March 2025
Happy March to all of you from all of us at Inspire Behavioral Health! We hope you and yours have a wonderful month filled with good health and happiness. We hope you will celebrate yourself and others this month. It is often said that March has more observances than any other month of the year. We will return to Daylight Savings time, mark the beginning of Spring, have Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Purim and St. Patrick’s Day and also, International Women’s Day! We hope, as always, that this will the month you learn, grow and develop more so that you will live a deeper, richer, more meaningful and purposeful life in 2025.
International Women’s Day
Since its official founding in 1911, people around the world have celebrated women’s achievements and called for gender equality on the March 8th, United Nations-sanctioned holiday. There are many ways to get involved, including by patronizing women-owned businesses, or hosting or attending a special function. Imagine a gender equal world, a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination? A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge gender equality. IWD belongs to all of us who care about women’s equality. Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness about discrimination. Take action to forge gender parity. All IWD activity is valid and that is what makes IWD so inclusive.
“The true republic—men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.” —Susan B. Anthony
Purim
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of an official of the Achaemenid Empire named Haman.
As is recounted in the Book of Esther. Haman was the royal vizier to the Persian King Ahasuerus.
His plans were foiled by Mordecai of the Tribe of Benjamin and Esther, Mordecai’s cousin and adopted daughter who had become the Queen of Persia after her marriage to Ahasuerus. The day of deliverance became a day of feasting and rejoicing among Jews.
According to the Scroll of Esther, “they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.”
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent for Christians who believe that this day in the Church year begins the preparation period for the solemn observance of the great central act of history, the redemption of the human race by Jesus Christ. The beginning of the forty-day penance in the Roman Rite is marked with the austere symbol of ashes which is used in the Ash Wednesday Liturgy. The use of ashes emerges from an ancient rite according to which converted sinners submitted themselves to canonical penance. The ashes are then “imposed” on the foreheads of faithfulness as a sign of conversion, prayer, penance, fasting and human mortality. The act of putting on ashes symbolizes fragility and mortality, and the need to be redeemed by the mercy of God. Far from being a merely external act, the Church has retained the use of ashes to symbolize an attitude of internal penance to which all the baptized are called during Lent.
Whether in New Orleans or locally, many people will celebrate Mardi Gras or “Fat Tuesday,” the night before with feasting before the fasting begins.
saint Patrick's day
St. Patrick’s Day is a religious and cultural holiday held on March 17th, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. 385 – c. 461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and, by extension, celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians who belong to liturgical denominations also attend church services. Saint Patrick’s Day, while not a legal holiday in the United States, is nonetheless widely recognized and observed throughout the country as a celebration of Irish and Irish-American culture. Celebrations include prominent displays of the color green, religious observances, and numerous parades. The holiday has been celebrated in what is now the U.S. since 1600, with the first parade occurring in 1601.
Mental Health and You in March
Perhaps for you, March is marked by celebrating one or many of the events mentioned above, but for all of us in this region, we will change the clocks and welcome Spring with more sunlight, warmer weather and the blooming of flowers and new growth. There is a rich metaphor here that is simple to see from a mental health perspective; that is, wondering how will this new season of hope outside of us be reflected by on the inside, in our interior life? Whether we endeavor to have a deeply spiritual renewal or an existential recognition of what is happening outside, the truth is that a major change that is easily visible in the colorful environment around us is on the way. May it be a sign of hope for all of us.
Hope may never have been more important than it is now because so many of us are feeling uncertain, depressed, anxious, angry and fearful about the future. So many of us are experiencing real oppression and hate, fearing we will become invisible as many civil rights erode, fearing the loss of a job or the threat of being terminated, and so much more.
