Therapy and Mental Health Resources

When the war in Ukraine started some of my students were experiencing extreme stress, and asked for resources to help them cope. While I’m not a mental health professional, I’ve been fortunate enough to have had good therapy and to have studied the best evidence-based therapy methods and personal development techniques.

 While this list, which I’ve gathered over the years, was made for my students suffering from the war in Ukraine, I realized that it might be helpful for others as well. Stress and mental health issues can negatively influence our ability to learn. I’ve had students who weren’t able to learn optimally because they didn’t have the support or coping skills needed to deal with stress or mental health issues. Most of the resources are in English, so it's good English practice too! 

 Here is a list of the categories:

Mental health assessments and tests:

Basics of therapy, how to find a good therapist and low cost therapy

Mental health apps

Other useful links on psychology, coping, personal growth, and self-therapy

Cognitive behavior therapy

Workbooks

Resources in Russian and Ukrainian

Personality tests

Journaling and writing therapy

Bibliotherapy

Basics of healthy coping (exercise, diet,  rest)

Mental health assessments and tests

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/health/mental-health-assessment

https://psychcentral.com/quizzes

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests

 

Basics of therapy, how to find a good therapist and low cost therapy

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/07/02/1185661348/start-therapy-find-therapist-how-to

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy/cost-and-insurance-coverage#are-some-forms-of-therapy-less-costly-than-others-

https://www.goodtherapy.org/

Basic info on therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FiVVAOXiEQ&list=PL_loxoCVsWqzKCfa6ZOzzUEsio1MpVetn

How to find a good therapist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6WaMQ7q0EE

Signs of a good therapist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoJBAF5q5hw

What's a bad therapist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLNWzFHIxus

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/when-your-adult-child-breaks-your-heart/201501/your-guide-psychotherapy-options

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201808/the-client-rules-how-benefit-most-therapy

Mental Health Apps

Note: While these apps can’t replace good therapy with a real therapist, they can be helpful aids especially when it’s not possible to get therapy with a real therapist because of cost or other issues: see this story for more info: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/01/19/1147081115/therapy-by-chatbot-the-promise-and-challenges-in-using-ai-for-mental-health

Wysa: https://www.wysa.com/

Talkspace: https://www.talkspace.com

Woebot: https://woebothealth.com/

Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/

MoodKit: https://www.thriveport.com/products/moodkit/

Other useful links on psychology, coping, personal growth, self-therapy

Kati Morton: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzBYOHyEEzlkRdDOSobbpvw

https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/uncertainty

https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2022/trauma-war-afar

https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience

https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/11-ways-to-raise-your-resiliency-1201157

https://positivepsychology.com/resilience-skills/

https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-resilience/

http://www.socialwork.career/2013/08/how-to-increase-your-resiliency.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/get-out-your-mind/202203/what-do-when-your-world-is-falling-apart

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/self-help

Man's Search for Meaning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-srD1Deh9Xg

 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

https://psychcentral.com/

https://positivepsychology.com/

https://www.nami.org/home

https://www.psychologytools.com/

https://www.youtube.com/c/MedCircle

https://amymorinlcsw.com/mentally-strong-people/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201701/check-yourself-common-mental-health-mistakes

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201710/avoidance-is-heroin-metaphors-in-and-out-therapy

https://psyche.co/guides/how-to-calm-your-emotions-with-dialectical-behaviour-therapy

https://www.mindfulleader.org/blog/32176-10-effective-methods-to-soothe-an

The School of Life: https://www.youtube.com/c/theschooloflifetv

The Psychology Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAvfZQ3r24F-V1JYqn2pfXg

Think, Act, Be Podcast: https://sethgillihan.com/podcasts/

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/08/can-you-just-got-therapy-once/596359/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201609/therapy-without-therapist

https://positivepsychology.com/self-therapy-anxiety-depression/

 

Workbooks

Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks: A Workbook for Managing Depression and Anxiety
by Seth J. Gillihan

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made Simple: 10 Strategies For Managing Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Panic, And Worry, Seth J Gillhan

Reclaim Your Life: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in 7 Weeks, 
by Carissa Gustafson 

 

Resources in Russian and Ukrainian

https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927

https://www.psychologies.ru/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/get-out-your-mind/202203/what-do-when-your-world-is-falling-apart

Personality tests

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/personality-quiz/

https://www.understandmyself.com/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/personality/big-five-personality-test

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/personality

https://courses.jordanbpeterson.com/personality

 

Journaling and writing therapy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mywf5mjfKLE

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/07/10/419202925/the-writing-assignment-that-changes-lives

https://www.selfauthoring.com/

 

Bibliotherapy

https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/bibliotherapy

https://www.booktherapy.io/blogs/news/bibliotherapy-the-magical-healing-quality-of-literature

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reading-minds/201910/bibliotherapy-using-books-help-and-heal

 

Basic habits for healthy coping: 

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/09/19/1200223456/depression-anxiety-prevention-mental-health-healthy-habits

Exercise

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/21/upshot/why-you-should-exercise-no-not-to-lose-weight.html

https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/676129459/get-started-exercising

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/10/16/1034201715/home-workout-exercise-tips

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/06/1121331838/how-to-make-exercise-fun

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/really-really-short-workouts

Diet

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/diet-and-depression-2018022213309

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/10/09/768665411/changing-your-diet-can-help-tamp-down-depression-boost-mood

https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/676170139/6-food-rules-that-could-help-you-live-longer

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/07/14/329529110/food-mood-connection-how-you-eat-can-amp-up-or-tamp-down-stress

Sleep and rest

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/07/17/332058265/skimping-on-sleep-can-stress-body-and-brain

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/06/992401123/if-your-brain-feels-foggy-and-youre-tired-all-the-time-youre-not-alone

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/06/02/865483669/how-to-get-sleep-in-uneasy-times

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/20/705224709/dont-count-sheep-better-bedtime-rituals

https://www.npr.org/series/1052431671/your-life-kit-for-better-sleep

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/20/705224359/do-this-today-to-sleep-well-tonight

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-sleep

Mindfulness, yoga and meditation

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/21/1066585316/mindfulness-meditation-with-john-kabat-zinn

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/03/802347757/a-conversation-with-tara-brach-mindfulness-tools-for-big-feelings

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/yoga-stress

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-meditate

https://www.npr.org/2020/10/23/927134772/when-the-headlines-wont-stop-here-s-how-to-cope-with-anxiety

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-deal-with-stress

https://www.nytimes.com/section/well

Nature

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/17/536676954/forest-bathing-a-retreat-to-nature-can-boost-immunity-and-mood

A guide to forest bathing: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1195337204