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

TED Talk: The Power of Believing You Can Improve

Listen to Story

Transcript

Audio Time: 10 min 20 sec

Level: Intermediate and up

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

To pass: to complete a test or class successfully.

Not yet: not now; not at this time.

Fantastic: extremely good.

To fail: no to succeed.

Learning curve: the rate at which someone learns something new: the course of progress made in learning something.

Insight: deep and clear understanding.

Mindset: a particular way of thinking: a person's attitude or view about something.

Fixed: used to describe something that does not change.

Grip: to grab or hold something; to understand something.

Tyranny:  cruel and unfair treatment by people or one person with power over others.

To cheat: to break a rule or law usually to gain an advantage at something.

Study (noun): an organized experiment in which many things are looked at, measured, recorded, etc., in order to learn more about something.

To engage with: to give serious attention to (someone or something).

To praise: to say or write good things about (someone or something) : to express approval of (someone or something).

Resilient: able to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens.

Reward: to give money or another kind of payment to (someone or something) for something good that has been done.

Persistence: the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people.

Comfort zone: a place, situation, or level where someone feels confident and comfortable.

Rebound: the act of bouncing back after hitting something.

Chronic: continuing or occurring again and again for a long time.

Discussion questions:

1. Do you have more of a growth mindset or fixed mindset?

2. What can we do to have a growth mindset?

3. Has your mindset changed over time?

4. How can a growth mindset help you in your life?

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.

What Is Cinema For?

Listen to Story

Transcript

Audio Time: 9 min 54 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

Astonishing: causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder; amazing.

To induce: to cause (something) to happen or exist.

To weep: (somewhat formal) to cry because you are very sad or are feeling some other strong emotion.

Downcast: not happy confident, or hopeful.

Strenuous: requiring or showing great energy and effort.

Profound: having or showing great knowledge or understanding.

Flick: (informal): movie.

To conceive: to think of or create (something) in the mind.

Predecessor: a person who had a job or position before someone else.

Self-righteousness: having or showing a strong belief that your own actions, opinions, etc., are right and other people's are wrong.

Conscience: the part of the mind that makes you aware of your actions as being either morally right or wrong.

Compensate: to provide something good as a balance against something bad or undesirable: to make up for some defect or weakness.

Prone: likely to do, have, or suffer from something — usually + to.

To grind down: to make (something hard) smaller and smoother by gradually rubbing off tiny bits.

Solemn: very serious or formal in manner, behavior, or expression.

Outlook: a set of conditions that will probably exist in the future: the future of someone or something.

Brittle: easily broken or cracked.

To restore: to return (something) to an earlier or original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.

To edge: always followed by an adverb or preposition: to move slowly or with small movements in a specified direction.

Trauma: a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time.

Lustful: feeling or showing strong desire; usually sexual desire.

To spiral: to greatly increase, decrease, or get worse in a continuous and usually fast and uncontrolled way.

To speed up: to become faster or to make (something or someone) faster.

To erode: to gradually destroy (something) or to be gradually destroyed by natural forces (such as water, wind, or ice).

Vindictive: having or showing a desire to hurt someone who has hurt or caused problems for you.

To crush: to defeat (a person or group that opposes you) by using a lot of force.

To witness: to see something happen.

Forthright: honest and direct: providing answers or information in a very clear and direct way.

To head off: to prevent (something) from happening.

Inclined: not used before a noun: wanting to do something or likely to do something.

Deserving: having good qualities that deserve praise, support, etc.

Swank: very fashionable and expensive.

Glamour: a very exciting and attractive quality.

To eject: to force (someone) to leave — often + from

Bizarre: very unusual or strange.

Appeal: a quality that causes people to like someone or something.

Obvious: easy to see or notice.

Timidity: feeling or showing a lack of courage or confidence.

Victory: success in defeating an opponent or enemy.

Ruthless: having no pity: cruel and without mercy.

Outwit: to defeat or trick someone by being more intelligent or cleaver: outsmart.

Awe: a strong feeling of fear or respect and also wonder.

Daring: willing to do dangerous or difficult things.

Immaturity: acting in a childish way: having or showing a lack of emotional development.

Bearable: able to be accepted or to be able to exist in the same state or condition.

Bully: someone who frightens, hurts, or threatens smaller or weaker people.

Potent: very effective or strong.

To swear: to use offensive words when you speak.

Tentative: not done with confidence: uncertain or hesitant.

Acknowledgement: the act of showing that you know, admit, or accept that something exists or is true.

Subtle: hard to notice or see: not obvious.

Merely: only, just—used to say that someone or something is small, unimportant.

Folly: Not having good sense or judgment: foolishness.

Vice: bad or immoral behavior or habits; a bad habit or weakness.

Discussion questions:

1. According to the video, why is film important?

2. Can you think of any other reasons film is important that the video didn’t discuss?

3. Can you think of a film that helped you with one of the problems mentioned?

4. Do you agree that film can be a type of therapy for problems in life? How so?

5. What do you think of the idea in the video of giving ratings for films according to how they can help people with different problems in life?