Emotional Wellness: Practical Strategies and Clinical Interventions For Emotional Health

Thrive • October 31, 2022
By Thrive Wellness Reno Outpatient Clinical Lead & Therapist Lynn Carver, LCSW

By allowing individuals to face adverse circumstances with resilience, emotional wellness influences overall quality of life. Overlapping with mental and physical health, emotional wellness also impacts general well-being. When a person’s emotional health is suffering, mental health therapy can help them process their pain, manage their emotions, and develop skills for lasting emotional wellness. 

WHAT IS EMOTIONAL WELLNESS?

Emotional wellness is the ability to handle stress , adapt to change, and prevail through difficult times. A state of being, emotional wellness can ebb and flow. Those with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) , trauma , and mental or physical illness are more at risk for acute emotional struggles, such as emotional dysregulation , which coincides with many mental and behavioral health disorders. Additional factors that can deteriorate emotional wellness include: 

STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

By focusing on bettering the fundamental elements of one’s life, a person can promote emotional wellness and protect against prolonged periods of emotional pain. 

Ways to support emotional wellness include:

These strategies for improving emotional health may seem simple, but depending on the intensity, frequency, and duration of a person’s emotional suffering, the process may be more complex and require deep therapeutic work.

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO EMOTIONAL WELLNESS 

The mind, body, and emotions are interrelated . Unfortunately, this means that a person can become stuck in a negative feedback loop that propels their overall health into a downward spiral. However, changing any one factor — whether it’s one’s thoughts, body sensations, or emotional outlook —  can stop the downward spiral and promote wellness.

Some examples of this include: 

  • Changing one’s thought patterns from catastrophizing to describing without judgment can settle the mind, emotions, and body sensations 
  • Engaging in an activity that elicits positive emotions can evoke positive thoughts and body sensations
  • Using distress tolerance skills that encourage acceptance of undesirable circumstances can calm one’s body sensations, emotions, and thoughts

Professional mental health support can guide individuals in implementing these shifts and advancing their emotional health. 

WHEN TO SEEK CLINICAL SUPPORT FOR EMOTIONAL HEALTH 

If a person is experiencing depression , anxiety , or difficulties adjusting to loss or change, they may benefit from attending therapy, which can help foster their emotional wellness. Additional signs that a person’s emotional health could benefit from clinical treatment include experiencing periods lasting two or more weeks of:

Similarly, a person may benefit from professional help for emotional health if they find it difficult to:

  • Create and maintain healthy relationships
  • Hold a job or attend school
  • Keep oneself and others safe 
  • Leave their house
  • Manage their anger

TREATMENT TO SUPPORT EMOTIONAL HEALTH

Emotional pain is an inevitable part of life, but persistent emotional suffering can be improved or eliminated through therapeutic support. 

Treatment modalities for emotional struggles include:

  • Individual psychotherapy: Traditional talk therapy that involves a single client and their therapist.
  • Family psychotherapy: Therapy that involves a family and therapist. 
  • Group psychotherapy: A therapist-led group of individuals facing similar mental or behavioral health struggles. 
  • Psychotropic medication management: Medication prescribed to the client to help with their mood, often implemented alongside mental health therapy. 
  • Skills coaching : An intervention that emphasizes the integration of practical strategies and can involve real-time coaching from the therapist outside of regular sessions.  
  • Substance abuse treatment: A specialized form of therapeutic support that helps individuals who struggle with addiction. 
  • Occupational therapy : A practice that helps empower individuals to participate in meaningful daily activities by teaching them different types of skills.
  • Recreational therapy: A modality that leverages therapeutic recreational experiences .

EMOTIONAL HEALING AT THRIVE

Our multidisciplinary specialists are skilled in a variety of therapeutic interventions for treating emotional struggles and any associated mental or behavioral health conditions. By approaching client care in a way that accounts for the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and emotions, our clinicians work to help individuals achieve holistic healing. To learn more about our outpatient therapy services for mental and behavioral health, reach out

About the Author

Thrive Wellness Reno Outpatient Clinical Lead & Therapist Lynn Carver, LCSW

Lynn Carver, LCSW, earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). She is an intensively-trained dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) therapist and is also trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), child-centered play therapy (CCPT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) modalities. Lynn is also an experienced DBT educator who has trained clinicians, line staff, families, local agencies, and multiple army bases across the nation.

Her experience spans all levels of care — outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient, and residential — and also includes supervising clinical interns, serving in various leadership roles within agencies, and teaching undergraduates in the school of social work at UNR by Letter of Appointment (LOA). In addition to her traditional career experience, Lynn has provided pro-bono services through the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD) and various community-oriented organizations.

Lynn specializes in treating children and adults with borderline personality features, trauma histories and behavioral concerns, and eating disorders as well as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and attachment issues. Her passion is helping clients create a life worth living unique to them by partnering with them to identify and reduce behaviors that interfere with their quality of life. She strives to help individuals and families learn, practice, and build mastery around more effective responses to emotional pain. In every endeavor, she is committed to continually acknowledging and advocating for the unconditional worth and value of all people.

Outside of work, Lynn enjoys being a grandmother to five granddaughters and one grandson. She loves spending time at the beach and her personal favorite quote is “Don’t try to win over the haters; you are not a jackass whisperer,” by best-selling author and marketing executive Scott Stratten.

