I hope you are enjoying our beautiful Michigan summer! We packed this newsletter with information on all of our therapy groups that we will be running this fall - check them out to see if you or someone you know may benefit!

Also, do not miss reading our dietitian's very helpful tips on how to reduce food related stress and anxiety!

We think about food every day, most of the day.

Food is an ongoing and important conversation, but with the heavy influence of diet culture, it can be challenging to figure out the Do's and Don'ts of eating and nutrition. This month, our resident dietician, Daylan Wentland, MS, RD provides us with 3 nutrition tips to help navigate the complicated world of eating.

Number 3? Variety. Eating a variety of foods helps you gain access to the different nutrients your body and brain needs to function at their best level. This includes getting a range of dairy, veggies, fruit, fats and carbs.. Yum!

At McCaskill Family Services, we specialize in working with adults, children, teenagers and families with various presenting issues. If you or someone you know could benefit from our services, please contact us. Our clinicians are trained in empirically-based techniques, and would be happy to promptly schedule an appointment in person or via tele-health. We can be reached by phone at 734-416-9098 or by email at office@mccaskillfamilyservices.com.

For the next few newsletters, I've decided to take a different approach to my editor's section!

The title of this 5 part series:

Over the past few years, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have become important platforms for mental health outreach and support. While we SO love that it has become easier for you to connect with others who are experiencing similar challenges, we want you to know that not everything you see on the internet is accurate. Anyone, certified or not, can jump on social media and create a reel or post about mental health using their own knowledge or experience. While some of what they say might sound helpful, it's hard to tease out fact from fiction, especially if you're in a vulnerable state and seeking support.

Obtaining a psychology degree is a fairly rigorous academic process, and each year we have to obtain a certain amount of continuing education credits to retain our license. This keeps us knowledgeable about the ongoing changes and advancements in mental health. So while there may be influencers (and even therapists) promoting videos of "mindful eating" as a way to treat eating disorders, us psychologists know that there has not been enough research to empirically support this technique, especially when used alone. Although we know "mindful eating" behaviors can be a helpful tool, the best treatment modality for eating disorders is a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Family Based Treatment (FBT) and nutritional guidance. As you can see, proper treatment is a much more complex and multi-faceted process than just adopting a "mindful eating" exercise.

When you meet with a therapist, treatment planning is highly individualized to your specific needs. When you reach out to social media for support, you gain access to a more general data base. Think about it this way: If I am having an issue with my heart, I am going to go see a cardiologist, not my general M.D.

That's not to say that the M.D. won't be able to provide some relief and guidance, but the cardiologist will be able to give me a tailored plan specific to what my heart needs. Although many of us share similar struggles, we often have very different experiences about that same struggle.

So yes, please continue to reach out to your social media community for support, but be sure to run by us any techniques or tools you learn, so we can figure out how to best use them (or dump them) as part of your specific, collaborative, treatment plan.

Happy Therapy,

Jaclyn