As families face an uncertain school year ahead and continue to feel isolated with their traditional means of support out of reach, Nexus Family Healing has introduced a free online resource for anyone seeking advice from a mental health professional.
The types of questions that will be answered in the column range from behavioral issues to parenting concerns such as handling aggression in young children or when to seek help from a therapist. Adolescents especially are increasingly facing feelings of loneliness and anxiousness. This is an accessible and anonymous avenue for parents to open up to an expert if they suspect their child is depressed or could be having suicidal thoughts.
Nexus Family Healing serves thousands of children and families each year tackling the toughest mental health challenges. Expanding mental health conversations outside a clinical setting helps break down the stigma that may still exist around talking to a mental health professional.
“If someone feels intimidated by asking for help or stuck working through a problem, this column is a chance to anonymously put that issue in front of an experienced professional. This isn’t designed to replace seeking treatment, but it can open that door to seeking mental health support --maybe for the first time,” Nexus Family Healing CEO and President Michelle Murray, Ph.D., said.
“When we bring mental health conversations into the open, readers to the column may see their own feelings or challenges reflected in these experiences. This column will be helpful to the person seeking advice, and additionally helpful to readers as well,” said Murray.
Questions can be submitted directly to Murray through the Dear Dr. Michelle column on the Nexus Family Healing website or through www.DearDrMichelle.org. The advice column is not designed to replace seeking treatment, but to open the door for conversations around mental health.
As the Covid-19 crisis stretches on and the start of the school year brings extra worries, families are feeling more overwhelmed and more isolated. Typical places of support -- school, family, church - may not be accessible right now. Many people may feel like they are facing these problems on their own.
In addition to being the CEO and President of Nexus Family Healing, Murray is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an Approved Clinical Supervisor through the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy practicing for more than two decades.