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When Emma was 8, her parents noticed her food choices shrinking. At first, they assumed it was just picky eating — “She’ll outgrow it,” friends said. But by 10, Emma would only eat crackers, cheese, and chicken nuggets. Family dinners became nightly struggles, her growth slowed, and she skipped birthday parties to avoid “strange food.” Her parents felt powerless, her brother grew frustrated, and outings dwindled. What began as food avoidance soon reshaped the rhythm of the entire household. When children avoid food, most parents expect it’s a passing stage. But when restriction deepens, shrinks to only a few “safe foods,” and begins affecting growth or health, families suddenly find themselves in unfamiliar territory. This is often where Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) emerges — with effects that extend far beyond the plate. As providers, we need to be attuned to these patterns. It’s tempting to dismiss them as “no big deal,” yet for many families, they are life-altering. Sadly, Emma’s story is not unusual. Mealtimes as Battlegrounds Families living with ARFID often describe mealtimes as emotionally charged, exhausting, and unpredictable. What should be a chance to connect around the table can feel more like a negotiation or even a standoff. Parents wrestle with whether to push their child to try a new food or give in to the same “safe foods” again and again to avoid tears, gagging, or complete meltdowns. This ongoing tension can make mealtimes dreaded rather than cherished. Siblings, too, are affected. Some may feel resentful when family meals are limited to what only one child will tolerate. Others may act out in response to the constant attention the child with ARFID receives. Over time, the dinner table shifts from a place of nourishment and bonding into a stage for conflict, anxiety, and guilt — a pattern that can erode family cohesion and resilience. Social Isolation and Missed Experiences ARFID impacts more than what happens at home; it influences how families engage with the world around them. Everyday events — birthday parties, school lunches, vacations, even extended family dinners — become sources of stress. Parents may pack special foods to avoid confrontation or, in many cases, decline invitations altogether to protect their child from embarrassment or overwhelm. This avoidance can lead to an unintended consequence: isolation. Families miss out on milestones, friendships, and traditions because of the unpredictability surrounding food. The child may feel left out or ashamed, while parents grieve the loss of “normal” family experiences. This social withdrawal can compound the anxiety already present in ARFID and deepen its impact across generations. Emotional Toll on Parents The emotional strain on parents navigating ARFID is significant. Many describe living in a constant state of worry — Will my child get enough nutrients? Will they ever grow out of this? Am I doing something wrong? This worry often spirals into guilt and self-blame, particularly when outside voices dismiss the disorder as mere “picky eating.” In addition, the pressure to “fix” mealtimes can strain marital relationships, creating disagreements over discipline, feeding strategies, or medical decisions. Parents may also feel emotionally depleted, pouring all their energy into managing one child’s needs while inadvertently neglecting themselves or their other children. Without support, this chronic stress can lead to burnout, depression, and disconnection within the family system. The Role of Providers For clinicians, ARFID must be viewed not only as an individual diagnosis but as a family-wide challenge. Effective care requires attention to both the clinical symptoms and the family dynamics that shape recovery. Parent Support: Educating caregivers that ARFID is not their fault, offering psychoeducation, and helping them reframe mealtime struggles as part of the disorder — not a parenting failure. Family-Based Interventions: Coaching families in structured meal support, communication strategies, and gradual exposure work so parents don’t feel powerless. Holistic Care: Involving therapists, dietitians, occupational therapists, and medical providers ensures that the family does not shoulder the weight of treatment alone. When families are validated, supported, and given practical tools, the entire household can begin to heal. Treatment is not only about expanding a child’s food repertoire but also about restoring peace, resilience, and connection at home. Moving Forward ARFID may begin with one individual, but its ripple effects are felt across the entire family system. By addressing both the psychological and relational dimensions, providers can help transform mealtimes from a source of conflict into an opportunity for healing and connection. For those who want to go deeper, we invite you to join our upcoming training on ARFID , where we will explore practical strategies for supporting both clients and their families.
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As a parent, noticing alarming behaviors around food or routines in your child can raise some important questions. You might be asking yourself, “Is this an eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or something else entirely?” Understanding the signs and differences between these disorders is key to getting your child effective, timely treatment. In this blog, we’ll break down the overlap between OCD and eating disorders, what signs to watch for, and how to get professional help. If you're a parent wondering “Is my child’s eating disorder actually OCD?” or “OCD vs eating disorder in teens,” know that you’re not alone and you’re in the right place to find specialized care for your child. What Is OCD? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition where unwanted thoughts (obsessions) cause anxiety, leading to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) intended to ease that anxiety. OCD can be focused on any subject. Common obsessions include contamination, perfectionism, scrupulosity, and harm, but sometimes, the content of obsessions can be focused on food, body image, or weight. What Is an Eating Disorder? Eating disorders , like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) involve disturbed eating behaviors and intense concerns about body weight or shape. These conditions go beyond dieting or “picky eating” and can become life-threatening without professional intervention. The Overlap: Why It Can Be Confusing OCD and eating disorders often share similar symptoms : Ritualistic eating (e.g., needing to eat foods in a certain order or at a certain time) Rigid rules about food (like only eating certain food groups or certain amounts of food) Excessive checking (like weighing food or body or repeated checking of expiration dates or thorough cooking) Avoidance behaviors ( like avoiding carbs, fats, or other food groups or avoiding places or objects that can trigger obsessions) Distress when routines are disrupted (either around mealtimes or exercise routines) So, How Can You Tell the Difference? Use the following chart to compare and contrast symptoms of OCD and eating disorders.
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