Resource Articles

Staying Ahead of Your Creditors

Few stressors in life are more distressing than having creditors calling and then feeling out of control because your spending has exceeded your income. It is overwhelming! Trouble with debt cuts across all social strata from doctors, professors, lawyers to clerks and food service employees. Those who make over $100,000 annually and those who live below the poverty level may owe beyond their ability to pay their bills. Debt is debt.

Stress Busting The Holidays

The winter holiday season is a time of stress; both good and bad. The anticipatory activity before the events can be followed by a whiplash of emotional post-holiday letdown when it is all over. The result may be feeling frazzled. Sometimes the simplest of things becomes the most precious. It is a time that we often postpone our regular self-care efforts and may over do it. Here are some Seasonal "Stressages" (stress-busting messages) to help us cope with the festivities.

Surviving Grief During the Holidays

Written by Ellen Clark, L.C.S.W. The holiday season brings an onslaught of media messages that say that this is "the happiest, most joyful time of the year." Holiday songs convey this message. Magazine covers extol the fun of decorating, cooking, and family gatherings. Consumers are pursued relentlessly to buy, buy, buy, and get that perfect gift. The holiday bar is set high. So why is it that many people find the holidays stressful, lonely, sad, and depressing?

Finding A Mental Health Provider

Finding the right provider is important when beginning the therapeutic process. Work/Life Connections-EAP at 615-936-1327, is available for a confidential meeting with a faculty/staff member of Vanderbilt to assess the presenting problem, identify related issues and consider important demographic considerations (location, insurance, etc.) to assist in matching you with a potential provider. A counselor will suggest three or more potential providers who may meet your needs. The counselor may also talk with you about the process of selecting a provider with whom your are comfortable.

Dealing with Upset People

In our business, we work with people who are sick, hurt and often scared. Because of this, people may become upset with us. Usually problems encountered are not the result of intentional actions we take. They are often the result of communication deficits, system problems, or red tape encountered which the customer is not equipped to handle. Here are some helpful tips when dealing with an upset person at work: