Michigan Psychological Care

04/02/2026

Type BRAIN if you want the link to this poster and lesson that goes with it and I’ll send it to you.

When a child yells, shuts down, runs off, or completely freezes, it is not random. It's most likely the stress response.

Fight.
Flight.
Freeze.

That reaction comes from the hardworking part of the brain that is wired to protect us. When something feels threatening, even if it is just a hard assignment or a social problem, the brain reacts fast. Thinking gets harder. Listening gets harder. Making good choices gets harder.

And Your Brave, Hardworking Brain lesson teaches kids what is actually happening. What fight can look like. What flight can look like. What freeze can look like. And why their body feels buzzy, angry, panicked, or stuck. And most importantly, what helps the brain settle so the thinking part can come back online.

When kids understand the stress response, it stops being “What is wrong with me?” and starts being “Oh. My brain is trying to protect me.”

If you want the full lesson, type BRAIN and I’ll send the link.

04/02/2026

Meet Madison! Madison is one of the testing providers in our Saint John's office. She is AMAZING and we receive nothing but the best compliments about her.

Madison started her education at Alma College, and ended her education with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Central Michigan University. She would like to further her education with a Master’s in the future. She has always found interest in Mental Health and helping others. She administers psychological testing at the Saint John’s location. Outside of the office she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and being outdoors.

04/01/2026

03/30/2026

Mental Health Monday
The Sugar & Carb "Crash"

Easter is the second-largest candy holiday in the world. Even if you aren't religious or celebrate Easter, the proximity to high-sugar foods is statistically higher this weekend.

A high-sugar spike causes a massive release of Insulin, which then leads to a "glucose dip."

This "dip" mimics the symptoms of clinical anxiety: shakiness, irritability, and "brain fog."

What do you do to balance the glucose dip and symptoms?

03/26/2026

Let's welcome one of our new clinicians in the Alma office to the company. Welcome, Chris!

Chris received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, and his Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Wayne State University. He has over 10 years of experience working in outpatient mental health, treating clients of all ages. Chris takes a client-centered approach, focusing on empathy, warmth, and developing trust with the client as the foundation for therapy. Chris also utilizes techniques from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), ecological theory, and family/couples therapy to help with diagnosis and treatment. Outside of the office, Chris enjoys spending time outdoors, music, and being with friends/family.

If you'd like to schedule with Chris or another clinician, give us a call at 989-292-3572 or visit our website at www.michiganpsychologicalcare.com

03/24/2026

TIP TUESDAY

Are you looking for something beyond the standard "grounding" toolkit? Let's look at The Mammalian Dive Reflex (a biological "kill switch" for the sympathetic nervous system)

The "Ice Water" Reset 🧊
When anxiety spikes, your heart rate climbs, and your brain enters "fight or flight." You can manually override this by tricking your body into thinking it’s underwater.

Splashing ice-cold water on your face (specifically around the eyes and cheekbones) triggers the Vagus Nerve.

This activation can drop your heart rate by 10–25% almost instantly.

The Tip: Next time you feel a panic spike, head to the sink and splash your face with the coldest water possible for 30 seconds.

Why it Works: It forces your body to shift from "Anxiety Mode" to "Survival/Conservation Mode," effectively "rebooting" your nervous system without you having to say a single mantra.

Have you heard about the sour candy method?

03/24/2026

Jeff Moore

03/24/2026

Hypervigilance doesn't just manifest in our thoughts. It's EXTREMELY common for trauma survivors to be walking around with physical pain— especially in their shoulders, back, or joints.

Trauma may be "invisible" to others, but its weight can be VERY physical to survivors.

03/23/2026

MENTAL HEALTH MONDAY
The "Spring Reset" Reality Check
We expect to feel better when the sun comes out, but the end of March actually brings a unique neurological strain known as "Spring Peak."

The Circadian "Jet Lag"
The rapid increase in daylight at the end of March acts like permanent jet lag for your brain.

Psychiatric admissions and anxiety reports actually peak in the spring, not the winter.

The Science: Rapidly increasing sunlight can disrupt the balance between Melatonin (sleep) and Serotonin (mood), leading to "agitated exhaustion" where you have more energy but still feel restless or low.

03/19/2026

Everyone please welcome our newest member of MPC. Dr. Cindy Cooney will be starting in our Saint Johns office as the Clinical Director in April and we could not be more excited to have her.

Dr. Cindy Cooney graduated from Illinois State University with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology in 1995. She then worked for several years as a Master’s level clinician in Indiana and Arizona, providing treatment services for children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of inpatient, outpatient, and residential settings. During that time, she also gained experience overseeing and supervising other clinical team members. Dr. Cooney returned to school and earned a Doctorate of Psychology (PSYD) in 2015 from the University of Indianapolis, where she had previously completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She then completed one year of post-doctoral training at the Riley Children’s Hospital within the Riley Child Development Center, as part of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program. Since that time, Dr. Cooney’s work has primarily focused on providing comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations for children and adults who have been involved with the Department of Child Services (DCS) in Indiana. She moved to Michigan in 2025 and is now a fully Licensed Psychologist in the State of Michigan. She has experience assessing and/or treating people with a variety of mental health conditions, including neurodevelopmental disorders, psychosis, depression, anxiety, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, substance use disorders, and disruptive behavioral disorders. She has a passion for helping people to gain personal insight which can then lead to increased hope and motivation for improved well-being. In her personal time, Dr. Cooney enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, attending sporting events, being outdoors, and practicing yoga.

Welcome Dr. Cooney!

www.michiganpsychologicalcare.com

03/17/2026

Tip Tuesday

If you plan to consume alcohol for St Paddy's Day, try one of these items from the menu to help with the negative effects associated with alcohol consumption.

The "Neuro-Reset" Menu
The Classic Savior: Two Eggs on Whole-Grain Toast. Eggs are packed with Cysteine, an amino acid that breaks down the toxic byproduct of alcohol (acetaldehyde), while the B-vitamins in whole grains help restart your energy production.

The "GABA" Bowl: Greek Yogurt with Walnuts and Honey. Fermented foods like yogurt support the gut-brain axis, while walnuts provide healthy fats to stabilize the mood swings caused by last night's sugar spikes.

The Hydration Power-Up: A Banana and Coconut Water Smoothie. Alcohol flushes out potassium and magnesium; this combo hits your system with a massive dose of electrolytes to stop muscle tremors and "brain shrinkage" headaches.

03/16/2026

🍀 The "St. Paddy’s" Neuro-Tax
Drinking isn't just a physical "hangover"; it’s a chemical loan your brain takes out that you have to pay back with interest the next day.

The Sleep Quality Crash
Alcohol is a sedative, not a sleep aid. It acts like a "knockout" rather than natural rest.

Just two drinks can reduce your REM sleep (the stage that processes emotions) by nearly 40%.

The Result: You wake up physically rested but emotionally drained and irritable.

The "Dopamine Dip"
Alcohol artificially floods your brain with dopamine (the reward chemical).
To protect itself, your brain "muffles" its dopamine receptors the next day.

The Result: This leaves you in a "Dopamine Deficit" for 24–48 hours, making everything feel boring, flat, or unmotivating the day after the party.

Pro-Tips for the "Day After"
The 1:1 Rule: Drink 8oz of water for every 1 alcoholic beverage to prevent the "brain shrink" caused by dehydration.

B-Vitamin Buffer: Alcohol depletes B12 and B6. Eating eggs or a fortified cereal on Tuesday morning helps "re-fuel" your nervous system.

The 2-Hour Window: Stop drinking 2 hours before bed to give your liver a head start so your brain can actually catch some REM sleep.