Blog

Mental Health is a Key Part of Overall Wellness

When we hear the word wellness, most of us first think of our physical health – our weight and fitness, any conditions or diseases we’re managing, and any risk factors we may have for future problems. But, of course, wellness also has a large mental or psychological component.

“A person’s mind, heart, and body are all interconnected and interdependent in what can be termed ‘the mind-heart-body connection,’” said Dr. Glenn N. Levine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, in an article in Healthline. “Research has clearly demonstrated that negative psychological factors, personality traits, and mental health disorders can negatively impact cardiovascular health.”

“On the other hand,” he added, “studies have found positive psychological attributes are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.”

What Levine and others call the mind-heart-body connection relates to the idea of aging well, which is very important to our work here at LifeCare Advocates. Our goal is to ensure our clients have what they need to live a healthy, satisfying life at any age. So we’re excited to announce that we’ve added psychotherapy to our menu of services.

About our new psychotherapy service

The service is provided by Jean Greiff, LICSW, who has been with LCA for over three years. Jean has a master’s degree in social work and has extensive experience working with individuals and families.

“I am so pleased to be offering psychotherapy services to our clients,” says Jean. “The need is great! Loss, isolation and stress are just a few things that contribute to our elders’ mental health. Offering support through psychotherapy is another tool LifeCare Advocates can use to positively impact our clients’ quality of life.”

Psychotherapy is another way we can add to our personal growth. It helps us build skills that prepare us for facing challenges. With effective therapy, we can start to realize that we can proactively manage our emotions and reactions related to life’s inevitable changes. These skills – which can also be called resilience – can be invaluable to our overall wellness.

Read more about Jean here. Psychotherapy services are available to everyone, and you don’t have to be a current LCA client. Appointments are available either in our Newton office, in the patient’s home, or via telehealth. Services are private pay only.