Fairfax, VA is an interesting place to live. Many of the zip codes are home to well-to-do, influential people and the schools are some of the highest ranked in the country. I find myself in awe of little things like the high-end amenities at the local kids’ baseball game on a Saturday morning. My memories as a kid playing baseball don’t include fully equipped dugouts, mesh netted backstops, or concession stands selling a slew of delicious treats like you now see in #Fairfax.
Driving past the well-groomed lawns and HOA-managed neighborhoods, it is easy to forget that Northern Virginia has the same mental health issues as the rest of the country. Statistics show (I know… statistics… boring…) that 1 in 4 individuals living in Northern Virginia has a mental health issue of some kind (according to Northern Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI) of Northern Virginia). Looking at the types and rate of mental health concerns that NAMI tracks, it is clear that mental health counseling in Northern Virginia has never been more important.
The “grass is always greener” illusion is in full effect. Everyone else seems happy and put together, but you have no idea what life is like for them behind closed doors. Often, “happy” is an illusion; many people trudge on with anxiety, depression, trauma, or low self-esteem right in your own town and no one ever knows. It can seem like you are the only one feeling down or that no one understands, but imagine the relief you would feel if you gave yourself permission to own the struggle. Mental health counseling has never been easier to access – there is a place for you at my practice.
If you have been thinking about exploring mental health counseling, now is as good a time as any! The summer months are bright, but for some, the sunshine doesn’t always break apart internal gloom.