6 steps to keeping New Year's Resolutions

Tackling New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of year where most of us are contemplating changes we can implement to better our lives.  Often these changes include weight loss, increasing exercise, quitting smoking, healthier eating, handling finances better, and many more.  Despite the best of intentions, New Year’s resolutions often don’t become a permanent change in our routines.  When we realize that we’ve failed to meet our goals, our mental health can be negatively impacted.  Utilizing a plan of action, a positive attitude, and a support system can help us to turn our resolutions into solid life changes.

Steps we can take to ensure success are:

(1) start small – don’t make your goals so large that it will be impossible to meet them.

(2) focus on one behavior – attempting to change multiple behaviors becomes overwhelming and often leads us to give up.

(3) Verbalize your intentions – bring your friends and family on board, some may join you in your goals while others will support your efforts.

(4) Don’t be so hard on yourself – change takes time, allow yourself to make mistakes and don’t use them as an excuse to give up.

(5) Be Consistent when you start to become inconsistent - When you don't follow through with your resolution one day, pick it right back up the next day.  This will develop consistency and patience with yourself along the way.

(6) Ask for help – accept help from those who you’re close to.  When you’re struggling with reaching your goals and the ensuing negativity, reach out for help from those whom you trust or from a professional mental health provider.  Outside perspectives can help you develop new strategies and coping mechanisms to achieve the changes you want in your life.

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern and Charity Loring, LMSW

Loring Therapy LLC

loringtherapy.com

Adapted from the APA Online Publication, “Making your New Year’s resolution stick.” 

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/resolution.aspx

5 Steps to Manage Holiday Stress

       It’s not uncommon to hear that people are entering the holiday season with an overwhelming feeling of dread.  For many of us, the holiday season highlights the things that we are missing in our lives.  The holiday blues often include: pressure to feel joyful, remembering past holidays, thoughts of lost loved ones, loneliness, money problems, and winter weather/lack of sunlight.  

1. Despite the difficulties of the holiday season, there are things we can do to lessen our stress. 
2. Don’t dismiss the way you feel, forcing yourself to feel a particular way may make you feel worse.  
3. Try to get in twenty minutes of sun daily.  Both exercise and sun can help maintain healthy chemical balances in your body that keep depression and stress under control.  
4.  Volunteer to help someone else (soup kitchen, nursing home, homeless shelter, etc.).  
5.  Create new traditions that incorporate things you enjoy.  
6.  Stay busy and fill your calendar with pleasurable events or people.  

Being prepared for the holidays will help to navigate them with less stress and depression.  One of the most important things you can do to alleviate holiday negativity is to recognize the positives in your life.  Take the time to do some self-reflection and identify all of the things you have going for you.  Incorporating these things along with some healthy perspective can make your holiday season much more manageable and enjoyable.  

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern, Loring Therapy LLC

loringtherapy.com

Adapted from the 2006 Psych Central Article, “Beating the Holiday Blues,” by Maud Purcell. 

http://psychcentral.com/lib/beating-the-holiday-blues/000390

Emotional Hygiene

Did you brush your teeth?

Did you shower?

Did you work on your Emotional Hygiene?

No? 

Emotional Hygiene is creating small daily habits of addressing our emotional issues.

Some of the things we can do to keep our Emotional Hygiene clean are:

1. Pay attention to emotional pain - If you had physical pain lasting more than a few days, you would probably go to the doctor. Treating emotional pain is just as important. You may want to treat it with self help exercises or get help from a Therapist.
2. Protect Your Self Esteem - Our Self Esteem is like and emotional immune system.  When we are feeling down about ourselves, we don't cope as well as we would like. When we are feeling better about ourselves, we tend to cope with the stress of life better. There are many techniques to use for this or you can get professional help from a local Counselor.  Stay posted for some of these techniques in upcoming Blogs.

We should put as much effort towards strengthening our minds as we do our teeth. Emotional Hygiene assists us in that daily process.

