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Graduation: A Heartfelt Goodbye

Graduation: A Heartfelt Goodbye

by | May 6, 2025 | Mind-Body Medicine

Written by Jody Cecil, our Licensed Professional Counselo

As we turn the corner into May, we find ourselves in graduation season. Children and adults of all ages are making plans to commemorate the end of a journey, whether it’s the completion of kindergarten or college. After months or years of hard work and dedication, the students have finally reached the culmination of their academic journey. It’s time to celebrate . . . and grieve.

During graduation season, campuses are abuzz with excitement and anticipation. Students don their caps and gowns, ready to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas. Families and friends gather to celebrate the achievements of their loved ones, often traveling hundreds of miles to be part of this special moment. This year, I’m personally celebrating the achievements of both of our adult children as they complete their undergraduate and graduate programs.

Graduation season is also a time of transformation and transition. It brings a sense of accomplishment and joy, but also sadness as students prepare to leave behind the familiar environment of their schools and embark on new adventures. It’s a time for reflecting on the past, cherishing memories, and looking forward to the future with hope and determination.

While reflecting on my own experiences of graduation, I began to hum the words of an old but familiar song, written by Pete Seeger and performed by multiple artists including The Byrds in 1965, “Turn! Turn! Turn!”:

To everything, turn, turn, turn
There is a season, turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

The song expresses the reality of a changing, or turning, world in which there is a time and place for everything. Ends mark beginnings. We rejoice and we cry. Graduation is about turning, a change in direction, and with that turning comes a mix of emotions. I’ve been privileged to take part in multiple graduation ceremonies, the last being my own master’s degree in counseling over a decade ago. I can remember the anticipation and excitement as I waited my turn to walk across the stage, receive my diploma, shake hands with a dignitary I barely knew and wave to my family and friends. The grief that followed surprised me. I slowly realized that while I had completed a major milestone, I was also losing a close-knit friendships and the familiarity of an environment and routine. While the days of writing papers and taking exams were over, I was about to start over without the community I had enjoyed for so long.

With all of life, we learn that to be human, to be fully alive, means we hold excitement for the future along with the grief for what we are leaving behind. To turn towards the new means saying goodbye. As we celebrate with friends and family this season, may we all hold space for the celebration as well as the sadness. After all, there is a season for everything. Turn. Turn. Turn.

As a licensed professional counselor, Jody sees clients both virtually and in person at the Flourish Center. She uses a variety of modalities to help her clients in reaching their goals including Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Whatever modality is used, Jody values the uniqueness and strengths of each person and invites them to embrace healing wholistically. If you are interested in counseling, you can contact Jody here, Taking Root Counseling.

How to Find your Sunscreen Soulmate: Tips and Tricks

How to Find your Sunscreen Soulmate: Tips and Tricks

by | May 1, 2025 | Lifestyle Medicine

Written by our Clinic Assistant, Hailey Duggirala

It’s finally starting to warm up! The days are longer, brighter, and full of exciting outdoor activities. Whether you’re taking a much-awaited tropical vacation, embarking on a long weekend hike, or just taking your dog out for a stroll around the neighborhood, it’s important to protect your skin from sun damage. But with more and more brands promising to provide the “best” quality sun protection for your money, it can be difficult to pick a product that’s right for you.

To help you get started, here are a few tips and tricks worth considering:

Step One: Look for Green Flag Ingredients and Qualifiers

There are a lot of buzzwords around the perfect skincare–so what really matters? When looking for a high-quality sunblock, you’ll want to grab something broad-spectrum. This means that the product is equipped to protect you from multiple kinds of harmful sun rays. This is important for maintaining the longevity of your skin, as well as preventing sun-damage related diseases like skin cancer. 

You will also want to find a product with SPF 30 or higher, the rating recommended by the American Academy of dermatology. SPF, which stands for “Sun Protection Factor,” is a measurement of how effectively a sunscreen is protecting your skin, so it’s important to make sure to keep a high-rating in mind. 

If you plan on swimming or frequently perform strenuous exercise, it might also be worth looking for a water-proof sunscreen. This option would help to protect your skin better in cases where other sunscreens may simply wash off or lose effectiveness more quickly. It is important to remember that, even when wearing a waterproof sunscreen, you will need to reapply every 40 to 80 minutes when sweating or swimming.

Step Two: Avoid Red Flag Environmental and Human Toxins

All skin deserves sunscreen, but not all products advertised as sunscreen deserve to be on your skin (or, for that matter, in our oceans). Some common sunscreens in the United States include known human and environmental toxins, including: 

  • Oxybenzone or benzophenone-3
  • Avobenzone
  • Homosalate
  • Octinoxate
  • Octocrylene 
  • Octisalate

While scientists have a variety of concerns regarding the use and application of these chemicals–including worries about hormone disruption, carcinogenic properties, and environmental destruction–they are still incredibly common on the sunscreen market. By doing your own research into these and other ingredients in your sunscreen, you arm yourself with the knowledge and confidence to make decisions that you feel good about.

Step Three: Mineral VS Chemical

There are two kinds of sunscreen available to us as consumers; mineral and chemical. The formula that’s best for you will depend on your individual skin needs, such as skin sensitivity and skin type. If you have sensitive skin, you may prefer a mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. While effective, this sunscreen is less likely to irritate sensitive skin when compared to a chemical sunscreen. 

If you often find yourself disliking your sunscreen because it leaves a white cast on your skin, you may prefer to use a chemical sunscreen. As many of these kinds of sunscreen are clear rather than white, and don’t rely on mineral blockers that add pigment to the formula, you might find that they better suit your skin. Though chemical sunscreen can absolutely be a good option–and may even be more effective than their mineral counterparts at blocking harmful sun damage–it is especially important to be mindful of the ingredients in your product, as many of the toxic chemicals we discussed earlier on are most present in this type of sunscreen (though there are still great choices on the market!).

Step Four: Trial and Error

The truth is, we don’t always get it right on the first try, and it can be hard to navigate all of the ingredients, considerations, and personal skin needs that go into making a decision about sun protection. One way to parse through the products available is to use the Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s list of certified products. Their approved products are carefully screened for environmental toxins, and you can sort out harmful ingredients like human toxins using their handy sorting tool, which allows you to select specific criteria (including cancer risk and allergen concerns) when searching their directory. 

With so many incredible and diverse products on the market, there’s no reason to settle for one that you don’t love. Sun protection and healthy skin are worth investing in, so don’t be afraid to test out a couple of different sunscreens until you find your perfect fit. There are plenty of choices out there, each designed to support a different set of skin needs–products with moisturizer, mattifying formulas, sunblocks that double as makeup primers or color correctors. With a little patience, time, and research, you can find a sunscreen that protects your skin and blends seamlessly into your skincare routine–year round!