Resource Articles

September is National Wellness Month, where the focus is on self-care, managing stress, and creating healthy routines. Work/Life Connections-EAP counselor Makenzie Parks, LCSW, shares some simple methods to assist you in caring for yourself.

Do your children feel nervous when returning to school, feeling the pressures of the school year? Work/Life Connections counselor Megan Bergfeld, LCSW, gives helpful advice on how to navigate a potentially stressful time in your children's lives.

On August 30, National Grief Awareness Day recognizes that healing from loss isn’t a prescribed course or path. We may eventually move forward but never feel “closure”. When a loved one dies, the void they leave affects everyone differently. Work/Life Connections-EAP offers comfort to VUMC faculty & staff experiencing grief.

Are you or your children feeling overwhelmed with the onset of the school year? Megan Bergfeld, LCSW, ACM-SW of Work/Life Connections-EAP shares ways to ease the return back into the in-school routine.

Anxiety can be protective response to a threat but in its more extreme form, it can also interfere with daily living. Work/Life Connections-EAP shares ways to deal with anxiety when it arises.

Many of us may be experiencing higher levels of anxiety, exhaustion, and depletion lately. Whether our anxiety is related to work, relationships, illness, and/or sociocultural, the process of navigating its cycle is key. Adriana Kipper-Smith, PhD, and Natalie Dodd, LCSW, of Work/Life Connections-EAP share advice on how to practice self-care during times of high emotional stress.

Many folks think mindfulness requires a dedicated meditation practice, but there are many alternatives you can weave into your day to boost your well-being. Megan Bergfeld, LCSW, of Vanderbilt Work/Life Connections-EAP shares some ways to raise your mental resilience that you can do at the workplace.

How many of us have been asked, “how has your week been?” and realize we have no idea how our week has been going? If that sounds like you, Natalie Dodd, LCSW, of Vanderbilt Work/Life Connections-EAP shares a deceptively simple way to reflect and see the positive in your day.

There is no shock in calling out the fast-paced lifestyle VUMC staff members may experience within the workplace. Natalie Dodd, LCSW, of Vanderbilt Work/Life Connections-EAP shares question to help ground yourself and increases resiliency.

Although technological advances such as telehealth and online meeting platforms have added efficiency and immediacy to our lives in many realms– the experience of loneliness has grown as the disparities in access widen. Heather Kamper, LCSW, of Vanderbilt Work/Life Connections-EAP shares ways to help combat loneliness and stay connected.