Wellness Wave Wisdom

By Van Ethan Levy, LMFT & LPCC, Mental Health Counselor  Adapted from Van Levy Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist San Diego... (therapyroute.com) Just like most people entering therapy, trans, non-binary and many more non-cis folx are not only entering therapy to address and/or explore gender/identity, we are often looking to build coping skills, learn to regulate, unlearn internalized harmful messages, stop self gaslighting, find the power we possess within, differentiate between systematic oppression versus self-blame, and so much more.  Knowing what creates a little more safety for us is important. This can literally be finding foods and beverages that are comforting, safer people, safer clothes, safer spaces, comforting temperatures, supportive textures, or regulating noises.  Lean into the sense that tends to be soothing for you, and expand on that to have a working list that you can utilize to regulate. Van Ethan Levy (LMFT & LPCC) is the organizer of the Do Somethin

 Wednesday, March 16, 2021, 5-6pm PT Come join fran (they/she) & Van (they/elle) for an hour of community building, connecting, and "intentional joy time" on learning ways to contribute to your mental health through fun and play.  Often people attribute mental health to staying calm, reducing symptoms, taking medication, and/or many more things. Part of our mental health is ALSO using coping skills to regulate us, including cultivating more FUN and JOY in our loves in ways that are accessible to us. Come learn how you can do this with us and connecting with others.  Please reach out to vlevy@miracosta.edu for the Zoom link or you can call or email Health Services at 760.795.6675 & mccshs@miracosta.edu . 

By James Olmos, Mental Health Trainee In many ways, addiction and recovery can be an ongoing healing journey for many folx. People using any drug might be hurting or in pain without receiving the proper support. They’re instead criminalized. Too often, communities of color are among the most targeted populations in criminalization. The ongoing nature of this phenomenon stems from years of oppression, including the war on drugs. All people are going through challenging periods and transitions in their life. Getting real with yourself can look like reaching out to people and building community. It’s not an easy process which is why people fall back into addiction, because even though we might have stopped using, we are still hurting from trauma wounds that trace back to our ancestors and the scars they carried. Please notice all the beauty and gifts you hold that people have yet to see. In his book Recovering your Sacredness , in which Jerry Tello shares steps to detox and break the cycl

  By Patricia Rand Patricia Rand is a second-year student at MiraCosta and a Peer Educator majoring in social work and human services. A non-traditional student who recently hit the books again, Patricia loves being part of the MiraCosta community. As students, we have quite a bit of required reading in our daily lives. We have schoolwork, assigned reading, homework, emails, news, and social media to keep up with. Although it seems like it could be hard to add it in, reading for pleasure has been shown to reduce stress, help us acquire coping skills, benefit our mental health, and even take us on a mini vacation. Reading a physical book, or listening to an audio version, can both be a healthy break from the stress of college life. It relaxes our muscles, lowers our heart rate, and distracts us from our regular stressors. The book you choose doesn't have to be one about stress or mental health to ease stress. The important thing is that it captures your attention and provides you a