A Plus Wellness

😎Anyone else loving the weather? 🌞When it's 70's or above so many days in a row it's hard to not get excited.🤩
I'm excited about my squash sprouts🌱, and the vines and veggies that are to come! And check out my orchid 🌸 after two years, it's flowered again 🙌👏
Having something to look forward to is a mood booster, can increase motivation and even lower stress! 😀This can be called anticipatory joy. Even just thinking about an upcoming event you're looking forward to sparks the release of dopamine in the brain. 🥳
So, what are you looking forward to this summer?

👏👏👏Thank you, Yaryna, for an unexpected, but encouraging school year. Last fall, we were offered the opportunity to take on a high school intern, someone interested in the mental health field, we said "yes" and didn't look back. 😁

Yaryna helped amp up our website resources, kept our FB posts flowing, helped lead a small group, learned all about being a therapist by doing research, planning for sample clients, learning about notes, billing, follow-up, working with parents, school and even took field trips to learn about alllllll the different avenues you can take in the mental health field and she embraced it all!

Just here to give her a shout out and say THANK YOU! Enjoy EVERY moment of these next years in your young adult journey.🙌🥳👏

👩🏻‍🎓For many students like me in the class of 2026, the end of the school year & graduation are approaching. Both can bring a mix of conflicting feelings—😆😟😣😥. Sure, this has been a moment anticipated since the dawn of time, reflected in thousands of coming-of-age movies that wrap up adolescence in a pretty 🎀 and a thoughtful message to make growing up look like a beautiful thing, but where does it go from here? What happens after the credits roll, and you’re left to wonder if you’re truly ready to emulate it yourself? 🤷🏾‍♀️
Adulthood is scary, change is scary, and it’s perfectly normal to be unsure of what to do next. 🫣 With the routine you’ve been accustomed to all of your life being taken away from you, it’s natural to be on edge with this new independence that yields like a double-edged sword. This is a new beginning, one that will evoke a lot of uncertainty and doubt, but rather than trying to figure everything out and reinventing who you are, it’s okay to take things slow and still carry the same interests, goals, and hobbies as before—and allow them to evolve as you do.
Over my time at A + Wellness as an intern, I was able to get a glimpse of adulthood from another perspective. At first, being in a work-like environment and interacting with therapists for the first time was something I had thought to be comically intimidating at 17🧐, and somewhere where I wasn’t quite ready to be yet. Being around so many intelligent people who had years of experience in psychological fields opened up a whole new Pandora’s box of opportunity to actually see what it is that I had been glamorizing so hard for years prior, picturing it as something I would do once I had graduated, gotten years of experience under my belt, and presumably had my life all figured out.🙃
Over this past school year, exposing myself to the reality of adulthood and a career, the ups and the downs, the good, bad, and the ugly, didn’t provide the earth-shattering wake-up call that I pessimistically thought it would, as I had instead grown to love every second of it💞. Branching out of my comfort zone and living through the life that I may or may not have down the line instead gave me some much-needed reassurance in knowing that I do have the potential to do greater things🙌, and adult responsibilities will never fully change who I am; as a period of my life cannot take away who I am or the experiences that I’ve lived through.
I am so appreciative of having had this opportunity, and wish all of you who are going through a period of change the best of luck, as well as reassurance🥳. The best thing you can do in the face of uncertainty is to embrace it fully, and to be willing to go through the next step that life will give you.👏
-Yaryna

Yesterday, May 10th, 2026, was U.S. Mother’s Day, a special time to recognize all the mother figures of the world for their dedication to raising others and making the continuous effort to adhere to the label, taking care of and teaching children, even long after they’ve reached adulthood.

Although becoming a mother is a common experience that many women go through or desire to attain, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t significant strains and hardships when undergoing the transition from a young, autonomous woman to a mother who has to bear new responsibilities and commit herself to caring for another or more than one person. Even before we are born, we are given care through nutrients and a safe environment, and as we start connecting with the real world, one of the first connections we make is often with our mothers, which is a delicate and rewarding moment for both parties, but can also be a large factor of stress for them as well.

Regardless of how we were raised, there can be no doubt that maternal figures play a key role in helping us develop into the person we are. In comforting us, encouraging us to try new things, and providing us with the resources we need to explore our likes and dislikes, they help teach us what it means to be human.

If you have a mother or significant female role model in your life, take the time to recognize and thank them for all that they have sacrificed in aiding your personal growth, and continue the tradition of bonding with each other through kindness and companionship. Happy belated Mother's Day❤!

