The first step to joining any group is to complete an Initial Consultation appointment. Please call us at 410-455-2542 or visit the RetrieverCare portal to schedule.
For general group questions, or if you need accommodations for a disability, please send a secure message to our Group Coordinator, Lauren Mirzakhalili, LCSW-C, via the patient portal at least one week prior to the start of group and RIH will arrange for services.
All RIH services are LGBTQIA2S+ friendly and are welcoming to all diverse populations.
The first step to joining any group is to complete an Initial Consultation appointment. Please call us at 410-455-2542 or visit the RetrieverCare portal to schedule.
For general group questions, or if you need accommodations for a disability, please send a secure message to our Group Coordinator, Lauren Mirzakhalili, LCSW-C, via the patient portal at least one week prior to the start of group and RIH will arrange for services.
All RIH services are LGBTQIA2S+ friendly and are welcoming to all diverse populations.
The first step to joining any group is to complete an Initial Consultation appointment. Please call us at 410-455-2542 or visit the RetrieverCare portal to schedule.
For general group questions, or if you need accommodations for a disability, please send a secure message to our Group Coordinator, Lauren Mirzakhalili, LCSW-C, via the patient portal at least one week prior to the start of group and RIH will arrange for services.
All RIH services are LGBTQIA2S+ friendly and are welcoming to all diverse populations.
The first step to joining any group is to complete an Initial Consultation appointment. Please call us at 410-455-2542 or visit the RetrieverCare portal to schedule.
For general group questions, or if you need accommodations for a disability, please send a secure message to our Group Coordinator, Lauren Mirzakhalili, LCSW-C, via the patient portal at least one week prior to the start of group and RIH will arrange for services.
All RIH services are LGBTQIA2S+ friendly and are welcoming to all diverse populations.
The Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Training is an evidence-based program that will help you learn the signs that someone might be thinking about suicide, how to talk to them about their mental health, and how to refer them to a mental health professional to get help and support. With these skills, YOU have the power to help save a life.
In addition to these planned workshops, departments and student groups can request QPR training for their group by using this form.
Executive Functioning Workshop Series
Executive functions are things we do daily that help us get things done, like making lists, managing a schedule, and setting reminders. Attendees of this 3-workshop series will work on developing skills to overcome barriers to success, including time management, task prioritization/implementation, motivation, and self-accountability.
Anxiety Toolbox Series
Anxiety Toolbox is a series of 3 workshops designed to help people learn about anxiety and some basic skills to help identify and manage anxious thoughts and behaviors. You can also download and review the Anxiety Toolbox Student Workbook that we'll use in the workshop.
How to Get a Good Night's Sleep
Sometimes it feels like there aren't enough hours in the day, and when we're busy what ends up falling to the wayside? Probably sleep. But sleep is actually one of the most important ways to promote healthy brain function- including concentration and memory- the things you need to succeed in college! Join Retriever Integrated Health to talk about some ways to improve sleep and learn how RIH's counseling and medical services can further support your journey to a better night's sleep.
BRIDGE (Building Relationship Intimacy and Dialogue Effectiveness)
The BRIDGE workshop series focuses on identifying ways to foster healthy relationships via self-monitoring, effective communication, and conflict resolution skills. The sessions include modules dedicated to help you: (1) better understand your values and boundaries in relationships, (2) learn the role of culture in communication, different styles of communication, and strategies for effective communication, and (3) identify common causes of conflict and effective conflict management techniques. You can also download and review the BRIDGE Student Workbook that we'll use in the workshop.
Mindfulness
Feelings of anxiety can interrupt daily life and can be difficult to bounce back from. One practice that can help prevent anxiety and panic from taking over is mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of nonjudgmental awareness of what is happening in the present moment, including the awareness of one's own thoughts, feelings, and senses. The ability to be mindful can reduce symptoms of depression, improve memory, enhance relationships, and improve your ability to manage emotions. During this workshop, you will learn the benefits of mindfulness practices and be guided through various exercises.