Written by: Charity M. Loring, LMSW, Clinical Therapist

Loring Therapy, LLC

www.loringtherapy.com

Adapted from - G. Winch, Steps to Emotional Hygiene

Care for your Emotional Health just as much as your Physical Health

Emotional Self-Care

*TIP* - WRITE out this exercise. If you just think about this, it may not absorb as thoroughly as it would if you were to take the time and write it out. Example: If you said you were hungry, but just thought about food, you would still be hungry.  Writing is like preparing the food. Re-reading what you have written is like eating or absorbing the food.

Step 1 - Write or type out actual attributes you believe you have in the important realms in your life. If Relationships are an important realm, what attributes do you believe you have when it comes to relationships? You can address different realms as well such as: Work, Social life etc.

Step 2 - Write an essay on why you value those attributes in others and why you think others value those attributes in general.

Written by loringtherapy.com

Adapted by G. Winch  - Emotional First Aid

How to cope with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

Now that the winter months are coming, it’s important to be aware of the seasonal blues. Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that affects us primarily in the winter months, draining our energy and making us feel more moody. Here are some symptoms and possible treatments for SAD.

Symptoms:

• Low energy
• Oversleeping
• Irritability
• Problems getting along with other people
• Appetite changes, especially craving carbs
• Hypersensitivity to rejection
• Weight gain

Ways to cope:

Light Therapy- This therapy requires one to sit in front of a special light that mimics natural outdoor light. Doing so cause changes in brain chemicals that are linked to mood. This treatment usually works in a few days to two weeks and has very limited side effects. You can talk to your doctor about if this treatment is right for you. 

Talk Therapy- Having either individual and group therapy can help deal with the effect of SAD. Therapy can help you identify and change negative behaviors that make you feel worse and learn to manage stress. 

Exercise- Exercise improves your mood as well as decrease your levels of stress which often can increase feelings of depression during the winter months. One hour of exercise is equivalent to 2.5 hours of light therapy. Taking a brisk walk or run, sledding or having a fun snowball fight can decrease feelings of depression this winter.  

Written By: Jenai Muhammad, graduate level intern, Loring Therapy, LLC www.loringtherapy.com Adapted from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/treatment/con-20021047

How exercise helps your brain

       We often hear that exercise is one of the things we can do to improve our mental health.  It isn’t uncommon for us to disregard this information due to our busy lives, disbelief, or lack of interest.  While we’re often indifferent to the benefits of using exercise as a tool for mental health, studies show that active individuals are less depressed than inactive people.  Research also indicates that regular exercise can be used to treat and maybe even prevent anxiety.  

So, what is it about exercise that helps our brain?  There are multiple factors that can contribute to the effectiveness of exercise.  These factors exist on a physiological, psychological, and social level.  

1. When our bodies are healthy and active, communication between the brain and the body is in better in tune to handle our emotions.  In the primitive days our bodies were designed to deal with stress and fear by either running or fighting, so it makes sense that exercise can aid us in dealing with anxiety and stress.  
2. Biologically speaking, endorphins and BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) increase in our brain leaving us feeling somewhat euphoric because BDNF has a protective and reparative trait that affects our neurons. So in essence, endorphins and BDNF make us feel good! The somewhat scary part is that they have a very similar and addictive behavior like morphine, heroine or nicotine. The only difference? Well, it’s actually good for us. 
3. Exercise can also work to help us feel better about ourselves and our bodies which often contributes to healthier and more confident social interactions.

When starting an exercise routine, go slow.  It’s important to not overwhelm yourself or sustain injuries.  Get a feel for what your body can do and pay attention to your mental status when you’re done exercising.  Be mindful of what feels best for your body and your brain and use that as a guide for creating a routine for yourself.  

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern, Loring Therapy LLC

loringtherapy.com

Edited by Charity M. Loring, LMSW

Adapted from the American Psychological Association Article,

 “The Exercise Effect,” by Kirsten Weir

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise.aspx

6 steps to stand Up to Your Social Anxiety!

Most of us experience social anxiety of some sort.  Whether you’re fearful to speak in public or scared of large crowds, there are ways to control and reduce social anxiety.  Because social anxiety exists in many different forms and has multiple levels of severity, it is important for you to sit down and determine how much of an impact it’s having on your life.  

