I am so grateful to have Dr. Megan Stodard join me on the podcast today. May is Mental Health Awareness month and Dr. Stodard and I talk about why it is just as important to keep a check on your mental health as it is on your physical health. There has been a documented rise in depression and anxiety over the last year. In our local community of Pensacola, we have dealt with a pandemic, and a major hurricane, two big life events that have caused us to feel out of control at times.
Our hope is that this podcast will allow you to normalize the experience of asking for help if you need it. You don't have to be in crisis mode to reach out to a therapist. In fact, please don't wait until you find yourself in crisis to start taking care of your mental health. And remember, one size does not fit all in the world of mental health. What worked for your friend might not work for you, and that is why you might need to talk to someone that can help you identify those undercurrents that are driving your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Dr. Stoddard also shares some good news at the end of the podcast that I think you will want to hear! Hint Hint: We are going to be ok! Dr. Megan Stodard is a licensed psychologist in Florida and the founder of Harbor Wellness. She obtained her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and Human Systems from Florida State University and completed a Clinical Psychology internship at Arkansas State Hospital. Dr. Stodard works with a wide range of clients who present with concerns related to life transitions, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, attention difficulties, trauma, grief, and interpersonal conflicts. In her practice, some individuals need short term support, others need long term treatment, and many fall somewhere in between. Her graduate training at Florida State University focused on provision of psychological services across the lifespan in a wide range of settings (i.e., schools, hospitals, private practice, university health center, community clinic, emergency children's shelter). Dr. Stodard completed an APA-accredited internship in Clinical Psychology at the Arkansas State Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas where she treated adolescents and adults in inpatient, forensic, and community based facilities. She completed her post doctoral training at Lake Psychological Services (LPS) in Columbia, South Carolina. She then joined LPS as a staff psychologist where she worked in private practice until relocating to the Pensacola area in July 2014. In August 2014, she joined The Anchor Clinic team where she provided psychological assessment and treatment for a wide range of clients from 2014-2018. Dr. Stodard's work alongside inspiring clinicians and clients at the Anchor Clinic increased her interest in a wellness approach to psychological services. Dr. Stodard founded Harbor Wellness to provide a unique environment and approach to help individuals build healthy, satisfying lives of meaning, value and purpose. Currently, her practice focuses on adolescent and adult services. Her therapeutic approach is primarily cognitive behavioral, although she integrates other modalities to individualize treatment. https://www.harbor-wellness.com