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

Like All Animals, We Need Stress. Just Not Too Much

 

Listen to Story

Transcript

Audio Time: 4 min 57 sec

Level: Upper-intermediate

 

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of various sources including  Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

 

Yeast: a type of fungus that is used in making alcoholic drinks (such as beer and wine) and in baking to help make dough rise.

Hormone: a natural substance that is produced in the body and that influences the way the body grows or develops.

Notable: 1. unusual and worth noticing; remarkable. 2. Very successful or respected.

Pump: 1. a device that forces liquid, air, or gas into or out of something. 2. The act of pumping something.

Poll: an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something

Poll-taker: Someone who conducts a poll.

Tension: a feeling of nervousness that makes you unable to relax.

Friction: 1. Disagreement or tension between people or groups of people. 2. the act of rubbing one thing against another; the force that causes a moving object to slow down when it is touching another object.

Short run: a short period of time.

Grind: to crush or break (something) into very small pieces by rubbing it against a rough surface or using a special machine.

Grind on: to continue for a long time — used to describe something unpleasant

Tolerate: 1. to allow (something that is bad, unpleasant, etc.) to exist, happen, or be done. 2. to experience (something harmful or unpleasant) without being harmed.

Chirp: to make a short high-pitched sound.

Forebears: A member of your family in the past; ancestor.

Infectious: Something (usually a disease) that can be spread to other people by germs.

Mount up: to increase.

Eden: A place in the creation story of the Bible where God made the first people, Adam and Eve.

Malleable: capable of being stretched or bent into different shapes; capable of being easily changed or influenced.

Irretrievable: impossible to recover or get back.

Fine-tuned: Small changes that have been made to something to improve the way it works or make it exactly right.

             All the conditions of the experiment had to be fined-tuned to get the proper result.

             It was a fine-tuned watch, which always gave the exact time.

Circumstance: a condition or fact that affects a situation; the way something happens; the specific details of an event

Inevitable: Something that will definitely happen.

 

 

Discussion questions:

1. What’s the difference between healthy and unhealthy stress according to the story?

2. Do you have enough healthy stress in your life?

3. Do you have too much unhealthy stress in your life?

4. What can we do to cope with unhealthy stress in our lives?

5. What kinds of challenges in our life can give us healthy stress?

 

Five Healthy Lifestyle Activities That Will Help You Learn Better

"As long as you live, keep learning how to live."

-Seneca

Healthy lifestyle habits are good for many reasons, and one of these reasons is that they can improve our ability to learn. Not all of these activities are equally useful when it comes to learning, but some of them, especially the basics (sleep, exercise, and diet), are extremely important. This article discusses some of the most important lifestyle activities that can help you live a healthy life and improve learning, especially language learning.

Sleep

Sleep is the body's chance to recharge and rebuild itself, and it is one of the foundations of a healthy life. We often forget just how important it is to get enough sleep, but research shows that lack of sleep is responsible for many health problems and is connected with a shorter life span. Sleep also plays an essential role in learning.  Studies have shown that students who don't get enough sleep do more poorly on exams. This is because sleep not only helps us to focus on and understand what we learn while awake, but it also helps us to memorize what we learn while asleep. During sleep, the brain helps to edit, analyze, and organize what we have learned, which improves our ability to remember important information.

Most people should try to get between seven to eight hours of sleep a night. This can be hard to do sometimes in our busy, modern life, but we need to make it a priority, as it's so important for our health. Naps can be helpful too. Some research has shown that even short naps help us learn better. However, naps are not a substitute for a good night's rest (and naps that are too long can interfere with our sleep at night). In order for sleep to improve your health and learning, regular nightly sleep is necessary in order for your brain to go through all the stages and cycles of sleep. If you have problems getting to sleep, here are some suggestions for improving your sleep.

Diet

The saying, "You are what you eat", is a good way to remember the importance of a healthy diet. Our brain is like an expensive car: it needs quality fuel to function. Eating a proper diet is essential to a healthy life and learning as well. A healthy diet helps to improve cognitive processes like memory and attention. Studies have shown that unhealthy diets are a factor for poor student performance in schools.

It's not difficult to eat a healthy diet. The food writer, Michael Pollan gives this excellent advice: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." The key part of this advice is to understand that Pollan defines "food" as natural food that has not been processed (ingredients like sugar or salt have not been added to the food), and therefore, there is not a long list of ingredients. Experts also consider what's known as the Mediterranean diet to be one of the healthiest diets.

