Dr. Kristen Brendel

04/02/2026

I love these calendars from The Greater Good Science Center!

Change does not always come from big moments, it often starts with small daily choices. 🌿 Click the link to explore April’s practices: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/your_happiness_calendar_for_april_2026

03/29/2026

IL Social Workers-complete your ethics requirement with me in May!

Thanks to everyone who has registered so far! We have a great group forming.

I am creating ethical cases for discussion today! I have encountered some doozies over the years. Let me know if there's a type you'd like to make sure I cover that includes conflicting ethical standards/obligations.

On Saturday, May 16th, from 9 a.m. until noon., Dr. Kristen Brendel will facilitate a three-hour continuing education workshop, “Ethical Decision Making in Social Work Practice.” This live virtual workshop will focus on using a pragmatic framework to navigate ethical situations, strengthen clini...

03/27/2026

Drug-related cognitive impairment is common in routine practice and should be considered in any individual receiving drug therapy who presents with cognitive symptoms.

These effects can occur at any age and are associated with a wide range of medications. The long-term use of benzodiazepines, antidepressants with anticholinergic properties, and antipsychotics has been associated with cognitive decline, particularly in older adults. Although these impairments may be preventable through baseline cognitive assessment and regular monitoring, they are often mistaken for age-related or neurodegenerative conditions and therefore remain underrecognized. https://mdsc.pe/4lPKg19

03/21/2026

Registration for the Ethical Decision-Making Workshop is now available. It meets the IL social workers' ethics three-hour requirement. Questions are always welcome!

On Saturday, May 16th, from 9 a.m. until noon., Dr. Kristen Brendel will facilitate a three-hour continuing education workshop, “Ethical Decision Making in Social Work Practice.” This live virtual workshop will focus on using a pragmatic framework to navigate ethical situations, strengthen clini...

03/20/2026

Registration is now available here: https://drkristenbrendel.com/ethics-ceu-event-51626

Illinois social workers, this one is for you!

Ethical Decision Making in Social Work Practice

Join me on Saturday, May 16 for a 3-hour ethics CEU focused on using a pragmatic framework to navigate ethical situations, strengthen clinical decision making, and limit liability.

Saturday, May 16th 9 a.m. to noon
Live over Zoom
$99
3 CEUs- meets LSW and LCSW ethics requirements
Payment: Venmo or email me for my Zelle phone number at drkristen@kristenbrendel.com

03/02/2026

02/18/2026

A study finds that people who did one specific form of brain training in the 1990s were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over the next 20 years.

12/24/2025

Warm holiday wishes from my family to yours!

11/28/2025

This is very similar to health anxiety OCD. I am seeing this more and more since the pandemic. The good news is whether its OCD or an eating disorder, the interventions are the same- CBT based therapy or ERP.

Orthorexia nervosa is a pathological obsession with eating “clean” or “healthy” foods. People who have this condition focus on their diet so strictly (and so restrictively) that it takes both a physical and mental toll.

Behaviors associated with orthorexia typically include:

◾Engaging in restrictive or ritualized eating behaviors.
◾Creating and strictly following rules about which foods are and are not healthy.
◾Feeling guilty and anxious when confronted with foods that don’t fit these rules.

These behaviors share many characteristics with anorexia nervosa. The difference is that people living with anorexia restrict the quantity of the food they eat, whereas people living with orthorexia focus on the quality of the food.

There aren’t many studies that evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for orthorexia. But experts say cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may help, especially an approach called “exposure and response prevention” that aims to reduce eating-related obsessions. It has been proven effective for conditions like OCD. This type of therapy involves slowly reintroducing you to foods you fear, while a trained therapist helps you learn to recognize and redirect your intrusive thoughts about food. They can also teach intuitive eating principles and mindfulness strategies.

11/27/2025

Wishing you all a joyous day!

11/26/2025

Interesting article!

More children and adults are being diagnosed with ADHD in some countries. Science is helping to understand why — and how best to provide support.

11/24/2025

When my clients have this issue, I give them very similar suggestions. Ultimately, what's most helpful is for the brain to focus on something benign that also requires a little effort, like assigning a number to every letter of the alphabet and then spelling people's names with numbers. Usually, people are back to sleep well before each letter has a number. I also suggest an exercise that's rooted in EMDR called the container exercise. Where you have an imaginary container with a lid, and you go through an entire process of imagining yourself walking to the container, describing it in great detail, using all five senses, and then quickly naming the distracting thoughts you're having and putting them in the container. You then close the container and put it away. Every time there's a new thought or even emotion, you go through the process again. It's quite boring, detailed, and therefore effective. I do this one myself, and it's my ace in the hole. Pro-tip- Make sure the container and where you're keeping it have neutral to positive associations.

If you're reading this at night while trying to fall asleep, perhaps give it a go. Let me know how it worked out for you. Sleep well!

If racing thoughts are stealing your sleep, these strategies can help you calm your mind and get more rest.