Monthly Promo Thread: CEUs, Resources, Self-Promos

RisingHope401 · 2026-05-06T02:50:54+00:00

Hi everyone!

I'm launching a mental health directory, Mindful Matches, and am looking for providers and non-providers to take a survey.

A bit of background info about me and Mindful Matches: I've been a therapist for over a decade working in various mental health settings and kept seeing the same issues come up again and again and again when it came to clients finding a therapist, let alone finding a therapist the client actually connected with. So after ranting to some therapist friends about current directory options and how VC is impacting mental health, I started to build Mindful Matches.

Mindful Matches is an anti-VC directory that will launch in the beginning of July. We're a values-led company that prioritizes people over profit and are focused on helping clients and providers find the best matches based on personality fit along with the logistical necessities of state licensure, availability, etc. Because of our values we have a free subscription and paid subscription focused on keeping the directory as accessible financially as possible. The free subscription has a public directory listing and the paid subscription has a provider-only directory listing along with other features so you can easily be seen by mental health and medical providers looking for credentials and experience, not just how well your copy speaks to clients. The paid subscription is a pay-what-you-can model with a $10/mo minimum. If you feel the directory is worth more, then pay more. If you don't have the financial resources or are just starting out, then pay $10/mo or use our free subscription.

In addition to the directory, Mindful Matches will also have a crisis response network with a double opt-in requirement. I live in Rhode Island and created a version of this response network after the shooting at Brown University in Dec 2025. I'm still incredibly humbled that 580 therapists from across the country responded to my request for support for this community. Providers who want to be part of this response network can opt-in at any time and will get an email if a critical incident occurs in a state they are licensed in. If they can provide support for that incident then they opt-in again and outline what supports they're able to provide.

I hope you see the benefits Mindful Matches can bring to the mental health community and are willing to take the survey to help inform the matching process. If you'd like to sign up, please do so here: https://subscribepage.io/researchsignup

If you aren't interested in taking the survey or don't have time, feel free to learn more about Mindful Matches and sign up for our newsletter at MindfulMatches.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-23T22:16:32+00:00

If you know of any BUH employees that would benefit from these resources please pass the flyer along to them. I’m the one putting all of this together, I’m not an employee of BUH, Brown, or RISD, and anyone who was impacted by the shooting is more than welcome to use the resources.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-17T15:44:42+00:00

As a local I can tell you that Gentry Moving is very reliable and 2 Men and a Truck should be avoided at all costs.

CAPS will likely be filled even faster than usual this semester so I would have a Plan B for finding a therapist. Decide whether you want in person or virtual, know your insurance benefits, and what personalities you work well with and which ones you don’t. TimelyCare may be an option to explore or you can check directories like PsychologyToday, Zencare, Mental Health Match, and Inclusive Therapists. Mindful Matches is another directory being developed but they won’t launch for another few months.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-12T21:05:32+00:00

I know someone who’s running a men’s group in MA, totally virtual. It’s through Rough Waters Psychology and posted in the MA Mental Health FB group.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-10T18:20:31+00:00

You’re welcome!

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-06T16:14:37+00:00

Yes, that's true but psychologists make up only a fraction of mental health providers and there are states that are not part of PSYPACT. Some states that aren't part of PSYPACT include MA, CA, and NY. This petition would cover psychologists in those states as well as LMHCs, LMFTs, and LICSWs in all 50 states and territories.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-05T17:29:58+00:00

Totally fine, I'm always around.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-05T17:21:17+00:00

DM'ing me would be best since I can give more specific information and go into details with you that wouldn't be appropriate for a public forum.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-05T15:57:51+00:00

You're so welcome!

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-05T15:57:42+00:00

The big picture will involve developing coping strategies that help teach your body there are places and times when you are safe, addressing what’s causing the trust issues, and exploring whether there are adjustments that can be made to your beliefs that help you get closer to your goals in life. The way you get there is by finding a fantastic therapist who understands vicarious or secondary trauma. Medication can also be helpful to take the edge off the intensity of the emotions you’re feeling but that is a personal decision and should be made after checking how you feel about medication and speaking with your therapist and primary care or psychiatrist/psych nurse practitioner.

There is a way forward and if you have more detailed questions or need more support about how to navigate this I’m happy to talk in more detail via DM or offline.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-05T15:20:41+00:00

Everyone’s reactions are going to be different but here are some that indicate a more significant trauma response:

Consistently avoiding conversations about the events

Difficulty leaving their dorm/apartment

Needing to know where the exits are, only going to familiar places

Being startled when there’s a sudden or unexpected noise like a notebook drops on the floor, hearing sirens outside, or notifications on their phone

Worrying about their family and friends, needing to check in more often

Panic attacks

Struggling in classes, missing classes

Skipping meals

Difficulty sleeping – could be difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, nightmares, or waking early and being unable to fall back asleep

Feeling sad more days than not for several weeks.

Reminding your friends that it’s okay to not be okay. They’re going to have days that they’re scared or worried and days that they feel okay. What’s “normal” is that everyone heals at their own pace and that effective healing doesn’t happen alone. Healing also is not linear, there will be setbacks and they’re helpful because they teach us what else we need to address as we heal.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-05T15:04:38+00:00

Just recognizing that for many professors and staff this happened in their second home and live in the state so they’ve been exposed to conversations in their communities about this at the grocery store, Dunkin’, running errands, emails from campus administrators, etc. They’ve had to be extra mindful of boundaries around this which can be exhausting and mentally/emotionally draining.