It's also important to make sure that you're eating regularly to make sure the brain has enough fuel to function well. Often, if we are having trouble concentrating, it's because we haven't eaten in a few hours. It's usually best to eat every three hours, or when you start to feel hungry. Having a healthy snack before studying or taking an exam can help boost performance.

Finally, remember that we need food and water for a healthy diet. It's important to stay hydrated, and drink enough water to help your brain function at its best. Water is really the best drink to have, and it’s especially important not to drink sugary drinks like soda, or even too much fruit juice (particularly if there is added sugar).

Physical Exercise

Most people can understand the importance of the first two foundations of a healthy lifestyle, sleep and diet, but they might not realize how important the third foundation, exercise, is as well. However, research has shown that physical exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and promotes learning as well. If it were a pill, exercise would be a wonder drug, and indeed, exercise is like medicine for our body and mind. From reducing risk of disease, to fighting aging, to boosting our mood and productive, exercise truly is like a wonder drug for all aspects of our health.

A growing body of research has also shown that exercise has extremely positive benefits for the brain and learning. Studies have shown that students that exercise regularly are able to focus and memorize better in class. Research also shows that exercising before a lesson can help one learn better during the lesson.

In general, one should try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, at least 3 times a week, to get the most positive effects of exercise. Of course, some exercise is better than nothing! It can be hard to find the time to get enough exercise, which is why you might consider High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), as it allows you to do short but intense periods of exercise. According to research, the effects of these short and intense workouts are the same as longer workouts. Also, simple things during your daily routine, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking more, can be effective ways to incorporate more physical exercise into our busy lives.  It can be hard to stay motivated to exercise for some people, which is why one should also try to find exercise that is enjoyable. Making exercise a habit is another way to make exercise easier to keep up. Finally, making it social, for example, doing exercise with friends, can also help to motivate you to exercise regularly. Here are some more tips on how to start exercising regularly.

Mindset

How we see the world and ourselves plays an extremely important role in how we live and learn. If we have a pessimistic and negative view of ourselves, it can greatly hurt our wellbeing and ability to learn. The term, mindset, means how we view ourselves and the world. Research on mindset shows that people tend to have two types of mindsets, a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, and which one you have can have a big impact on your life. Those with fixed mindsets tend to see their abilities as fixed, they can’t be changed, and therefore, they don’t try to do better. Whatever intelligence and abilities they have, whether at math or languages, these abilities are fixed, and they can’t get better at them. On the other hand, those with growth mindsets tend to see their abilities as something they can improve. If a person with a fixed mindset does poorly on test, they will usually not try harder and believe that there is nothing to do to improve their score. A person with a growth mindset will be more likely to try to think that they can improve their score, if they make more of an effort. People with growth mindsets are more likely to see challenges and mistakes in life as things that help them to improve.

The good news is people who have fixed mindsets can be taught to develop a growth mindset. These discoveries are very important for learning. Think about whether you have more of a fixed or growth mindset. Do you see challenges as an opportunity for growth or do you often avoid these challenges? Do you think your abilities to learn are fixed or do you think you can improve, if you work hard and put in the effort? These are important questions to ask oneself. I’ve had students who had difficulties learning English mainly because their fixed mindsets made learning much harder for them. They didn’t believe that with the right kind of effort they could improve.

Often, for students who struggle with a fixed mindset, simply explaining the idea of mindset to students and encouraging them to develop a growth mindset enough to help them. However, often life circumstances make altering our fixed mindset more difficult. My students who found it very difficult to change their mindset usually had other issues in their life, such as stress, anxiety or depression, which kept their mindset (and their lives) limited. Dealing with these issues can be are important first steps to improve health and learning potential.

This is why mindset and mental health are often linked. If you find that you have more of a fixed mindset, think about how you might shift to a growth mindset and what factors in your life might be holding you back. In addition to making sure these basic healthy life style activates are done, sometimes it’s necessary to learn some lessons from psychotherapy, or even better, go to a psychotherapist to try to see what’s keep us from growing. Just as lack of a healthy diet and exercise can weaken our physical body, lack of healthy mindset and coping skills can weaken our mental health. Therapy can help us strength these skills to live, love, and learn better.

Social Connections

Humans are social animals, and strong social connections are essential for our wellbeing. People with better social relationships usually live longer and have happier lives. Social connections are also important for learning for many reasons. Learning with others helps to stimulate our brain more, and the social interaction can support, guide and motivate us.

It almost goes without saying that the relationships between teacher and students is a key component of successful learning. Students and teachers that have good relationships are much more likely to enhance the learning process. Good relationships among students is also important, as fellow students can serve to support and motivate each other as well. An optimal learning environment is one where a growth mindset is encouraged, students feel safe and supported, and motivated and challenged. 

Of course, some people are able to learn well, or prefer learning, by themselves. However, even for these people, it can be helpful to do some learning with others. This is because learning with others helps support one’s learning goals and progress towards these goals. A good teacher or learning community can help learners set up achievable goals, support their progress, help them overcome obstacles and give them much needed feedback.

More than most subjects, social connections are usually essential for learning to speak languages. Hence, learning languages can be an excellent way to enhance social connections. This, of course, can be done in a formal learning environment, like classes with a professional teacher, or informally among native speakers. Practicing a language while traveling, at language clubs or in other social settings, is a great way to learn while benefiting from the healthy power of social connections.

Exercise Helps Students in the Classroom

Listen to Story

Transcript

Audio Time: 4 min  1 sec

Level: Intermediate

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of various sources including  Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Endurance: the ability to do something difficult for a long time.

To go for it: to try to achieve or get something.

Racket: a piece of sports equipment that is used to hit a ball or other objects in games like tennis or badminton.

To shuffle: to slide your feet along the ground or back and forth without lifting them completely.

To backpedal: to move backward with quick steps.

Pursuit: the act of following or chasing someone or something.

To eliminate: to remove (something that is not wanted or needed) : to get rid of (something).

Disparities: a noticeable and often unfair difference between people or things.

Background: the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person's past.

Fit: physically healthy and strong.

To fidget: to make a lot of small movements because you are nervous, bored, etc.: to move or act in a nervous or restless way.

Disruptive: to cause (something) to be unable to continue in the normal way : to interrupt the normal progress or activity of (something).

Self-esteem: a feeling of having respect for yourself and your abilities.

Depression: a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and often is unable to live in a normal way.

Anxiety: fear or nervousness about what might happen.

To impair: to make (something) weaker or worse.

Attentiveness: thinking about or watching something carefully : paying careful attention to something.

Extensively: large in size or amount : very full or complete.

Capacity: the largest amount or number that can be held or contained.

Nutrients: a substance that plants, animals, and people need to live and grow.

To whittle away: to reduce or get rid of (something) slowly.

Sub-set: a group of things, people, etc., that is part of a larger group.

Discussion questions:

1. How can exercise help students in the classroom?

2. Do you exercise? If so, what kind of exercise do you do?

3. Do you find that exercise helps your mental performance?

4. What kind of exercise have you done in school?

5. Do you think exercise can help you improve your English skills?

TED:Why I'm A Weekday Vegetarian

Listen to Story

Transcript

Audio Time: 3 min  58 sec

Level: intermediate

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of various sources including  Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Vegetarian: a person who does not eat meat.

Hippie: a usually young person who rejects established social customs (such as by dressing in an unusual way or living in a commune) and who opposes violence and war; especially: a young person of this kind in the 1960s and 1970s.

Log: a long, heavy section of a tree that has fallen or been cut down.

Cabin: a small, simple house made of wood.

Mere: used to say that something or someone is small, unimportant, etc.

Cruelty: someone who hurt others and do not feel sorry about it; causing or helping to cause suffering.

Hypocritical: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs.

Environment: the conditions that surround someone or something: the conditions and influences that affect the growth, health, progress, etc., of someone or something; in this case, natural world.

Emissions: the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source.

To convince: to cause (someone) to believe that something is true.

To stall: to avoid doing something or to delay someone in a deliberate way because you need more time, do not want to do something, etc.

To pitch: things that are said by someone (such as a salesman) in order to make someone want to buy, do, or accept something.

Binary: relating to or consisting of two things or parts.

To swap: to replace (something) with something else.

Sustainable: involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources.

Harvest: the amount of a natural product gathered in a single season.

To end up: to reach or come to a place, condition, or situation that was not planned or expected.

Intake: the amount of something (such as food or drink) that is taken into your body.

Pocketbook: the amount of money that someone has available to spend: someone's ability to pay for things.

Discussion questions:

1. What do you think about the idea of being a “weekday vegetarian”?

2. What were some of the reasons the speaker gave about becoming a weekday veg?

3. Are there many vegetarians where you live?

4. What are the pros and cons of being a vegetarian?

5. What do you think is the best diet for the health of people and the planet?