Happy February
February 2026
Happy February to you from all of us at Inspire Behavioral Health! We wish you and yours the very best this month with so many observances and celebrations. We hope the new year is going well for you and has so far been filled with contentment and good health. We hope the remaining months of the year will be outstanding for you to learn and grow so that you will live a deeper, richer, more meaningful and purposeful life in the days ahead.
We hope you will celebrate Black History Month, National Freedom Day, have a romantic Valentine’s Day and enjoy Groundhog Day, President’s Day, Chinese New Year’s, Ramadan and Flag Day! We will also make Ash Wednesday this month and so we wish many of you a meaningful and prayerful Lent.
Black History Month
Black History Month is an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora, originally lasting a week before becoming a month-long observation since 1970. It is celebrated in February in the United States and Canada where it received recognition from both governments.
Negro History Week (1926)
The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the United States, when historian, Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, (ASNLH) announced the second week of February to be “Negro History Week.” This week was chosen because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and that of Frederick Douglas on February 14, both of which Black communities had celebrated since the late 19th century. Examples of this include when in January, 1897, school teacher, Mary Church Terrell, persuaded the Washington, D. C. school board to set aside the afternoon of Douglas’s birthday as Douglas Day to teach about his life and work in the city’s segregated public schools. The thought process behind the week was never recorded, but scholars acknowledge two reasons for its birth: recognition and importance. In 1915, Woodson has participated in the Lincoln Jubilee, a celebration of the 50 years since emancipation from slavery heled in Bronzeville, Chicago. The summer-long Jubilee, which drew thousands of attendees from across the county to see exhibitions of heritage and culture, impressed Woodson with the need to draw organized focus to the history of black people. He led the founding of the ASNLH in Chicago that fall, toward the end of the Jubilee.
Early in the event’s history, African-American newspapers lent crucial support. From the event’s initial phase, primary emphasis was placed on encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of Black Americans in the nation’s public schools. The first Negro History Week was met with a lukewarm response, gaining the cooperation of the departments of education of the states of North Carolina, Delaware, and West Virginia, as well as the city school administrations of Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D. C. Despite this limited observance, Woodson regarded the event as “one of the most fortunate steps ever taken by the Association,” and plans for an annual repeat of the event continued.
At the time of Negro History Week’s launch, Woodson contended that the teaching of Black History was essential to ensure the physical and intellectual survival of Blacks within broader society:
“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated. The American Indian left no continuous record. He did not appreciate the value of tradition; and where is he today? The Hebrew keenly appreciated the value of tradition, as is attested by the Bible itself. In spite of worldwide persecution, therefore, he is a great factor in our civilization.”
In 1929, The Journal of Negro History noted that, with only two exceptions, officials with the state departments of education of “every state with considerable Negro population” had made the event known to that state’s teachers and distributed official literature associated with the event. Churches also played a significant role in the distribution of literature in association with Negro History Week during this initial period, with the mainstream and Black press aiding in the publicity effort.
Throughout the 1930s, Negro History Week countered the growing myth of the South’s, ”lost cause,” which argued that enslaved people had been well-treated, that the Civil War was a war of “northern aggression,” and that Black people had been better off under slavery. Woodson wrote, “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions, you do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it.”
Negro History Week grew in popularity throughout the following decades, with mayors across the United States endorsing it as a holiday.
Black History Month (1970)
Black educators and Black United Students at Kent State University first proposed Black History Month in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State a year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970.
Six years later, Black History Month was being celebrated all across the country in educational institutions, centers of Black culture, and community centers, both great and small, when President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976, during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial. He urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
National Freedom Day
National Freedom Day is an observance in the United States honoring the signing by President Abrahma Lincoln of a joint House and Senate resolution that later was ratified as the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. President Lincoln signed the Amendment abolishing slavery on February 1, 1865, but it was not ratified by the states until later.
Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named, Valentine, and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.