👧👦Did you know that the latest National Survey of Children’s Health Data revealed that nearly 1 in 3 youth aged 12 to 17 had a mental, developmental, or behavioral problem in 2022-2023? That’s almost 31% of youth!😳

Given that data, it’s no surprise that in recent years, there has been recent talk surrounding the mental health crisis in children, and 2026’s National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week is observed on May 3rd - 9th for that very reason — to focus on highlighting the children and young people who are experiencing this issue, and many more who do not have the social support or resources to get diagnosed and the help they need.💞

Youth are the most vulnerable demographic, who need reassurance and support in their development and time of need. Many factors could influence their behavior and contribute to their actions later on in life, such as socioeconomic status, family life, stigma, culture, religion, and more. If their needs aren’t met, their conditions could worsen and extend into adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults.🙌

Unfortunately, although the idea of mental health is no longer as stigmatized as it has been in the past decades, there is still a lot of progress to be made. If you or someone you know has a child who you think may be displaying signs of some mental health conditions, it is crucial to address their needs, take them seriously, and ensure that you’ve provided them with a safe space to be honest about what they're feeling and facing.🗣

Photo care of: Mindwise
More resources can be found below:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
https://www.aecf.org/blog/youth-mental-health-statistics

A very Happy Birthday to our very own Monica!! 🥳🎂 We wish you a fun, fruitful and exciting year ahead 🤩

🇲🇽Many of you probably know May 5, or Cinco De Mayo, as a celebration rooted in Mexican culture, but mostly characterize it by over-the-top-parties, alcohol, and Mexican food galore—
but do you know the true origins behind the holiday and how its history actually led to the existence of the United States as we know it today?

To anyone who celebrates the holiday, happy Cinco De Mayo! No matter how you choose to celebrate, let’s not forget to honor the Pueblo people in the midst of your festivities.

May 5th commemorates Mexico’s surprise victory over the French in the battle of Puebla 1862, despite being outnumbered and competing with one of the most powerful armed forces at the time.
By defeating France, Mexico:
* was able to delay French intervention in the American Civil War,
*prevented France from aiding the Confederacy
*which helped boost Union morale and helped aid in their victory, which provided the building foundations for the country leading into the modern era.

Cinco de Mayo is more than just a date in Puebla, the capital and largest city of the state of Puebla, and one of the largest cities in Mexico.
The day and following weeks feature:
* a massive military parade,
*a detailed reenactment of the 1862 battle,
*and an annual festival that exemplifies the tradition of its people and culture whose historical origins aren’t quite as clear as the way it is celebrated in the United States.

🇲🇽

May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, is a time to recognize the struggles and perseverance that the working class has demonstrated throughout the centuries, going from suffering underpayment and unsanitary working conditions to becoming a powerful voice for representation around the world. Today, we have the luxury of having an 8-hour workday, all thanks to the event that inspired this day, the 1886 Chicago Haymarket affair, which paved the way for many other victories during the Labor Movement and beyond.

In a time where school curricula are shrinking and education seems to be in jeopardy, it’s very important to preserve the history of labor struggles, to remember that community can surpass geographical lines, cultures, and nationalities, and that when people come together to advocate for injustice, change can be made for all, and corruption can be confronted. No matter your background, you aren’t just an ordinary person—you have the power to effect change, and by using your voice to start the conversation going, you could be creating the start to something much larger.

For more information about May Day, use the resources below.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/May-Day-international-observance
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/international-workers-day-may-1
https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/may-day-2026-u-s-labor-movement-reclaims-international-workers-day/

May Day 2026: U.S. labor movement reclaims International Workers’ Day For most of the 20th century, May Day—International Workers' Day—was largely absent from the official calendar of the U.S. labor movement. While workers around the globe marched on May 1 to honor the martyrs of Chicago’s 1886 Haymarket uprising, bosses here at home pushed their employees to on...

April is well known as the month of nature and environmentalism. If the proverb “April showers bring May flowers” or Earth Day didn’t make it evident enough, it is also recognized as Keep America Beautiful Month (KAB), an initiative that focuses on the goal of bringing people together to clean their communities and make the world a more beautiful place, starting with working on ourselves within.

Of course, this can be done by being more mindful of our consumption and the way we treat the world, but in order to truly make the Earth inhabitable and welcoming to all human beings, things, and animals alike, we need to learn how to display kindness and willingness to support everyone. When we organize events and participate in local cleanups, we are paving the way for opportunities to build connections with others who have the same goals and create a sense of belonging. Showing care for others goes a long way, and the way you treat others reflects the way you treat the planet as well. If you want to live in a world that you are proud of and want to take part in, don’t just go green; be kind.



Resources:

EBSCO - Research Databases, EBooks, Discovery Service EBSCO is the leading provider of research databases, e-journals, magazine subscriptions, ebooks and discovery service for academic libraries, public libraries, corporations, schools, government and medical institutions

I bet if I asked you to picture something/someone beautiful there would be color involved, a smile brought to your face and joy in your heart... my challenge to you is to find ways to not only keep that feeling going for yourself, but for others also. We have an incredible opportunity with every breath and every interaction to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities (whether online or IRL) beautiful.

Your task:
*say hi to someone you don't usually talk to
*text a thoughtful message to someone you haven't talked to in a while
*invite a neighbor for coffee or dinner
*schedule a playdate for your child
*do art or take more pictures of your loved ones and nature
*start a garden (even if it's just one new plant!)
*enjoy the beauty that we were given through nature and animals (& share them with others)

We have a chance to make America beautiful because of the beautiful humans (& creatures) that live here.