If you need accommodations for a disability, please contact Stephanie Will (swill1@umbc.edu) at least one week prior to the start of the workshop and RIH will arrange for services.
All RIH services are LGBTQIA2S+ friendly and are welcoming to all diverse populations.
The first step to joining any group is to complete an Initial Consultation appointment. Please call us at 410-455-2542 or visit the RetrieverCare portal to schedule.
For general group questions, or if you need accommodations for a disability, please send a secure message to our Group Coordinator, Lauren Mirzakhalili, LCSW-C, via the patient portal at least one week prior to the start of group and RIH will arrange for services.
All RIH services are LGBTQIA2S+ friendly and are welcoming to all diverse populations.
This year, the theme for Black History Month is "African Americans and the Arts." When discussing health, wellness, and well-being, art is an essential component for many people. Whether the medium is music, paint, literature, film, or any other forms of artistic expression, art allows people to express their emotions and find themselves in the art of others. It plays a role in helping break down stigma around mental health and treatment and it also brings joy into people's lives.
For some, creating art can be an expression of their own struggles with mental health or bringing to light the struggles that others might face. In his song "u," Kendrick Lamar puts his own experiences with depression and suicidal ideation into his music. Painter Malik Roberts created the "Blk & Blue" show at the ABXY Gallery and through his work demonstrates how PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges manifest within African American communities as a result of historical and environmental factors. In her memoir "Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey Through Depression," Nana-Ama Danquah shares her experience with Postpartum Depression, its impacts on her life and relationships, and what it means to survive.
Creating art can be a powerful coping mechanism for some, the act of creation allowing healing to occur. But even if someone isn't comfortable creating themselves, the act of consuming art can be healing as well. It might be looking at or listening to art about mental health, like some of the examples above, but it could also be consuming any sort of art that brings joy into someone's life. A song or movie doesn't have to talk about mental health to lift the spirit and help create a sense of well-being.
Art also has the capacity to help break down stigma surrounding mental health without having to explicitly be about mental health. By incorporating characters who experience mental illness and real reactions to difficult life events, people are able to see pieces of themselves reflected back and understand they are not alone. Romance author Talia Hibbert incorporates real, well-rounded characters into her books, like "Take a Hint Dani Brown" who experience challenges with their mental health, but aren't defined by it. Even wildly popular movies like Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" help destigmatize different experiences with grief and loss, showing that there is more than one way to cope with the challenges that people face.
While art can be a key component in mental health treatment, it is certainly not the only avenue people are able to utilize. Retriever Integrated Health can support Black and African American students through our free and confidential counseling services, as well as medical services. Students can connect to our services by calling (410) 455-2542 or scheduling an Initial Consultation appointment through the RetrieverCare portal. The Maryland Department of Health also has compiled a list of Mental Health Resources for the Black Community that students can access to support themselves and their families on their mental health journeys.
So as we celebrate African Americans in the arts this month, we also celebrate how the black community has embraced and utilized art as a way to speak to mental health and a healthy inner life.
]]>The first step to joining any group is to complete an Initial Consultation appointment. Please call us at 410-455-2542 or visit the RetrieverCare portal to schedule.
For general group questions, or if you need accommodations for a disability, please send a secure message to our Group Coordinator, Lauren Mirzakhalili, LCSW-C, via the patient portal at least one week prior to the start of group and RIH will arrange for services.
All RIH services are LGBTQIA2S+ friendly and are welcoming to all diverse populations.
The first step to joining any group is to complete an Initial Consultation appointment. Please call us at 410-455-2542 or visit the RetrieverCare portal to schedule.
For general group questions, or if you need accommodations for a disability, please send a secure message to our Group Coordinator, Lauren Mirzakhalili, LCSW-C, via the patient portal at least one week prior to the start of group and RIH will arrange for services.
All RIH services are LGBTQIA2S+ friendly and are welcoming to all diverse populations.