Valentine’s Day customs – sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”), offering confectionery and presenting flowers – developed in early modern England and spread throughout the English-speaking world in the 19th century. In the later 20th and early 21st centuries, these customs spread to other countries, like those of Halloween, and aspects of Christmas.
The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 200 million valentines are sent each year in the US. Half of those valentines are given to family members other than husbands, wives and partners, usually to children. When the valentine-exchange cards made in school activities are included the figure goes up to 1 billion, and teachers become the people receiving the most valentines.
The increase in use of the Internet around the turn of the millennium is creating new traditions. Every year, millions of people use digital means of creating and sending Valentine’s Day greeting messages such as e-cards, love coupons and printable greeting cards. Valentine’s Day is considered by some to be a Hallmark holiday due to its commercialization.
Valentine’s Day is a major source of economic activity, with total expenditures topping $18.2 billion in 2017, or over $136 per person. This is an increase from $108 per person in 2010. In 2019, a survey by the National Retail Foundation found that over the previous decade, the percentage of people who celebrate Valentine’s Day had declined steadily.
From their survey results, they found three primary reasons: over-commercialization of the holiday, not having a significant other, and not being interested in celebrating it.
However, the 2025 Valentine’s Day season demonstrated remarkable resilience in consumer spending, with US shoppers alone having spent a record $27.5 billion, signaling a continued willingness to prioritize romantic gestures despite broader economic headwinds.
Average American spending stood at $188.81 per person in 2025, reflecting both inflation and sustained consumer willingness to spend on experiences
Mental Health and You in February
Perhaps you have made some resolutions or set some new goals to work on in the year ahead. Maybe you will try to change a behavior or a perspective, begin a new way of taking care of yourself, stop a self-sabotaging activity or habit, or incorporate a personal insight you have had into your everyday way of living. You may have stopped drinking (or cut-down on your alcohol consumption) and joined many others who practiced “Damp” or “Dry January.” Maybe you are limiting how much you connect with social media or have begun a new physical fitness program; started working with a trainer or a nutritionist, or committed to reading more or registered to take a course. It may be the year you deepen your spiritual life. And at Inspire, we hope it is the year you invest in your mental health and emotional well-being. Our staff of dedicated professionals is here to help you to work on what is most important, you! Please read about our many services and providers on our website: Inspirebehavioralhealth.com, and then call us to schedule an appointment.
Maybe February is marked by happy times celebrating some of the events mentioned earlier, but for some people, feeling depressed, anxious, angry and helpless may feel worse than ever before. You may find that as an American you do not feel equal, counted, respected, protected and safe these days. If this is you, we urge you to build a stronger support network of like-minded people. We encourage you to take concrete actions for self-care which may include limiting how much news you watch, listen to or read each day. You may try to take more breaks or place a higher emphasis on improving your sleep and feeling rested. You might want to limit your intake of not only alcohol, but also caffeine and nicotine (if applicable). You might consider joining a group of some kind, or a volunteer or advocacy effort. And, remember that while reflecting and journaling by yourself can be helpful and therapeutic, isolating is harmful and almost always exacerbates most of our anxieties, worries and concerns. Keep in mind that any physical exercise including walking will be more helpful than just staying at home worrying. You may want to give some thought to joining a gym or enrolling in a Yoga class. It may be the time, even when you are in the midst of your pain, to take steps to deepen your ”psycho-spiritual life.” And at Inspire, we hope it is the year you invest in your mental health and emotional well-being
We offer high quality and compassionate mental health care and treatment to people living in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, both virtually and in-person with offices in Vienna, Fairfax, Sterling and Bethesda.
You may find yourself alone and lonely, two very different things, this Valentine’s Day or realize once again that you are in a toxic relationship and need to end it. We know that we are in the midst of a loneliness pandemic despite being more connected to one another (electronically) than we ever have before. A 2024 American Psychiatric survey found that one in three Americans says they feel lonely at least once every week. And, in the most recent World Happiness Report international happiness rankings, the United States fell from 15th to 23rd place. You may be experiencing this pandemic in an acute, real and personal way. You may be grieving the loss of a love on what may feel like the national day to celebrate romance. If so, please call us because help is available.
