True Trails

05/15/2019

⁣Sometimes being stuck is exactly what we need. Have you ever felt like things aren’t moving the way they should in life? Are you stuck in a job that seems to be going nowhere or a relationship that seems stale? No matter what you try things don’t move the way that you’d like. This, by all means, is not an exciting feeling and tends to build anxiety. We place a lot of attention on the idea that things must always be moving forward but often this leads us to become upset when it doesn’t, creating distress based on a faulty belief. There are only a certain number of miles that you can walk before your body needs to stop, and then you start again. The same process goes with life. Being stuck is not fun, but that doesn’t mean that it is a bad thing.⠀
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What should you do when you are stuck? Sometimes things aren’t moving, and that is okay. In these moments when you feel stuck it is important to embrace your stuck-ness and focus on creating positive change in other areas of your life. Being stuck gives us the opportunity to take a break, evaluate our situation by focusing on the present, and give us time to focus on what is important and exciting. While being stuck take time to evaluate the important things in your current life, friends, family, your hobbies, or catching up on Game of Thrones. Being stuck forces you to stop and spend your energy on the most important things. If you are stuck at a job feeling like you are going nowhere you may have many difficult feelings about your situation. If I have done all I can do with the job search I can then focus on improving the other things in my life. Go out with a friend that you have not seen in a while, start a craft project at home, or get that house chore done that you’ve been meaning to do. Being stuck is as good or bad as you make it. It gives you an opportunity to spend more time with the things that you enjoy the most. ⠀
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05/14/2019

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/21230/459013?sid=5cdb0b3c4c216&ref=16&rec_next=21&tr=ResultsProfileBtn

Check out my profile on Psychology Today! I am accepting new clients.

True Trails Hiking, Clinical Social Work/Therapist, Arbutus, MD, 21227, (410) 709-6662, There really is something therapeutic about the great outdoors. Being outside has been known to improve mood and increase happiness. I have learned many things through hiking, hard work, determination, and persev...

05/03/2019

⁣You are much stronger than you think. One thing that I have learned through hiking in backpacking is that you can always push yourself harder. This lesson came to me as a surprise, in fact, it took me a while to learn what my limits are. Still, I don’t think I have pushed myself to my absolute limit. I think this is in all of us, I think we all have the possibility to push ourselves further and accomplish more in life. The reason I believe this is true is because the nature of how I learned this lesson myself.⠀
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While out on the trail you are often at the mercy of mother nature and the trail itself. In moments where you are hurting, broken, and absolutely feel like you are at your limit you can find solace in the notion that you have the power to continue. This day, I had an 18-mile hike with a 30-pound backpack, I was lost in the middle of the woods, in pain, crying, and potentially losing it because I thought that I would have to quit. Something in me told me to keep going. In my mind I needed to get to where I was going, my attention on my goal carried me further than I felt like I could.⠀
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Often, we think we have found our limits for things in our lives, but we are wrong. Your body and mind are much stronger than you think. It is not until you have these adverse experiences do you find out what you are capable of. Every single negative or adverse life situation you have made it through, and you are stronger because of it. What can you accomplish if you push yourself as hard as you can? I think you will surprise yourself. ⠀
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05/03/2019

This is a story worth sharing...

Riley Howell, 21, was killed in the shooting at the University of NorthCarolina at Charlotte campus on Tuesday

05/02/2019

⁣Sometimes when life feels hectic and crazy it is important to take time to appreciate the beautiful things your life. Too often we are focused on the negative aspects of life like what is going wrong, who is getting in my way of happiness, or the bills constantly mocking me. Keeping these thoughts in the forefront of your mind only creates unhappiness and chaos in our lives. Basically speaking, I can think about the recipe that I just burnt and butchered, or I can look at the delicious dessert that I had after dinner. Clearly there are more important things to worry about, however, this is the difference between focusing on the negative situations in life and appreciating the great parts about your life. I am happy camper when I decide to evaluate my day based on the amazing loaf cake that I got from Trader Joes than the lasagna I singed to unidentifiable standard. ⠀
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This takes a conscious effort to do. Sometimes I need to stop myself from thinking about the negative parts of life and decide to embrace the positive and often trivial things. Some days, you might need to reach for the positive things, sometimes all it takes is to value a peaceful ride home or even a relaxing few minutes with a book. Can I be happy in a life that is full of controlled chaos? Yes, you can. What things are going well for you, what beauty do you have in your life? ⠀
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04/30/2019

This may be something to look out for.

Boys ages 10-17 killed themselves at a much higher rate in the month after Netflix's show about su***de was released in 2017. Researchers attribute an extra 195 deaths that year to the series.

04/30/2019

⁣Rejection sucks. Why does it hurt so bad? It can come in many forms, being rejected by your crush, not landing your dream job, or being denied a loan for that car our house you have been saving up for. Whatever the reason, it hurts. Think back to your last rejection, put yourself back in those shoes, and think about what you were feeling. Rejection is an unavoidable affair in everyday life, at some point you will be rejected and hard. So why is it that we chose to get so upset about it?⠀
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Rejection, like failure, is a motivating force in self-improvement and emotional fortitude. In theory if you get rejected than you will be forced to head back to the drawing board and decide what changes to make to reduce the chances of that again. Rejection is what we make it out to be, it can be something different than most of us perceive it. Yes, it hurts, yes it’s not fun, and yes it makes us look at ourselves in negative ways. That is exactly what is good for us. If we can learn to objectively look at ourselves after rejection and create positive change then rejection is a blessing. We will set ourselves up for success if we go big and set realistic expectations. I say go big, get out there, and attempt to accomplish your biggest dreams.⠀
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04/29/2019

It's always important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Children are especially susceptible to the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.

"Obesity and emotional problems are intertwined."

04/26/2019

Meet True Trails Founder Joey Hockey, Lcsw-c: I am a graduate of the University of Maryland with a master’s degree in social work and am a Licensed Certified Social Worker- Clinical (LCSW-C). I have experience in working with children and adults on a variety of diagnosed disorders such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, panic disorders, conduct disorders, with additional study in the area of technology dependence/addiction. I am trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and experienced in family, individual, and group modalities.

I have over 800 miles of experience in the back country and have spent months on the Appalachian and Colorado trail. Hiking is something that I have picked up recently in my life and have found the amazing benefits from. My official trail name is “Shrink” because it was not easy to hide the passion I have for therapy while on the trail. My purpose is to teach you something new about yourself through hiking and therapy combined. I truly believe that this is a more effective way to make changes in your life rather than sitting on an uncomfortable chair in a small therapist office.

04/26/2019

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/depression-teens

It’s not unusual for young people to experience "the blues" or feel "down in the dumps" occasionally. Adolescence is always an unsettling time, with the many physical, emotional, psychological and social changes that accompany this stage of life.

04/22/2019

True Trails is excited to announce a new change to our services. True Trails is officially the mental health private practice of Joey Hockey, LCSW-C! We offer unique mental health services for children and adults. We are now accepting new clients, please visit our website at truetrailshiking.com for more information!

10/08/2017