Affiliated Clinical Services

08/18/2026

As summer ends, many people feel the "end-of-summer blues." The sadness or anxiety can come from losing long daylight hours, facing busier schedules, and not fulfilling summer goals. You are not alone if you feel anxious or low right now.

Why It Happens
-Routine stress: Dreading the return of strict school or work schedules; anticipating upcoming change

-Shift in light: Waning daylight hours can change your body's hormone balance.

-High expectations: Feeling sad or disappointed if your summer did not match the fun highlight reels you saw online.

Ways to Cope
-Plan new events: Put a fun autumn activity on your calendar to look forward to.

-Ease into routines: Fix your sleep schedule slowly before fall arrives.

-Stay connected: Spend time talking with friends and family. Continue to get out of the house.

-Utilize resources and supports: Reach out to a professional if your low mood or anxiety become too heavy to handle

08/13/2026

Did You Know that ACS offers TMS? 🧠

What is it? → TMS is an outpatient procedure that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate the area of the brain that is less active in patients with depression.

What are the results? → The majority of patients with treatment-resistant depression experience a significant reduction in depressive symptoms after using TMS.

How often do I receive the treatment? → Patients in the TMS program usually receive treatment 5 days a week for 6 weeks, followed by 3 weeks of tapering. Each treatment session is about 19 minutes long.

What are the side effects? → Some patients may experience scalp soreness during treatment for the first 1-2 weeks, and headaches during the first week, but there are usually no other side-effects.

What are the long-term results? → Approximately 2/3 of TMS patients respond to treatment and 1/2 of TMS responders reach remission from depression. The durability of the treatment is very good for most patients, with patients still experiencing reduced symptoms a year later.

Can you combine it with other treatment modalities? → Yes, results are greatly improved when TMS is combined with other forms of therapy and is part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

Here are some real testimonials from ACS patients:

“When I woke up this morning, I looked in the mirror and thought, 'You know what? I'm finally okay with being who I am.'"

- “Every time I leave here I feel better."

-“Things are brighter; more vivid. I enjoy things more.”

- “I'm more relaxed, I don't stress over things so much. When something stressful does happen, I'm able to handle it better. My whole life has changed.”

-“I don't know how to explain it. I just feel lighter. I'm happy."

- “This (TMS) is changing my life. My whole outlook has changed."

-“I was so depressed and suicidal at times with no relief from antidepressants or counsel. I am totally happy now and depression-free for the first time in my life thanks to TMS and Affiliated.”

Have more questions or want a consultation? Call ACS!

08/11/2026

August is Teen Mental Health Month!

Adolescents are growing up in a world completely different from other generations. Along with the typical ups and downs of adolescence, they are also navigating social media, global events, academic expectations, financial pressures, and increasing concerns about their future.

The earlier we normalize and encourage conversations about emotions, stress, anxiety, and asking for help, the more likely young people are to reach out for support when they need it.

A poll conducted by Ipsos on behalf of NAMI found that many teens are comfortable talking about their mental health but they usually do not start the conversation.

-64% feel the world is more stressful now than when parents were their age

-About 1 in 6 report experiencing negative emotions all the time or often

Check in on your teen! Offer them support and connection. This link has some great resources: https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults/Youth-and-Young-Adult-Resources/

This is a good resource for teens themselves: https://mhanational.org/youth-mental-health/kids-and-teens/

Find mental health resources tailored for youth and young adults, plus support tools for parents, caregivers, and trusted adults.

08/06/2026

It was Friendship Day on Aug 2!

Because friendships are so important, there is now a day dedicated to them. We can acknowledge, appreciate, and celebrate our friendships any day. Whether you have a large group of friends, small, close-knit group, or one go-to person, these people are important to you. It can feel good for you and for them to acknowledge their support.