You may be coping with all of this and more. You may be barely coping with the loss of a loved one; a person or pet, or because of the ending of a relationship, the worsening of an illness or another one of the many struggles of life we face. Please know you have our support and that we are ready to help and only a phone call away.
This may be exactly the best time for you to begin talking with a therapist individually or to join a mental health group at Inspire. Or, to join or return to community-based support group like the Twelve Step Program such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Sex and Love Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous and so many others which are free and available in-person and on-line. Inspire Behavioral Health offers a Greif Group and a Men’s Education and Therapy Group. Please call us for more information.
Please let us know if you know someone who would like to begin receiving our newsletter and will be happy to send them a copy. Our experienced psychiatrists, addiction psychiatrists and psychotherapists strongly believe that we all have solutions to resolving our struggles within us. We believe enjoying our mental health is a matter of learning how to tap into these solutions. Providers at Inspire Behavioral Health help people heal, cope and manage their mental health by allowing them to focus on their strengths and choose to access their available resources. We work together to treat your symptoms while helping you to identify the underlying causes for those symptoms, and by encouraging the use of more effective techniques to cope with life’s difficulties. We try to help you in building resilience to help maintain your optimal mental health. Call us for more information and to schedule a convenient appointment at 703-592-4600. We are often able to offer clients an appointment the same day as your call or the very next day. Please visit our website: www.InspireBehavioralHealth.com.
Perhaps February will find you beginning to write in a journal, or beginning to live your life with “an attitude of gratitude.” Our hope is that we all may feel loved and appreciated, especially beginning this month. May we all try to be a little kinder to each other as well as to ourselves, and may we begin to take better care of ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It may be time to make an investment in your mental health and emotional well-being. If it is time, and we hope it is, for you to begin living your best life and learn to free yourself from the worries and problems that burden you, then please call us at Inspire to schedule an appointment to see one of our mental health providers.
Grief in February
Many people acutely grieve lost loved ones at the beginning of the year. Facing the year ahead overcome by grief is not easy but there are supportive people who share your feelings of grief. Grief can be overwhelming. These feelings are normal and predictable. Individual therapy and a grief group can help enormously. If you are grieving, please call Inspire to make an appointment to talk with a certified grief psychotherapist or to hear more about our group. We can help you learn to grieve in healthy, effective ways as you learn to accommodate the loss of a loved one, including a beloved pet. Please let us accompany you on your grief journey.
Your Mental Health
Remember, taking care of your mental health isn’t a luxury – it is a necessity. Inspire Behavioral Health is here to help you improve your mental health, maintain your emotional wellbeing, manage stress and address any concerns you may have.
Remember that help available if you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health or substance use issue, and now is the time to get the help you or they need. Please call us at Inspire Behavioral Health to schedule an appointment to talk with one of our clinicians.
What Is Your Story? How can we help you build a life worth Living?
We each find ourselves from time to time wondering how we will get to the next step and out from under our own personal struggles. “Sometimes the wounds are where the light comes through to us.” The suffering is not the goal in life, but rather the insight that can come from the ordeals we endure in life. If you are experiencing a rough spot or have been for a while, please call us to see if counseling can help. If you find yourself engaging in harmful behaviors, negative self-talk, self-sabotaging, drinking excessively, using drugs or engaging in risky behavior that has clearly become out of control, please call us to schedule an appointment with one of our mental health and addiction providers.
let us help
Clinicians at Inspire Behavioral Health are here to help by joining you on the journey toward mental health and recovery from addictions. May of our providers are trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy or DBT, and others are trained and credentialed in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT, Rational Emotive Therapy or RET, Grief Therapy and many others, all with one goal in mind, to help you.