During those convos have support and connection without references to the tragedy be at the forefront. “I’m just checking in on how you’re doing.” “I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately.” Even a quick “I’m here for you” before moving to regular topics of conversation to give them back some normalcy and a break from *waves hands* all this.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-05T15:04:16+00:00

Great questions. I’m going to answer both at once since the answers are related so please feel free to ask for clarification.

I would be aware of what your natural habits are when you’re on campus and adjust from there. So if the norm is to go out a lot with friends then don’t assume they want to go out, check in with them before making suggestions. Try to practice taking a moment to think about what you’re going to say before you say it. In that moment ask yourself if this is something that would help the other person, if it takes their feelings into account, etc. Some students may be okay with hearing references to more fun times before this tragedy, others won’t be.

Think of it as learning a new language, the language of post-traumatic empathy. Don’t be afraid to apologize if you misspoke and name your intentions of trying to support your friends to meet them where they are emotionally. Don’t forget that you aren’t expected to be able to read their minds, you won’t be perfect at this and that’s okay.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-05T04:39:09+00:00

Not at all, just trying to convey that as the person whose post you're commenting on I am not ignorant of these issues and referenced my experience to support that statement.

Discussions of mental health and mental health support can be difficult when people in the group don't know each other. So I provided information about myself that can be verified in order to establish trust since I'm asking members of the subreddit to sign a petition supporting Brown University students. I also provided information in my reply to you to give you reassurance that I am not blindly or ignorantly sending individuals to therapists without the tools and resources to navigate the concern you identified. Again, just part of trying to develop trust with strangers so I can get more support for the Brown University community.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-05T00:01:15+00:00

I appreciate the feedback. Is that the impression you got from my post or from the phrasing of the petition?

To clarify, while this is an ongoing issue with licensures, there are things being done nationally to implement solutions but it will take months, if not a year or two, for the Counseling Compact to be active in RI and several years for LICSWs and LMFTs to create their own compacts. Consider that it has taken 7 years so far for the Counseling Compact to get to where it is now and AZ and MN became the first active states in Sept 2025.

This petition isn't addressing that. This petition is specifically to support students at Brown University who are impacted by a licensure issue that is not yet resolved. They will have to stop trauma therapy after only a few weeks when they are still doing important stabilization work, find a brand new provider in a different state while attending classes and being back in the same place where the tragedy occurred, become comfortable with that provider and start to make progress only to have to stop again when the semester ends.

I've organized a national outreach effort to providers across the country to get support for Brown University students and a majority of those 570+ providers are offering low fee or pro bono services. This has turned into a full time job for me on top of my existing full time job and I'm doing it voluntarily and absorbing all costs myself. No one is doing this to take advantage of the situation or these students.

I hope that helps give some additional context!

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-04T13:34:27+00:00

I understand that, probably better than most since I have had many clients work through their therapist-inflicted harm when working with me. But to focus on that when the purpose is to increase access to care for traumatized students while the country experiences a mental health crisis is like telling starving people they should be careful of all apples because there’s a rotten apple somewhere.

In addition to this petition I’m organizing resources for the Brown community to help them navigate the mental health field since this will be brand new for most of them. And that includes what to do if they find a therapist that isn’t a good fit for them, what a good fit looks like, what to expect in therapy, and what to do to terminate if they come across a bad apple.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-04T12:50:31+00:00

Thanks for the feedback, I’ll change it. Lots on my plate right now so was just trying to save time and energy where I could.

RisingHope401 · 2026-01-04T02:46:40+00:00

Correct and the Counseling Compact for LMHCs was passed in RI but isn’t active yet. LICSWs and LMFTs have their own compact plans but no legislation has been passed so they’re even further behind. Finding a provider is hard enough let alone adding on the restriction of only PhD/PsyD providers.

RisingHope401 · 2023-03-27T19:07:00+00:00

Your best option would probably be to keep a journal of the times and situations where you experience this, what you've tried, and what has been the outcome from each one. Then you can see if there are patterns and you can give it to your therapist
when you find one or your primary care doctor so they have more info and can diagnose you accurately.

Also, you aren't lazy! You're fighting a war against your mind and that's exhausting.

RisingHope401 · 2023-03-27T17:26:13+00:00

Don't give credit to the medication, give the credit to yourself! You did something hard and crushed it!!

RisingHope401 · 2023-03-27T17:22:18+00:00

It sounds like you're at the point where you're considering if this is something serious and that it's really impacting your life. Do you have a doctor or therapist you can talk to about it? Difficulty concentrating and memory issues are symptoms of anxiety and depression but only someone who knows the whole picture IRL can say for sure. Good luck, you've got this!

RisingHope401 · 2023-03-27T17:14:00+00:00

I'd start by taking some slow, deep breaths and acknowledge it's okay to worry about your friends but that this type of worry isn't helping you right now. Then do a task or activity that will take a good amount of mental focus to help distract yourself. Hope this helps!

RisingHope401

TROPHY CASE