Here is a list of some of the most helpful things we can do to address social anxiety:

1. Try a self-help manual – self-help manuals can be great tools for battling social anxiety.  They’ll provide a multitude of example situations and options for coping with your anxiety.  They also often provide exercises to help calm your anxiety.
2. Work with a therapist – if you’re not having luck tackling social anxiety on your own, contact a therapist.  A therapist can help you identify reasons for your anxiety and will also help you find ways to cope and conquer your social anxiety.
3. Practice deep breathing every day – having a calm body and mind helps minimize your stress response to anxiety producing situations.  Regular breathing exercises daily can go a long way to helping you deal with social anxiety.
4. Create an exposure hierarchy – write down ten things that you fear the 

most and rank them on a 100 point scale (0 being no anxiety and 100 being the most anxiety you’ve ever felt).  Once you have the list created, you start doing those activities starting with the easiest one and moving your way up to the #1 anxiety producing item. 

1. Create objective goals – don’t start with the hardest thing on your list 

and then berate yourself for not being able to complete it.  Be smart and fair when setting your goals.  Don’t base your goals on other people or your own negative judgments.  If you set a goal to say a minimum of three comments at a work meeting,  you do say three comments but you stuttered, that is a success not a failure.  Your goal was to say three comments, forget about the fact that you stuttered and give yourself credit for meeting your goal!!

1. Keep a rational outlook – avoid telling yourself that you’ll fail or that 

there is no way you can accomplish a particular task.  Take a moment to stop and think logically about your situation.  Don’t look at things in an all or nothing fashion, give yourself a pat on the back for attempts and partial completions of tasks you normally would just avoid!!  

Try incorporating the above list into your life and you’ll surely find something that will help you to battle your social anxiety!!!

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern, Loring Therapy LLC

Edited by: Charity M. Loring, LMSW

loringtherapy.com

Adapted from the article, “6 Ways to Overcome Social Anxiety” 

by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.

URL:  http://psychcentral.com/lib/6-ways-to-overcome-social-anxiety/00017631

Learned Helplessness -AKA- Victim Mentality and how to Address it

You are not always a Victim of your circumstances. Addressing Learned Helplessness

Learned Helplessness -AKA- Victim Mentality:

A behavioral state and personality trait of a person who believes they have little to no control over their life, even when control is possible. People who have learned helplessness tend to take on a victim mentality and give up very easily on a consistent basis when trying to accomplish important life goals. A common mantra is “What’s the point in trying?”

Learned Helplessness and Mental Illnesses

Learned helplessness has often been associated with several different psychological disorders. Depression, anxiety and certain phobias are the most common. When people feel a lack of control over their feelings and emotions, sometimes they quit trying to be anything different than depressed or anxious. Learned helplessness is dangerous in mental illness because it implies that the disease has control over the individual. Unfortunately, he individual is also controlled by the medication being used to treat the disease and is terrified of not having it. In some cases, the feeling of helplessness can lead to hopelessness, which can then lead to suicidal thoughts or attempts.

Solutions For Overcoming Learned Helplessness

Included are some DIY techniques.  However, it you struggle with them on your own, it is recommended to seek the help of a certified Mental Health Counselor.

When it comes to learned helplessness, the most important factor seems to be control. Humans need to feel they have some level of control over their lives. When someone feels as though they have no control, the feeling comes from a perception and perceptions are formed as a result of sensory input from our experiences in the world.

The good news is that because the feelings and behaviors associated with learned helplessness are the result of negative perceptions, they can be changed. Negative thinking may bring negative results because your thinking dictates who you are and where you’ll go. Changing perceptions involves changing thinking, but not just from negative to positive. It also requires changing the response to a stimulus from the one you have already learned (learned helplessness) by associating it with a new response.

There are some techniques that can help facilitate the development of new perceptions.

1. Reframing- Reframing was one of the first techniques developed and is still quite useful today. Part of its power comes from the fact that reframing can be performed with language alone. With reframing, you are training the part of the mind that causes a behavior (or response). Reframing works best when someone, ideally a therapist, is doing it with the person who has learned helplessness.