Our licensed professionals can help you to identify what seem like the dialectical or opposite sides of your thinking and feeling so that you can emerge more integrated and whole. You can come to understand how feelings can inform thoughts and vice-versa rather than being controlled by intense emotions, irrational feelings, intrusive thoughts, cravings or triggers. We can help you with talk therapy, testing and medication (if clinically indicated) to live a life worth living and learn to thrive in your day-to-day life. Imagine living a more meaningful and rewarding life, communicating more effectively with others and enhancing your interpersonal relationships. Let us help you build that life, become more compassionate and strengthen your empathy by calling Inspire Behavioral Health for an appointment today. You can help yourself and, when you are ready, begin to support the longevity, health, and well-being of all members of our society.
how to find a counselor
Once you decide to get professional health for a personal struggle, whether it is about anxiety, depression, grief, a mood disorder, an addiction to a substance or a behavior that has become out of control, a relationship issue, a sexual issue or something else, finding the right type of provider and service can be daunting. Where do you start? Inspire Behavioral Health can help because we are home to many caring professionals with a variety of specialties. We are confident you will find the provider who has the experience to address your particular issues and unique circumstances. Please visit our website to read our providers’ biographies, areas of expertise and their perspectives on how to help you. If you are in a rural area, you may have difficulty finding a mental health professional nearby, so remember that all of our clinicians are available to you virtually.
Substance Use and Addiction
Do you wonder whether your use of alcohol is excessive? Do you worry that that you may be heading toward problematic drinking, or has your drinking begun to cause issues or concerns for your health, in your relationships, at work or with the law? If this sounds like you, then take the CAGE (free on-line).
Call us at IBH to talk with one of our providers who can offer you an evaluation by an addiction psychiatrist or a certified substance use therapist. They will then work with you on an effective treatment plan that may include talk therapy, anti-craving medication, or Medication Assisted Therapy, (MAT), such as Suboxone. We also strongly encourage attending community-based recovery groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Sex Anonymous and other Twelve Step Programs.
Inspire Behavioral Health offers a full range of mental health services as well as treatment options for people struggling with substance use (alcohol and other drugs), and process addictions (food, sex, gambling, spending, Internet, video game, or social media addiction, shopping and other behaviors that are marked by poor impulse control), with medications as well as individual, couple, family and group therapy. Nearly eight million adults in the United States experience co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Men’s Education and Therapy Group
Learning and Practicing the Four Basic Steps to Men’s Mental Health
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a compassionate type of behavioral therapy that is intended to help people move toward a more mindful, aware and purposeful life. Come learn the four pillars of DBT which are Core Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotional Regulation and Distress Tolerance. When you learn these four pillars and their accompanying skills and you will have to tools you need to build a “life worth living.” Men in this group offered at Inspire Behavioral Health and led by Psychotherapist, Ed Andrews, are taught the basic skills necessary to help manage life’s stressors and manage your physical health. This is done in a framework that helps people understand that we are doing the best we can while recognizing that there are new strategies you can learn that will be more effective than what are you doing now. This group is a safe, confidential place for men who are sustaining their recovery from substance (alcohol or drugs) and/or process (pornography, internet or gambling) addictions, or coping with chronic illness such as Prostate or other cancers. aging, managing stress, anxiety and/or depression, accommodating change in their lives, coping with loss and transition, dealing with sexual issues including ED, and seeking support and growth. Please contact us for more information about this important group. Call Ed Andrews for more information about this program.
Thank you for being part of Inspire Behavioral Health, we appreciate you and wish you a happy February!
Office Location:
Vienna: 2110 Gallows Road Suite D, Vienna, VA 22182
Fairfax: 11211 Waples Mill Road Suite 150, Fairfax, VA 22030
Washington, DC: 3000 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 137, Washington, DC 20008
Sterling: 46090 Lake Center Plaza, Suite 103-104, Sterling, VA 20165
Bethesda: 6203 Executive Boulevard, North Bethesda, MD 20852
Ed Andrews, LPC, LMFT, Newsletter Editor
703-592-4600
info@inspirebehavioralhealth.com