functionallymentall

Men’s Mental Health

Elisa A. Escalante/ LCSW/ 6-7-2025 “A man will kill himself before he will ever speak his pain.” -EaE All I can write about is my perspective as an outside observer to a group of people that exist; my male peers, my male family members, my male clients, and men I’ve dated. First off, there areContinue reading “Men’s Mental Health”

Mental May

Elisa A. Escalante/ LCSW/ 05-15-2025 Every year I promise myself that I will take the month of May more seriously. As it is mental health awareness month. But life get’s the best of me. I was racking my brain on how I could possibly write a blog about mental health for May, as it isContinue reading “Mental May”

Staying in the Lanes

5-1-2025 Interviewer: Elisa A. Escalante LCSW/ published author Interviewee: Kody R. Escalante @Lanewhisperer/ Two sanctioned 300’s & Sanctioned 299 Bowler (And also my little brother!) Q- I distinctly remember the time I knew that your bowling skills were above average. I was sixteen years old, and you were 8, and you beat me in severalContinue reading “Staying in the Lanes”

But Why?

Elisa A. Escalante/ LCSW/ 4-20-2025 Our mind will go to places that defy the laws of radical acceptance, & life itself. The reason that I ‘why’ my patients, and sometimes my friends to death, is because the mind is reaching for every answer to every possible scenario. Or the mind is fixated on sticking withContinue reading “But Why?”

After Ever After

Elisa A. Escalante/ LCSW/ 04-01-2025 “Love is the chemical reaction. The relationship is the construct/ contract that’s meant to trap it. Will the relationship nurture the love or kill it? Only time will tell.” -EaE The Prince and Princess get married and turn into the King and Queen. The ceremony, interactions, and celebration feels/ looksContinue reading “After Ever After”

Toxic Influencers

Elisa A. Escalante/ LCSW/ 03-10-2025 You scroll through social media and within several hours, you may have already received contradicting research, information and/ or advice from influencers. Influencers could include healthcare professionals, life coaches, fitness fanatics, celebrities and so on. I know that there are different definitions of the term. I see an ‘influencer’ asContinue reading “Toxic Influencers”

Euphoria

Elisa A. Escalante/ LCSW/ 02-16-2025 “Let’s just admit that we don’t want our ‘highs’ to end. We don’t want to sink into the lows. We want to chase a feeling and make it permanent. We want to hold onto a moment while life moves on.”- EaE Roughly 6 years ago, I had traveled to CaliforniaContinue reading “Euphoria”

The only other thing is Nothing

Elisa A. Escalante/ LCSW/ 01-21-2025 “When you don’t want it anymore, but you don’t know anything else. It’s a loop of hell that consumes you. When you free yourself, you strip away the torture, but you strip away your identity along with it.” -EaE Thirteen months ago I had my more recent break up. IContinue reading “The only other thing is Nothing”

You’re probably slacking on your New Years Resolution, aren’t you?

Elisa A. Escalante/ LCSW/ 01-15-2025 “Growth/ maturity is getting older and realizing that everything you feared, and everything you judged, will happen to you. And the best qualities that you can have during your humility journey are grace and gratitude.” -EaE There is no such thing as an endless supply of motivation. So, if youContinue reading “You’re probably slacking on your New Years Resolution, aren’t you?”

My Sound Bath

Elisa A. Escalante/ LCSW/ 12-23-2024 Starting yoga a few months ago was not something I was doing out of excitement. It was something I was doing because I felt a need that I figured only the art of yoga might fulfill. The art of letting go, surrender, clearing my mind in a way that nothingContinue reading “My Sound Bath”