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 also urge you to contact Inspire Behavioral Health to schedule an appointment to see one of our providers to talk about your thoughts and feelings in a safe and non-judgmental place. 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, feeling rested and eating healthier foods. You might want to limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol or stop consuming both completely. You might consider joining a group of some kind, or a volunteer or advocacy effort. And remember that while reflecting and journaling alone 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 staying at home worrying. You may want to give some thought to joining a gym, enrolling in a Yoga class, working with a trainer or a nutritionist, committing to reading more or registering to take a course. It may be the time, even when you are in the midst of your pain, to take steps to develop your spiritual life, especially this month. A study released recently by the Pew Research Institute predicts that regardless of how many Americans identify with specific religions, or no religion at all, in the future we will have a fundamentally spiritual population in the United States. More than 80 percent of survey participants believe humans “have a soul or spirit in addition to their physical body,” and believe in God or a universal spirit. In a related news story, it was reported that more than 620 million people attended the world’s largest religious gathering, which ended on February 26th in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The Maha Kumbh Mela or the Festival of the Sacred Pitcher, which lasts for 45 days and saw millions of Hindu devotees go into the water in the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of three holy rivers. Perhaps, March is your time to explore your psycho-spiritual self.
And at Inspire, we hope this is the month you decide to invest in your mental health and emotional well-being. Our staff of dedicated professionals are here to help you to work on what is most important in life, you! Please take time to read about our many services and providers on our website: Inspirebehavioralhealth.com and then call us to schedule an appointment.
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.
We know from our own experience that you may be coping with all of this and more. You may be barely keeping it together following the loss of a loved one, a person or pet, or because of the break-up 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.
Perhaps you will begin writing in a journal this month or begin living your life with “an attitude of gratitude.” Our hope is we all may feel loved and appreciated, valued and worthwhile. We hope that we all may try to be a little kinder and compassionate to each other and especially to ourselves this month and may begin to take better care of our body, brain and spirit. 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 how 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.
There are many reasons to focus on mental health this month, not only because of what has been mentioned already, but also because you may have lost your job or been told to return to work in-person even though you were hired for remote work. Many people are experiencing a range of feelings and emotions with regard to the new administration and the implications and consequences of many of the decisions that have been made, as well as the seemingly urgent, mean-spirited and vengeful way those decisions have been carried out, in ways unlike anything most of us have ever seen before.
If you are in recovery, we urge you to remind yourself that this is not the time to give-up by relapsing to unhealthy and self-destructive behaviors. Instead, reconnect with your recovery support network or join a new one.
When it comes to mental illness and substance use issues, if this month is a really tough time for you, we hope you will reach out and let the light, color and splendor that overtakes the darkness of winter, be a metaphor for you to allow the light of mental health to overtake the darkness of your struggles.
Remember, taking care of your mental health is not 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.
Keep in mind that help is 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.
If you find yourself engaging in harmful behaviors, negative self-talk, self-sabotaging, excessive drinking, drug use, or engaging in other risky behavior that has clearly spiraled out of control, please call us to schedule an appointment with one of our mental health and addiction providers.
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. We can help you come to understand how feelings can inform thoughts and vice versa so that you will not be 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 starting this month and help you to become more compassionate and strengthen your empathy. Call 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.
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.
What Is Your Story? How can we help you build a life worth Living?
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.
Keep in mind that help is 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.
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, 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 our 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, your sexual identity or a behavioral 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 addressing 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.
Men’s Group
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a compassionate type of therapy behavioral therapy that is intended to help people move toward a more mindful, aware and purposeful life. The key skills addressed in DBT include Core Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotional Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Members of this group offered at Inspire Behavioral Health led by Psychotherapist, Ed Andrews, are taught the skills necessary to help deal with life stressors. This is done in a framework that helps people understand that they are doing the best they can while recognizing that there are newer strategies that may be more effective. This group is a safe, confidential place for men who are sustaining their recovery from chemical or process addictions, coping with chronic illness, aging, managing stress, anxiety and/or depression, accommodating change in their lives, coping with loss and transition, dealing with sexual issues, and seeking support and growth. Please call us for more information about this important group.
Thank you for being part of Inspire Behavioral Health, we appreciate you and wish you a happy March!
Office Location:
Vienna: 2110 Gallows Road Suite D, Vienna, VA 22182
Fairfax: 11211 Waples Mill Road Suite 150, Fairfax, VA 22030
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