Telling your story can be healing. It can also inspire systemic and lasting change. Make your voice heard as an advocate for mental health in Texas. Join NAMI Texas and NAMI Central Texas to learn how you can get involved in mental health advocacy and use your personal story to […]
Mental Health Champions: How Karen Ranus and NAMI Central Texas Are Supporting People Living With Mental Illness and Their Families
Authority Magazine – Yitzi Weiner Asa part of my series about “Mental Health Champions” helping to promote mental wellness, I had the pleasure to interview Karen Ranus. Karen Ranus is the Executive Director of the Central Texas affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Central Texas). She sits […]
A Year of Adversity
By Simon Niblock It’s easy to define 2020 as the Year of Adversity. It will be a year that will undoubtedly leave many with a particularly bitter aftertaste. With 2021 just around the corner, it’s no surprise that we’re all a bit apprehensive about what the next calendar year might […]
Blue Christmas: How the holiday season and COVID-19 pandemic are fueling a rise in loneliness
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Social distancing and self-quarantining amid the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the impact that loneliness can have on people of all ages. While the holiday season may provide comfort and solace to some who have struggled this year, for others it can be the toughest time of year […]
2020 Board Candidates
NAMI Central Texas is pleased to welcome our new slate of board members, elected by the membership. A Nominations Committee comprised of Board Members Julie Almendral, Manuel Quinto-Pozos, Leo Paterra as well as Executive Director, Karen Ranus, interviewed several qualified candidates to fill two first-term vacant positions on the Board […]
Coping with the Holiday Blues
Often touted as the “most wonderful time of the year,” the winter holidays can also be a time of sadness for individuals and families grieving the loss of a loved one, living with a chronic illness, facing financial burdens, or simply overwhelmed by the many expectations of the season. These […]
Your Brain on Anxiety
We all experience anxiety, but for many Americans feelings of persistent and excessive fear and distress prevent them from doing everyday activities. Join NAMI Central Texas and Wendi Kozlowski from Insight Behavioral Health Center as we take a closer look at anxiety disorders, common symptoms in adults and children, and […]
Suicide is Preventable
This Suicide Prevention Month, learn the risk factors, warning signs, and early prevention actions that can save lives. With the overall suicide rate increasing 31% since 2007, suicide is a major public health issue. Join NAMI Central Texas and Lisa Sullivan of Texas Suicide Prevention Collaborative as we learn suicide […]
Finding Balance: Regulating Emotions with DBT
Building mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal conflict-resolution skills can help people cope with sudden, intense surges of emotion and help individuals and families maintain positive relationships and safety. Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a highly effective therapeutic model that helps people manage intense emotions and behaviors that interfere […]
Managing Back-to-School Anxiety
While back-to-school time is usually an exciting and busy time, students, parents, and teachers face new worries as the disruptions and uncertainties caused by COVID-19 continue. Worried parents can inadvertently make children and teens feel more anxious too. Join Meagan Butler and Wanda Montemayor, two former AISD Counselors of the […]