Mental Health Resources

“To love means to open ourselves to the negative as well as the positive- to grief, sorrow, and disappointment as well as to joy, fulfillment, and an intensity of consciousness we did not know was possible before”

-Rollo May

 

 Books

  • Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death by Irvin D. Yalom

  • To Love and Let Go by Rachel Brathen

  • Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief by Joanne Cacciatore

  • First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety by Sarah Wilson

  • The Sunflower: On the Possibilities of Forgiveness and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal

  • The Gift of Therapy by Irvin D. Yalom

  • Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

  • The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

  • The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

  • When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chöddrön

  • When People Grieve by Paula D’Arcy

  • The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Scared Work of grief by Francis Weller

Grief & Loss Resources

  • Hospice Austin: bereavement resources including (English and Spanish speaking) individual (children, adolescents, and adults), couple, family, and group counseling at discounted rates or in some cases free of charge. They also have free monthly webinars and presentations.

  • Christi Center: free and ongoing grief support for several different types of losses and all ages in both English and Spanish. They also have free resources and information on their website.

  • The Austin Center for Grief & Loss: they strive to help anyone in need regardless of their ability to pay and also offer sliding scale fees. They offer individual counseling for all ages as well as Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) in both English and Spanish to deal with trauma. They also offer peer-based support groups as well as different types of therapy groups and workshops.

  • Podcast: I had the pleasure of being on Hannah Garland’s well-being podcast where we discuss and I explain all about: grief & loss, death, and hospice care. Hannah Garland is a local Austin holistic health coach who has several other podcasts related to wellness and well-being as well as vegan recipes and other insightful information. You can find her website filled with recipes, podcasts, and blog posts here.

Terminal Illness Resources

  • Hospice Austin: provides comfortable and caring hospice care for terminally ill patients including resources and support for their caregivers.

  • Texas Oncology: provides a multitude of resources for patients with a wide range of cancers and for all ages as well as their caregivers. Includes: resources, support groups, counseling, transportation, and care assistance.

  • Hospice Foundation of America: provides information and resources about hospice care.

  • Flatwater Foundation: committed to providing those diagnosed with cancer, as well as their families and loved ones, with mental health support in both traditional and non-traditional ways and family support.

Mental Health Resources

  • Psych Dimensions is a psychiatric mental health clinic providing psychotherapy and medication management.

  • Integral Care offers support for adults and children with mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities through ongoing counseling, drug and alcohol treatment, and housing. Integral Care also offers a 24/7 crisis hotline, as well as other crisis support.

  • NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) Central Texas provides advocacy programs, education, and support for those with mental illnesses and their families.

  • Capital Area Counseling offers affordable, no session limit counseling in North Austin.

  • St. Edward’s University Community Counseling Clinic offers low sliding scale counseling sessions ($15 for individuals, $20 for families and couples) but will work with clients for lower cost counseling on an as-needed basis.