Here are some ways you can show appreciation for your new friends, close friends and all of them in between:

-Stop by to say hi
-Send them a card/note/email/text/snapchat/etc.
-Spend quality time together doing an activity you both enjoy
-Call or video chat with them
-Share memories or a shout-out on social media
-Give them a meaningful gift
-Reach out to let them know you are thinking of them
-Tell them one reason you are grateful for them
-Accept an invitation to meet someone new

08/03/2026

Welcome to August! There are many important topics to be aware of this month. If any of these are of interest for you, click on the website for links with more information.

National Friendship Day (Aug. 2)- https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-friendship-day-first-sunday-in-august

National Grief Awareness Day (Aug. 30)- https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-grief-awareness-day-august-30

National Wellness Month -https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-wellness-month-august

07/28/2026

🛎 Resource Alert- Insight Timer

If you are wanting to start learning how to practice mindfulness or you want to strengthen the skills, try Insight Timer! This app has a large, free library of 340,000 exercises from psychologists, spiritual leaders, and mindfulness teachers. The guided meditations focus on sleep, emotions, mental health, and spirituality. Therapist, Kellyn Henke, recommends this to her clients, especially when they are first learning how to meditate.

Click on the website or download the Insight Timer app: https://insighttimer.com/

07/23/2026

❤️ July 24 is International Self-Care Day!

The specific date was chosen because self-care can be practiced “24 hours a day/7 days a week.” Self-care is so important. It requires us to focus on taking care of ourselves and putting ourselves first! We can do that in so many ways, including taking care of our health, mental health, relationships and environment.

The theme of this year's Self-Care month is "Self-Care puts your health in your hands: Test. Track. Thrive."

Test – when you need a baseline. To help maintain and improve your health and well-being, you need a clear picture of where you are now.

Track – when you want to see any patterns and introduce/increase self-care actions like eating healthily, exercise and getting enough sleep.

Thrive –live with confidence and watch your health bloom.

Self-Care matters because it:

-protects and maintains your physical and mental health and well-being

-reduces stress and builds resilience

-helps you cope with life’s challenges

-helps keep your body and mind functioning well

Here are 3 International Self-Care Day activities you can do to focus on yourself:

Write a List- make a list of all the ways you can continue to provide self-care for the rest of the year. Ways you can prioritize self-care include reading a good book, having a regular sleep pattern, paying your bills on time, and so on.

2. Stress less- Stress can take a toll on your health, and when we are aware of our stress, we get even more stressed. You can drink tea, take a walk, or journal to relieve stress, and take care of yourself.

3. Meditate- Spending just a few minutes quieting your mind through meditation will go a long way. Meditation has been shown to improve quality of life, so today is a good day to practice it or get into it if you have always wanted to but haven’t found the time yet.

https://nationaltoday.com/international-self-care-day/

https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2026/06/24/default-calendar/self-care-month-2026

07/15/2026

🌞 Mid-Summer Check-In 🌞

We're about halfway through summer. Before the season slips by, take a moment to check in with yourself.

Ask yourself:
- How am I really doing?
-Have I been taking care of myself, or just taking care of everyone else?
-What has been bringing me joy lately?
- Am I getting enough rest?
- Is there something I've been carrying that I don't have to carry alone?

Summer often comes with the expectation that we should feel energized, productive, and constantly making memories. Stress, anxiety, grief, burnout, and overwhelm can show up in every season.

This is your reminder that self-care doesn't have to be elaborate. Sometimes it looks like:
-Drinking enough water
-Taking a walk outside
- Saying "no" without guilt
-Asking for help
-Scheduling downtime or time to rest
-Reaching out to supports
-Setting boundaries as needed

Small, intentional moments of care today can make a big difference tomorrow!

07/06/2026

We hope everyone had a nice 4th of July weekend! There are many important topics to be aware of this month. If any of these are of interest for you, click on the website for links with more information.

Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

International Self-Care Day (July 24)

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most inter...

07/01/2026

Affiliated Clinical Services will be closed on Friday, July 3. Have a safe holiday weekend!