In 2010, we saw an opportunity to develop a work environment that could support and bring fulfillment to our employees with the goal of making a positive difference in someone’s life. Every day, we are reminded of the importance of being surrounded by similar-minded individuals who come together to make a difference in southwest North Dakota. We have had the unique ability to grow relationships and build on partnering with other groups to expand our services from Dickinson to Killdeer and Richardton. What started in the basement of our house has expanded into outpatient mental health and physical rehabilitation clinics, skilled nursing homes, assisted living facilities, sports medicine contracts, and occupational health services. Our team is awesome, if you haven’t had an opportunity to meet them stop by anytime.

Cheers to the next 15 years!

Best regards,

Jared

Concussions and Fall Sports: Your Quick Guide

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body that jostles the brain against the skull. Don’t let the term “mild” fool you: it simply refers to the fact that concussions aren’t life-threatening. Even a minor concussion can change how your brain functions, affecting balance, memory, focus, and emotional regulation.

Sports with Higher Concussion Risk

Football

Football has the highest concussion rates due to frequent contact and collisions.

Soccer

Heading the ball and player-to-player contact can both lead to concussions.

Volleyball

Volleyball is less likely to cause a concussion, but they can still occur due to dives or head-to-floor impacts.

Know the Warning Signs

Recognizing a concussion early is critical. There are two main things to keep in mind:

1. Not all concussions will result in a loss of consciousness.

2. Symptoms can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to develop.

If you or your student-athlete has suffered a head injury, be vigilant for the following signs and symptoms. If you notice any of them, schedule an appointment with Therapy Solutions right away:

Working with Therapy Solutions to Manage Concussion Symptoms

We’re committed to helping student-athletes safely return to school and sport after a concussion. We believe consistent, personalized care makes all the difference, and our multidisciplinary clinic allows us to offer a truly comprehensive approach, including:

• Athletic Training to obtain objective baseline and post injury testing for accurate diagnosis and to provide guided treatment for return to sport
• Physical therapy to manage headaches, neck pain, and dizziness
• Occupational therapy to address sensory sensitivities and focus issues
• Cognitive therapy to target memory, problem-solving, and concentration
• Balance and vestibular rehabilitation to reduce dizziness and motion sensitivity

What is EMDR Therapy 

Mental health therapy is more complex than what meets the eye. Commonly, talking about presenting concerns is a starting point that can lead to hope and healing. However, what happens when there are intense emotional blocks that keep us from living a healthy life over time? What happens when our past emotionally-charged experiences heavily influence the thoughts we have about ourselves, our emotions, or body sensations? 

When we sleep and enter the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage, our brains are able to process events that are troubling us. However, when we experience trauma or heightened emotions, these situations become difficult for our brains to handle on their own. Over time our memory networks struggle to associate with each other and these events continue to feel distressing. These situations lead to developing negative or false beliefs of self, even though we may logically know they are not true. For example, do you sometimes feel worthless, although you know you are worthwhile? Do you feel you have to be perfect, but know you can accept yourself as you are? 

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, utilizes different forms of bilateral stimulation, or BLS, to reprocess emotionally charged memories from the past that cause some of these issues. EMDR replicates REM sleep, but uses dual attention – meaning you are awake and aware of the situation you are processing with bilateral stimulation (BLS). BLS can consist of rapid eye movements or different tapping methods, and help your memory networks begin associating with one another and begin to organize negative and positive sensations, emotions, and thoughts. Ultimately, EMDR helps us feel an emotional shift inside that can lead to us feeling more positive, relaxed, and confident in ourselves while gaining a healthy present perspective. 

EMDR can be used to address multiple concerns, some including but not limited to trauma, anxiety, and depression. EMDR is an evidence-based tool that may help you Take Your Life Back. Contact us at Therapy Solutions to make an appointment today with our EMDR trained mental health counselors.

In the Community

The 5th Annual Summit on Behavioral Health in Energy Country was held on June 18-19 to tackle the pressing mental health and addiction challenges faced by communities in western North Dakota. This summit aims to raise awareness, share solutions, and address the limited resources available in the region.

One of our mental health counselors, Jenny Skachenko, attended the Summit to learn from experts on a variety of topics surrounding behavioral health. Therapy Solutions also had an exhibitor booth to showcase our wide range of services and to make meaningful connections in the behavioral health community. We had a great time participating again this year!