Steps of Reframing
• Identify the unwanted behavior. In the case of learned helplessness, the unwanted behavior is the immediate negative response to your perceived lack of control.
• Initiate communication with the ‘part’ of the client that is causing the behavior.
• Ask the ‘part’ to identify what the positive outcome of the behavior is (every behavior should have a positive outcome)
• Ask the ‘part’ to find several other ways to achieve the same outcome
• Gain the ‘parts’ agreement to try out the other behaviors to find a more useful behavior.

2. Belief Change- Since learned helplessness is a limiting belief about oneself; changing the belief can eliminate it. One technique that is used is called the Belief Change technique.

Steps for Belief Change-
• Identify a limiting belief you’d like to change. (E.g., I’ll always be overweight; I don’t ever have enough money, I can’t be happy because I have a mental illness). These beliefs are ‘negative affirmations’
• Construct a realistic/positive affirmation using the following form: I am xxxxx.

The keys to creating powerful affirmations are as follows:
Make them realistic and/or positive (What you want, not what you don’t want)
Make them identify-based (‘I’)
Make them present-tense (‘I am…’)
Make them emotionally powerful

▪ Say your new affirmation. Notice what thoughts and feelings are triggered and accept them. (The first time you say your new affirmation it will not seem ‘true’ to you. It is likely that you’ll have certain sensations and thoughts as a result, so be especially aware of any pictures that pop into your head, voices in your head, and feelings in your body. Often it is the feelings that keep an old belief in place, resisting the new one.)

▪ Reinforce your new belief by repeating your affirmation daily, allowing yourself to feel how you’ll feel when it’s true, and by noticing proof that supports it.

While learned helplessness is a behavioral response to certain perceptions we form about the world we live in, it is not a terminal illness. Learned helplessness is a behavioral response that can be changed through the use of some of these techniques that work toward changing perceptions from old negative thought patterns to new realistic/positive affirmations.

Written by: Charity M. Loring, LMSW

Loring Therapy LLC

loringtherapy.com

Adapted from Personality Disorder, Out of the Fog & Solutions for overcoming Learned Helplessness, D. Baret, Behavioral Brain Research 2005

Helping yourself during Depression

Self-Help for Depression

Depression can appear in our lives unexpectedly causing major issues with our health and well-being.  Some forms of depression are situational, seasonal, chronic, major, or depression linked to another mental health condition.  Regardless of type, depression can cause any number of unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.  There is treatment available in the form of talk therapy, monitored prescription medication use, and lifestyle changes.  We’ve all heard how exercising, diet changes, and adequate sleep can help depression.  But what if our depression gets in the way of being able to do those things?? If you’re stuck at this point, the key is to start small.  Break things down into manageable pieces.  We may not be able to get in a full exercise routine, but perhaps we can take a small walk.  Baby steps are essential to battling depression.  If we set goals that are too large then we can sink even deeper into depression when we don’t meet them.

Some other things we can do to alleviate our depression:  talk to a close friend or family member, join a support group, try to regularly see friends and family (even if it’s only briefly), remember things you enjoyed doing and take small steps to reincorporate them into your life, physical movement (start small), logical thinking, and avoiding things that contribute to depression.  Most of those things are self-explanatory, but let us take a closer look at logical thinking and avoidance.  What do we mean by logical thinking?  When you’re thinking negative thoughts that directly impact your mood, take the time to sit down and analyze why you’re thinking this way.  Ask yourself the following questions: is this a valid thought?  What evidence do I have to support this thought? Have I always felt this way? What are other explanations for how I feel?  What’s the worst that could happen, the best, the most realistic? How would I respond to a friend dealing with the same problem?  And, finally, what are the benefits or costs to thinking this way?  Taking the time to analyze our thought process often allows us to see the irrationality of our thoughts that contribute to depression.  Once we recognize that pattern we can take steps to change how we think.  In terms of avoidance, we want to avoid things like alcohol or substance abuse, locking ourselves away from others, and participating in any risky behavior.  These behaviors will only serve to deepen depression making the path to recovery longer and harder.  

Remember to be kind to yourself.  If none of these things help, consider contacting your medical doctor or mental health provider for more assistance.

