As a follow up to reflection of a therapist blog, I wanted to capture strategies and themes that have helped build resilience and coping within our clients over the last year. Online therapy has been an amazing platform. It has been a privilege walk alongside individuals and families during this time in our history. Here is just a glimpse of the interventions and the themes that were helpful with coping.

• Maintaining continuity of care using telehealth
• Seeking out and maintaining social connections through quarantine
• Creating new routines and setting goals
• Laughing and play to help reduce depression
• Remembrance and mourning during grief/ loss
• Processing ambiguous loss and trauma
• Finding ways to build community to strengthen the community
• Taking action and showing support
• Showing kindness and expressing gratitude
• Focusing on self-care
• Caring for those who are suicidal, misusing drugs or alcohol, or in recovery
• Caring for those who are hurting, engaging in self injurious behavior
• Creating meaningful rituals and celebrations
• Focusing on priorities—understanding what “really matters”
• Connecting with self, family/ friends, pets, nature, and/or spirituality
• Communicating and setting boundaries
• Learning coping skills
• Investigating emotions with suppressing them
• Working with unhelpful thinking patterns
• Tuning into our bodies
• Engaging in movement
• Using mindfulness to help reduce anxiety and improve sleep
• Practicing mindfulness- including mindful eating and mindful sex
• Practicing self-compassion
• Increasing ability to cope with uncertainty

Written By: Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC