Bucks County Mental Health Resource

BCA Therapy is a Bucks County Mental Health Resource and a 2024, 2025 Bucks County Parent LOVE Award winner. We strive to support all members of our Bucks County community and provide them with an immediate connection and the highest quality of care.

BCA Therapy never has a waitlist and immediate help is always available. Complete an online form and our client care coordinator will be in touch in less than 24 hours, matching you with the best fit therapist. When you are ready, there will be no barriers to your care with BCA Therapy.

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Mindfulness: Clarity in a Chaotic World

Mindfulness

By Veronica Jeffers, LAPC, MS, NCC

Mindfulness offers us a powerful tool to counteract the chaos, reclaim our attention, and cultivate a sense of peace. In today’s fast-paced environment, many of us find ourselves rushing through life, overwhelmed with stress and distraction. We may find ourselves racing out the door in the morning, pressured with deadlines and to-do lists, multitasking to make sure we accomplish all that is needed of us by the end of the day. And then the end of the day comes, and we realize we haven’t truly engaged with those around us, the fleeting moments of our day have slipped by unnoticed, and we find ourselves in this constant battle of disconnection. It can be challenging to slow down, to take in each moment, and truly be present in the world around us. 

 

What is Mindfulness?

At its core, mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and engaged in the moment, without judgement. It involves observing one’s thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, as well as the surrounding environment with curiosity and acceptance. The goal is to focus on our experiences with compassion.

 

Mindfulness – 

• Enhances self-awareness and emotional regulation
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Helps slow down our nervous system
• Deepens understanding of our thoughts, feelings, and sensations

 

Mindfulness does not require extensive training or lengthy meditation sessions; it simply requires a willingness to slow down and observe the world around you.

Mindfulness: Clarity in a Chaotic World

Simple Ways to Utilize Mindfulness and Find Clarity in a Chaotic World

• Mindfulness in Movement – Rainbow Walk

A rainbow walk involves intentionally observing and noticing colors during your walk. Pick one color from the rainbow, such as red, and try to find as many red things as you can during your walk. For instance, a stop sign, a red flower, a fire hydrant, your neighbor’s mailbox, etc. You can also choose to find one item for each color of the rainbow on your walk. This is a simple way to incorporate movement and mindfulness while getting out into nature.

• Mindfulness in Journaling – Daily Gratitude

Daily gratitude journaling involves writing down three things you are grateful for each day. Focus on the details and emotions associated with each, allowing yourself to fully appreciate them. For instance, if you are grateful for your spouse, try to identify one something specific about your interaction with them that day, how it made you feel, and how it impacted your day. You can use a physical journal, a scrap piece of paper, the notes app in your phone, or take a mental note. I recommend to do this at the end of each day, to allow space and time to reflect.

• Mindfulness in Work – Mindful Mini-breaks

Mindful mini-breaks involve taking a pause at work to breathe, stretch, and reset. 

Step 1: Look up from your work – take a few deep breaths

Step 2: Do a quick body scan – start at the top of your body and shift your focus down to your toes, taking a few moments to notice areas of tension, stress, and discomfort (i.e., neck, shoulders, etc.)

Step 3: Listen to your body and give it what it needs – fix your posture, uncross your legs, wiggle your toes, stand up, stretch, take a sip of water, eat a snack, etc.

These simple, basic tasks often get overlooked when we are busy at work. Taking a moment to be mindful of your body and giving yourself a mini-break can make a big difference.

Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine doesn’t have to be complex or time consuming. It can be as simple as eating mindfully and noticing the taste and texture of the food or sitting in a coffee shop and noticing the people around you, the sounds, and the smells. By dedicating just a few moments each day to being present, whether through simple practices or structured exercises, you can foster a greater sense of peace.

If you are interested in learning more about mindfulness or want to dive deeper to see how mindfulness relates to you and your goals, Veronica works directly with clients to identify and tailor specific mindfulness techniques and practices that will best support them.

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3 Ways Men Benefit from Therapy

Three easy reasons why men should be in therapy.
–Steven Rishard, MS, LAPC
BCA Therapist APRIL, 2025

#1. Live longer.
#2. More ease.
#3. Greater personal satisfaction.

LIVE LONGER.

No, really, I mean it. The stigmas that keep many men from seeking help
are driving them into the grave at at faster rate. There is enough evidence from the last
ten years of studies to suggest that some of the reasons men’s lifespans are shorter are

• due to a lack of connected relationships
• less attention to stress management
• not enough time spent on mental health.

We need more people around us as we get older,
and men with a greater number of connected relationships have more people looking
out for their well being, sharing in their ups and downs, and giving them a greater
sense of community. Men who attend to their inner turmoil, ( anger, anxiety, sadness,
etc. ) are more likely to have better health benefits

• lower blood pressure
• less risk of cardiovascular disease.

We live longer with a nervous system that is
cared for as opposed to ignored. Though therapy can occasionally be tough, it is
always a great way to learn to care for yourself.

MORE EASE.

Most of us do not grow up with a ready made bag of tactics for stress
management and/or tools for great communication, nor do most of us develop sure fire
ways to manage our expectations for our lives, but the way most men are raised in our
western culture leaves them at a greater disadvantage. Being in any relationship has
it’s challenges, be it with a spouse, a sibling, a parent, co-worker, or a child.

Men who actively learn better ways to communicate and manage stress find their relationships
more enjoyable and fruitful. Not to mention what it can do for the daily tasks of living.

Responsibilities and pressures mount, but they do not have to rule the day. Life should
feel less like punching at the ocean, and a little more like adapting to the ebb and flow
of the changes.

Therapy is great for learning how to do this, and more.

GREATER PERSONAL SATISFACTION.

Socrate’s gave us a great quote in “The unexamined
life is not worth living.”

Our world moves much faster and louder than his, still taking
the time and effort to reflect on your life is always worth it. Many men are trying to
engage with their lives within a set of values and beliefs they have had no time to stop
and examine.

All men have been affected by the idea of an “ideal” man. Mythologies
and legacies of “manhood” pervade every culture and family. Without examination,
without occasional reflection and reorganization of our perspectives, men can easily
loose sight of what might bring them more enjoyment, fulfillment, and meaning.

Often when this happens men can be left with a sense of shame, of not “measuring up”.
Simply sitting with someone who’s task it is to help you sort through it all, can be of
great benefit.

If you are looking for support and would like to experience some of these benefits, we are here to help.

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Overcome Anxiety with These Specific Skills

How to Work Through It When It’s Not Working for You

By: Veronica Jeffers, MS, NCC

You may not believe it, but anxiety isn’t always bad. It acts as a warning system and sends alerts when there is danger. It helps us identify risks and react to emergencies. Anxiety helps us prepare, navigate uncertainty, anticipate obstacles, and identify possible solutions.

This all sounds great – but then why does it also make us feel so bad?

Anxiety is part of a fight-or-flight response, preparing our bodies to react to danger. If you were being chased by a tiger, your anxious fight-or-flight response would kick in to keep you safe. The problem lies when our brain perceives danger that is not life threatening, such as a job interview, the first day of school, or being in a new environment.

The good news is you can learn to respond to anxiety in a way that is more supportive and productive, while decreasing your anxious thoughts and feelings, and developing strategies to cope.

Here are 3 specific tools to help you work through anxiety when it’s not working for you:

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Anxiety challenging skills

When you’re not being chased by a tiger

Engaging in balanced thinking, considering multiple outcomes, and staying connected to your body using progressive muscle relaxation are just some of the tools you can use to work through anxiety when it’s not working for you.

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Engage in balanced thinking

Anxiety often propels us into all-or-nothing thinking. This extreme position leaves us feeling hopeless and stuck, unable to create change. We’ve all been there.

“There is no solution to this problem.”

“If I don’t get this right, I’m a failure.”

“They didn’t agree with me. They are against me.”

Next time these thoughts pop up, take back control by reframing them in a more balanced way:

“There are multiple answers to this situation. If I choose to try something new it does not mean it is wrong.”

“I can make mistakes and still succeed.”

“Just because I disagree with someone and we have differences, doesn’t mean they do not like me as a person.”

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Consider multiple outcomes

Another way to get unstuck is to think:

“What’s the best case, worst case, and most realistic case scenario?”

With school approaching, lets talk about the possibilities for the first day.

BEST case: Today is going to be the best day ever. I’ll see all my friends, we will have all the same classes, and my teachers will be super cool, creative, and funny.

WORST case: Today is going to be the worst day of my life. No one will talk to me, my teachers will assign tons of homework the first day, and I’ll get lost in this new building.

REALISTIC case: I have teachers who care about my learning, although they may have different teaching styles. I might know someone in my class or I’ll meet new people and make new friends. I might not know where to go, but I can ask for help from a teacher or student and make it to class without getting lost.

Considering all 3 options slows down our thinking, gets all parts of our brain working together, and helps us gain control over anxiety and not stay stuck.

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Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Using our bodies is an effective way to reduce anxious feelings and get unstuck.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a structured exercise where you tense then release certain areas of the body, one at a time, starting from the top of your head and moving down. Being mindful of the release and noticing the changes in your body increases your closeness to calmness and relaxation.

PMR increases your mind-body connection, slows down the strong emotional and reactive parts of the brain, and slows down breathing. All of these outcomes are effective and proven in gaining control over anxiety.

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In addition to these three skills, Veronica works with clients to utilize logic to identify unhelpful thoughts and work to disprove them and practice in-the-moment strategies to cope with anxiety that you can use outside of sessions.

Veronica is available now to support you and help you take control over your anxiety when it’s not working for you.

Connect with Veronica

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We LOVE our clients!

Immediate help is always available

All new clients receive a return call or email (double check your spam folder) in less than 24 hours.

BCA Therapy does not maintain a waitlist and we never will.  There shouldn’t be any roadblocks when you are asking for help.

We can’t wait to meet you!

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BCA Therapy:

Mental Health Champion

BCA Therapy has been awarded a LOVE Award as a Mental Health Champion for both our Bucks County and Main Line locations. We are so grateful and couldn’t be more proud of our clients and how they show up for themselves every week!

 

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