Does it seem like everyone is easily offended today, and then blaming you for them being offended? This week's podcast address why we are so easily offended, how to avoid be offended and how therapy is an offense-free zone. The key for avoiding being offended and offensive is to keep looking internally rather than externally. We can experience a much happier and grateful life if we can stay focused and responsible for our own emotions, and pivot from blaming others.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week's podcast deepens our appreciation for those who have served in our military. Listening to this podcast helps our words of, "Thank you for your service." take on a much deeper meaning. Kaylie Willprecht, psychotherapist, veteran and current spouse of a veteran, shares the varied challenges confronting those in the military when trying to receive mental health services. Our goal for the podcast is to make therapy "approachable" for everyone to receive mental health care; and unfortunately, the brave people who serve our country can find therapy less approachable and need even more courage than a deployment. Listen and deepen your respect and appreciation for those who serve in our military.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

September is Suicide Prevention Month. Join Licensed Therapists Brett Cushing and Christa Overson as they dig into the difficult topic of suicide. Listen with a friend or loved one as Brett and Christa answer questions like, What causes suicidal thoughts? Is it okay for me to ask someone if they've ever thought about suicide? What do I do if they say yes, and how can I help?Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, licensed therapists Christa Overson and Brett Cushing speak with Emily Conery, a licensed therapist at the Nystrom Hugo Clinic, who specializes in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder- (OCD). Together, they discuss what OCD is and how to treat it. Brett and Christa talk with Emily about how OCD can sometimes be misunderstood and that it is actually an extreme form of anxiety -- from which recovery IS possible!Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

Why are therapists so obsessed with our feelings? In this episode, Christa Overson and Brett Cushing, interview Isaac Hatch-Gillette and validate both the struggle to disclose feelings and the benefits of doing so.Listeners, we learn that sharing emotions is not the point of therapy, but how sharing emotions helps us to understand, heal, change and grow. Without some emphasis upon feelings, we remain stagnant.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you! Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Christa Overson and Brett Cushing meet with Tom Lee. Tom is a retired Superintendent with over 40 years of experience in education as a Superintendent, Principal, and Teacher. The mental health dynamics within schools have changed dramatically over the past four decades affecting students, teachers and parents. Tom has been at "ground zero" from the innocuous intrusions of chewing gum in school to the challenge of guns, bomb threats, suicide and self-harm.This episode will help parents learn how to be more aware and capable to assist their children with the numerous and complex challenges of school. Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you! Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists Brett and Christa are joined by fellow therapist Rasha Kowalewski, who educates them on a trauma therapy treatment called Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). This groundbreaking method for processing traumatic memories helps patients to revisit painful experiences and reimagine them. Rasha shares powerful examples of her use of ART in this compelling episode.Passing through a life crisis makes us more human, more compassionate, more accepting and understanding of ourselves and others. We no longer need to indulge in making others wrong or making ourselves wrong. We have a choice of how we move forward; which do we choose?-David R. Hawkins, MD, PhD Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you! Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists Brett and Christa are joined by fellow therapist Rasha Kowalewski, who makes a profound statement about what happens when we have expectations of others, the world, and life itself. Listen in to find out why "Expectations are premeditated resentments," and how to avoid this common pitfall.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you! Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

Unmet expectations often result in undesirable frustrations; and that can relate to expectations regarding therapy as well. This podcast is an interaction with Therapists, Brett Cushing and Marcy Tatro about what to expect when starting therapy. Marcy Tatro has created her own Mental Health radio show in Mankato, MN, and today she joins us on this topic. Can I ask questions? What questions should I ask? What if my therapist is not a good fit, can I dump him or her? And other understandable questions and expectations we have when going through therapy.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you! Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Christa Overson and Brett Cushing meet with Seth Nilsen, founder of Courage to Change. Seth has overcome his past Social Anxiety from High School days; and talks about how the lack of mental health resources in high school prevented him from getting the help he needed. His grass roots organization is devoted to improving mental health resources to schools and overcoming the negative stigma of mental health care among adolescents. Hearing Seth's progress from Social Anxiety to School Advocate for mental health gives is inspiring and provides hope.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you! Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists Brett and Christa cover the topic of shame-- which is commonly misunderstood as guilt. So what's the difference? Can we have one without the other? Is there such a thing as healthy shame? Join Brett and Christa on this episode to find out.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you! Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists Brett Cushing and Christa Overson highlight six things you can start doing today that will be game-changers for your mental health (using the acronym PLEASE).Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you! Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists Brett Cushing and Christa Overson share about going to therapy themselves and how their own experiences have shaped them both personally and professionally.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at:podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you! Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists Brett Cushing and Christa Overson discuss pornography: how prevalent it is, why it can become problematic, and what to do about it (without shame).Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at podcast@nystromcounseling.com We'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Christa and Brett sit down with therapist Isaac Hatch-Gillette, who is starting a therapy group in our Apple Valley clinic this month. We discuss why someone would do group therapy instead of or in addition to individual therapy, and why it can help.If interested in Isaac's group, reach out to the Apple Valley office at 952-997-3020 or visit www.nystromcounseling.com/apple-valley-mn-groups and click on "Apple Valley Relational and Life Skills Group" for more information. Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at podcast@nystromcounseling.com We'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

In this podcast, Brett provides concrete behavioral changes anyone can practice to transform a relationship.Often times we believe a relationship is doomed because another person is so fixed in their ways and or resistant to change.  This podcast gives tangible hope and tools to apply and thereby realize that the power to change a relationship can reside in ourselves and not solely in the other.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Christa Overson, LMFT is once again joined by Mary Anderson, LMFT—an expert in Early Childhood Mental Health. Mary discusses that young children need mental health help too-- yes, even before they are born! If this seems surprising, you will definitely want to listen in to this episode. Don't forget to go back to Part 1 of Therapy with Kids: What It Is and Why It Matters.Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at podcast@nystromcounseling.com We'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

This week, Licensed Marriage Family Therapists Christa Overson and Mary Anderson cover the basics of therapy with children. An expert in Early Childhood Mental Health, Mary explains how kids utilize unique ways of coping not only with the events of everyday life, but with traumatic events as well. Don't forget to check out Part 2 next week, for a deeper dive into Early Childhood Therapy!Do you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at podcast@nystromcounseling.com We'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates

In this episode, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists Christa Overson and Brett Cushing are joined by special guest Becky Sanders, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Associate Program Director of Nystrom's Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Program. Listen in to learn about what we can do to address the growing epidemic of Adolescent Suicide.Crisis Resources:Go to the local hospital Emergency Room or call 911 if you or someone you love is planning to attempt suicideSuicide Crisis and Lifeline-- Call or Text 988 or chat at 988lifelong.orgHope Line-- For Spanish speakers 1-800-SUICIDA or 1-877-YOUTHLINE for teen-to-teen counselingDo you have feedback or topic requests? Email us at podcast@nystromcounseling.comWe'd love to hear from you!Follow alongInstagramFacebookNystrom & Associates