May is national Mental Health month. Well, one might ask, what does this mean to me?

Unfortunately in our society there is still so much negative association and stigma associated with the need or desire to seek mental health services. Women are far more likely to seek assistance, men oftentimes suffer in silence.

We would like to offer some ideas and links to make the search for services a bit less scary and confusing. First, try visiting the Mental Health America site: it has great non-threatening information and a tool that lets you search for a therapist in your area.

If you prefer to speak to a person versus searching online, in CT we have a service called Infoline and it can be reached by calling 2-1-1 from any phone. You will speak to a real live person who can direct you to what you need. Ask as many questions as necessary to feel comfortable with the information you receive, after all this is a service to assist you.

Mental health is the best gift you can give yourself. Most of us spend time and money learning how to read, write, drive, accomplish the tasks associated with our professions; but we rarely take time out to invest in learning about our inner health, nurturing the self by building strong tools and skills to navigate the increasingly confusing landscape of our world.

At MFT3, we support everyone’s efforts in designing a plan for stronger and safer selves; be it building self-esteem, balancing work and private time, dealing with addiction or depression, learning how to reconnect as a couple, or skills to create safe and strong children – we are here to help.

Actually, at MFT3 every month is mental health month!