Stephanie's Blog

It's Veterans Day today and we are reminded of all the folks who have served in the US Armed Forces. Today we celebrate them and should be mindful of the personal and psychological toll on humans whose job puts them in the daily position to both experience and witness unimaginable events. It is these men and women who first drew attention to a series of symptoms brought on by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. The diagnosis of which we now refer to as PTSD. What

Lately, the news has spotlighted elite athletes struggling under the pressure of expectations. First we saw Naomi Osaka withdraw from the French Open, and then we witnessed Simone Biles withdrawing from many of the events at the Tokyo Olympics. Both cited mental health issues being at the center of these decisions. These two experiences alone, both athletes at the top of their game, bring into debate two sides of a discussion. First, and foremost, we must look at what we a

Top tennis athlete, Naomi Osaka, drew headlines when she refused to sit down at a press conference to answer questions by reporters. As a result she was fined $15,000 by the French Open Tournament Referee. Speculation began immediately as to why she was refusing to follow this protocol of the tournament. As mental health professional, it appeared likely to me that she was struggling with some mental health challenges that were too overwhelming to manage in front of lights,