Creswell Counseling Center LLC

08/25/2025

Veggies for Sleep? Yes! a new study has found that people who eat 5 cups of fruits and vegetables during the day sleep better at night.

07/25/2025

In the Journal of the Alzheimer's Association April of 2025, they reported on a study of 296 older adults with mild memory loss who did light-intensity exercise such as stretching, balancing, and range of motion moves for four days a week. After one year, there was no decline in thinking and memory. It was just as effective as those who did more strenuous exercise. The bottom line is to move for brain health.

07/13/2025

Improve your Memory?
Spend time with other people three time a week. Volunteer int the community, go to religious services, attend a concert, dine out, visit friends. People who socialize are 21% less likely to develop mild thinking and memory problems.

07/13/2025

Want to improve stress? mood? high blood pressure? anxiety? There is an easy approach--just breathe. As Americans in the 21st Century, we are under a great deal of stress. Stress triggers our fight/flight response. We breathe shallowly and quickly. That causes our heart rate to spike and our arteries to narrow which raises our blood pressure. We can counteract this by breathing deeply which activates our Vagus nerve which then sends us into a parasympathetic response or in other words, relaxation. A very simple, but effective breath is the 4-7-8 breath. Inhale through your nose for the count of 4. Then hold your breath for the count of seven. Lastly, slowly exhale through your mouth for the count of 8. Give it a try.

10/11/2024

Want to improve memory? We all hear about the importance of doing puzzles, but regular physical activity can slow down the decline in thinking and memory probably more effectively. This can be any activity from dance to walking. When we move our bodies it boosts the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the brain. Movement helps to control diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It also controls stress hormones.

07/24/2024

Raising Successful Children
Psychology Today August 2024 had an interesting article about modern parenting. Children today spend less time helping around the house than in generations past. This article proposes that this is preventing children from gaining an attitude of self-sufficiency and a sense of being a valued contributing member of the family and society at large. The article also stresses the importance of unstructured, goal-free play. Studies are showing the lack of this kind of play is linked to the rise in mental health disorders in children.

05/22/2024

I just finished my PRT Training!

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a system of psychological techniques that retrains the brain to accurately interpret and respond to signals from the body, breaking the cycle of chronic pain. Although various treatments aim to manage pain, PRT stands apart as an evidence-based treatment to elimina...

05/21/2024

Did you know that Yoga can improve your brain? A recent study showed that women who practiced a yoga-based breathing and meditation routine for 12 weeks increased the connections in their brains that are associated with memory and learning with no loss of brain tissue. The control group did not show this improvement. Yoga also seemed to have an impact on systemic inflammation. (For more information see: Translational Psychiatry, February 14, 2024)

05/21/2024

Music Comes with Big Benefits! Choose a song to relax you during times of stress. Choose a favorite upbeat song to improve your mood. And there is nothing like 60's Rock and Roll to energize you

04/16/2024

Did you know that singing or playing a musical instrument has been linked to better executive functioning as we age?

02/26/2024

Want to improve your memory?
Studies show that older adults who ate three daily servings of whole grains improved their thinking and memory compared with people who ate only one serving of whole grains. What are whole grains? Foods like whole wheat bread, oatmeal, quinoa, and popcorn (just go light on the salt and butter). Scientists believe that whole grains may reduce inflammation and improve the immune system.

02/19/2024

Ketamine therapy is very effective for bringing rapid relief to individuals suffering from difficult to treat depression. The major drawback is that the benefit appears to be short lived. Researchers have been trying to figure out a way to prolong the benefits of Ketamine therapy. Controlled research trials have shown that so far the only known way at present is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an umbrella that covers many different ways of doing therapy. What they all have in common is examining thoughts, behaviors, and emotions.