   

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern, 

Loring Therapy LLC

loringtherapy.com

Adapted from the WebMD Feature, “Help Yourself out of Depression,” by Martin Downs, MPH

http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/help-yourself-out-of-depression

Mental Health and Women

       There are many factors that can contribute to the status of our mental health.  Economic status, discrimination, trauma, and physical health are just some of the issues that can contribute to mental health disparities.   Mental illness can affect anyone regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, etc.  While mental illness has no boundaries on reaching people, it is important to recognize that it can present differently.  Due to biological, genetic, and social differences, mental illness symptoms can appear in significantly varying ways.  Awareness of these differences is essential to recognizing mental illness so treatment can be sought.

Differences between men and women are common because we are often socialized in a way that enforces gender role stereotypes and discrimination.  This stereotyping and discrimination can be damaging for both men and women when it comes to developing and treating mental illness.  Women are at higher risk for developing certain mental illnesses, in particular eating disorders and depression.   Women must deal with hormone fluctuations that can directly affect mood and mental health.  Women frequently also face the stress attached to being a homemaker/caretaker often on top of working a part or fulltime job.  Women are socialized to believe they should look and behave a certain way.  It’s no wonder women are at risk given all of the adversity they face just being born a woman.

There are many things outside of our control when it comes to mental illness, however, there are many things we can control that will help ease symptoms.  Taking care of our bodies and minds is so important as they are closely connected.  A healthy body will help maintain a healthy mind and vice versa.  Some things that we can do to improve our health are to build self-esteem, set realistic goals, find meaning and value in life, learn healthy coping skills, and maintaining healthy relationships.  Mental illness is not your fault and seeking help is not a weakness.  Below you’ll find a number of resources should you find yourself needing help.

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern, Loring Therapy LLC

loringtherapy.com

Edited by: Charity Loring, LMSW

Adapted from the 2008 epublication: 

The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for all Ages – Ch. 16, Mental Health 

by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/the-healthy-woman/mental_health.pdf

RESOURCES

Local Support

• Loring Therapy

Affordable Individual, Couples, Family Counseling - Sliding Scale based on income

Garden City, MI

loringtherapy.com

• Emotional Support Collaborative - Facilitated by Loring Therapy

Free Group Therapy

http://www.meetup.com/Emotional-Support-Collaborative/  

Statewide and National Support

• Office on Women’s Health, HHS 

200 Independence Ave SW, Room 712E Washington, DC 20201

Web site: www.womenshealth.gov/mh 

Phone number: (800) 994-9662, (888) 220-5446 TDD 

• National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA 

Web site: www.ncptsd.va.gov 

Phone number: (802) 296-6300

• National Institute of Mental Health, NIH 

6001 Executive Blvd, Room 8184, MSC 9663 Bethesda, MD 20892-9663

Web site: www.nimh.nih.gov 

Phone number: (866) 615-6464, (866) 415-8051 TTY 

• National Mental Health Information Center, SAMHSA 

PO Box 42557 Washington, DC 20015 

Web site: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov 

Phone number: (800) 789-2647, (866) 889-2647 TDD 

• American Psychiatric Association 

1000 Wilson Blvd, Suite 1825 Arlington, VA 22209 

Web site: www.healthyminds.org 

Phone number: (888) 357-7924 

• American Psychological Association 

750 First St NE Washington, DC 20002-4242 

Web site: www.apa.org www.apahelpcenter.org 

• Anxiety Disorders Association of America 

8730 Georgia Ave, Suite 600 Silver Spring, MD 20910 

Web site: www.adaa.org 

• Mental Health America 

2000 N Beauregard St, 6th Floor Alexandria, VA 22311 

Web site: www.mentalhealthamerica.net 

Phone number: (800) 969-6642, (800) 433-5959 TTY 

• National Alliance on Mental Illness 

Colonial Place Three 

2107 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300 Arlington, VA 22201-3042 

Web site: www.nami.org 

Phone number: (800) 950-6264 

• National Center for Girls and Women with AD/HD 

3268 Arcadia Pl NW Washington, DC 20015 

Web site: www.ncgiadd.org 

Phone number: (888) 238-8588 

• National Eating Disorders Association 

603 Stewart St, Suite 803 Seattle, WA 98101

Web site: www.nationaleatingdisorders.org 

Phone number: (800) 931-2237 

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 

Web site: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org 

Phone number: (800) 273-8255, (800) 799-4889 TTY

• Postpartum Support International 

Web site: www.postpartum.net 

Phone number: (800) 944-4773

Don't let your Anger get the best of You

Everyone gets angry, it is a natural emotion and we are entitled to feel that way sometimes. However, anger can get the best of us at times and we don’t end up making the best decisions because of it. Here are some tips to help us manage our anger and express it in a healthy way. 

 

1. Think before you speak- In the heat of the moment we may say things we will eventually regret. To keep this from happening allow yourself time to gather your thoughts then address the situation. 

2. Once you’re calm, express your anger- Express your anger in a non-confrontational and assertive manner. 

3. Identify possible solutions-Don’t just focus on why you’re angry, also put focus on how to solve the issue at hand. 

4. “I” Statements- Use “I” statements to address the person you have an issue with, that way you can avoid criticizing or placing blame on others. 

5. Practice relaxation skills- Practice deep breathing techniques to help you relax. These relaxation skills decrease tension and allow you to approach the situation with a level head. 

6. Don’t hold a grudge- Once the situation is addressed, forgive. Holding onto a grudge isn’t healthy for anyone.

 Written By: Jenai Muhammad, graduate level intern, Loring Therapy, LLC 

Edited by: Charity Loring, LMSW

www.loringtherapy.com Adapted from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/anger-management/art-20045434?pg=2

1 step towards improving your relationship

Step 1 - Put down your smart device, make eye, verbal and physical contact with someone you care about and spend quality time with them.  

That’s it. Do it and you’ll see a change in your relationship.

This comes with a money back guarantee, because this advice was given for free.

Charity Loring, LMSW

Clinical Therapist

Loringtherapy.com

Coming Out in our society

LGBTQI Coming Out in a Hetero-Normative Society

​Living in a hetero-normative society means that the majority of people function under the belief that people are inherently heterosexual.  People don’t have to “come out” as heterosexual.  Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer, or intersexed individuals on the other hand are expected to either hide who they are or to personally and publically announce their status.  As the LGBTQI movement progresses, the process of coming out has become easier for some.  We celebrate national coming out day and encourage people to be honest with themselves and those in their life about who they are.  Despite all of our steps forward, there are still many factors about coming out that can cause mild to severe emotional distress.  

​Most individuals encounter some form of self-judgment, depression, anxiety, or other emotional/mental struggles throughout their lives.  For LGBTQI individuals these issues can be compounded by the social and political climate we live in.  Imagine someone struggling with general beliefs that they are not good enough.  Self-worth issues are difficult to navigate on their own, but if we add exclusionary societal views and denial of civil rights then we have the potential for major mental distress.  These issues can make the decision to “come out” extremely difficult.  Remember that you are in charge of your life, you can make the decision of who you tell and when.  There are many benefits to coming out, however, there are also risks. These benefits and risks vary based on location, age, economic status, race, culture, gender, religion, and many other factors.  ONLY YOU can decide what is right for you in terms of your coming out journey.  

​Despite the discrimination faced by the LGBTQI community, it is important to note that history is being made as more and more states are moving forward in providing rights for LGBTQI individuals.  If you’re struggling or know someone who is struggling, look into local resources and support groups.  Some available resources are listed below.

Affirmations

www.goaffirmations.org

290 W. Nine Mile Rd.
Ferndale, MI 48220

(248) 398-7105

Toll-free Helpline: 
1-800-398-GAYS (4297)

Local LGBT Therapeutic Support Groups

Loring Therapy

2240 Middlebelt Rd.

Garden City, MI

http://www.meetup.com/Emotional-Support-Collaborative/  

Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

www.hrc.org

The Ruth Ellis Center

77 Victor St, Highland Park, MI 48203
(313) 867-6936

www.ruthelliscenter.org

Jim Toy Community Center

319 Braun Court 

Ann Arbor, MI 48104 

734.995.9867

www.jimtoycenter.org

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern, Loring Therapy LLC

Edited by: Charity Loring, LMSW

loringtherapy.com

Adapted from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Resource Guide 

to Coming Out 

URL:  http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/resource-guide-to-coming-out