Blog Posts
Heal Chaos and Overwhelm: Declutter Every Part of Your Life
An organized brain is a Mentally STRONG brain, and it almost sounds so easy. I've been on this self-development journey [...]
Harnessing Anxiety: A Personal Journey to Mental Strength
Hello, I'm Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, EdD PMHNP, and today I want to share with you a perspective on anxiety that [...]
Confronting Grief: A Journey of Pain and Purpose
The first time I truly encountered grief was as I stood on that riverbank, watching rescue workers search for my [...]
Help! I Can’t Pay Attention!
Reflecting on my clinical practice and the evolving landscape of mental health, I've noticed an increasing trend that deeply concerns [...]
When Grief Feels Like Nothing Matters
Grief is an unwelcome visitor that alters the landscape of our lives with its profound presence. It carries with it [...]
Overcoming Barriers to Mental Strength
As we step into the realm of a new beginning, the conversation often steers towards achieving personal and professional success. [...]
Good Enough: How to Overcome Negative Thoughts
Most of us carry a deep-seated belief of "I'm not good enough." This core connection is more than just a [...]
More Than Willpower: How to Embrace Behavioral Change
Behavioral change is a complex process that goes beyond sheer willpower and motivation. It involves a deep understanding of our [...]
Confronting Trauma: A Journey of Healing
As a mental health professional, I often emphasize the importance of confronting past traumas. Recently, I embarked on a deeply [...]
Things Not to Say to a Grieving Parent: What to Say Instead
In my journey as a psychiatric nurse practitioner and more poignantly as a grieving mother, I have encountered many well-meaning [...]
Anticipating Grief: Three Tips for Living in the Shadow of Loss
In the realm of grief and loss, there is a unique and complex type called anticipatory grief. It's a mixture [...]
No One is Going to Rescue You
As I sit here on the two-year anniversary of my daughter's passing, a painful truth echoes in my mind: no [...]
Get Unstuck: What To Do When You Feel Stuck in Grief
Hello, I'm Cristi Bundukamara, and today, I want to share my deeply personal journey through grief and how I've managed [...]
Death Anniversaries
Hello, I'm Cristi Bundukamara, and today, I want to share with you a deeply personal experience that has shaped my [...]
Grief is Pain: 3 Practical Tips
Grief is Pain. That's a truth I want to emphasize. Anyone who claims otherwise, I challenge them. In my own [...]
Joy and Pain Can Coexist
Grief is a complex emotion, one that often seems at odds with joy. The pain of loss can be so [...]
Gratitude in Grief: How Can You Find It?
Losing a loved one is an unimaginable pain, a journey that I intimately understand. My powerful story is marked by [...]
Finding Your Answer to “Why Me?” – A Journey of Healing and Strength
“Why me?” It’s a question that resonates with many of us during life’s most challenging moments. Those two simple words […]
Emotional Wealth: 3 Tools to Manage Your Energy Wisely
In our fast-paced lives, we often forget that emotions require energy and time. Just as we manage our finances to [...]
Social Anxiety: Understanding the Disorder and How to Overcome It
Social anxiety is a common concern among many individuals, particularly as society becomes increasingly interconnected. In this blog post, we […]
Unlocking the Mysteries of Anorexia Nervosa: Expert Insights from Dr. B
Anorexia nervosa is a complex and challenging mental health condition that can have devastating consequences for those who suffer from […]
Unveiling the Challenges of Self-Care: A Personal Journey to Prioritizing Well-Being
In this blog post, Dr. B shines a light on the often-overlooked challenges of self-care. She understands the struggle of […]
You Can Heal After Losing a Child
Losing a child is a tragic and devastating experience that can leave parents overwhelmed and broken. Grief is a natural […]
Demystifying DSM Criteria for Insomnia: What You Need to Know
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep, […]
Munchausen Syndrome Factitious Disorder
Have you ever heard of Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose Story and wondered why a mother like […]
Understanding Elimination Disorders: Diagnoses and Treatments Demystified
Are you curious about elimination disorders and how they are diagnosed and treated? This informative blog post will delve into […]
Bulimia Nervosa: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Bulimia Nervosa is a severe and complex mental health disorder affecting millions worldwide. As a psychiatric nurse practitioner with over […]
Exploring the Depths of Grief: Uncovering the Layers with Dr. Cristi Bundukamara
Grief is a complex and multifaceted emotion that affects individuals in many ways. Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, aka Dr. B, a […]
Demystifying the DSM: Binge Eating Disorder
Are you familiar with the term “Binge Eating Disorder”? It’s a condition that affects millions of people around the world. […]
Dysthymia or Persistent Depressive Disorder
Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, Ed., PMHNP (aka, Dr. B.), founder and creator of the Mentally STRONG Method, continues her series, “Demystifying […]
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
PMDD, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, is a real disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition […]
Are Your Thoughts Limiting Your Potential?
Cristi Bundukamara, Ed. D, PMHNP (aka, Dr. B.), founder and creator of the Mentally STRONG Method discusses the effects of […]
Making Time for Your Mental Health
Cristi Bundukamara, Ed. D, PMHNP (aka, Dr. B.), founder and creator of the Mentally STRONG Method, has over 20 years […]
The Four Tasks of Mourning: Grief Management for the Rest of Us
In 1969, Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross first introduced the stages of grief in her book On Death and Dying. Since […]
Understanding Grief Through the Dual Process Model
The death of a loved one can be one of the most challenging experiences that a person can go through. […]
Grief After Losing a Spouse
Understanding Grief Grief is an incredibly complex emotion. Everyone processes grief differently, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to navigating […]
The Physical Impact of Grief
Cristi Bundukamara, Ed. D, PMHNP (aka, Dr. B), founder and creator of the Mentally STRONG Method, discusses the physical aspect […]
Prolonged Grieving or Clinical Depression?
Cristi Bundukamara, Ed. D, PMHNP (aka, Dr. B.), founder and creator of the Mentally STRONG Method, discusses prolonged grieving disorder […]
An Excellent Resource for Grief: Moving Through Grief by Dr. Kubacky
It is my goal to provide information and resources on grief in a way that is easy to understand and [...]
Dialectical Thinking and the Art of Peace in Grief
In these trying times, it's more important than ever to find ways to cope with our grief and anxiety. We're [...]
Dissociative Identity Disorder: What You Need to Know
For many people, the term "multiple personality disorder" conjures up images of Hollywood movies and TV shows in which someone [...]
Do You Have a Trauma or Stress Related Disorder? | Demystifying the DSM
You might be surprised to learn that over 70% of adults in the United States have experienced a traumatic event [...]
Adjustment Disorder: What is it and how can it be treated?
You may have heard of adjustment disorder, but what exactly is it? According to the DSM-5, adjustment disorder is "a [...]
How to Tell If Your Child is Suffering from PTSD | Demystifying the DSM
It's no secret that children can be resilient. They often adapt quickly to change and roll with the punches better [...]
How to Tell if You Have PTSD According to the DSM-5
PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a serious mental health condition that can occur after a person has been through [...]
Do You Know Your Archetypes?
We all have different personality types that make us who we are. Some of us are more introverted, while others [...]
Grief and Your Belief System
Are you experiencing enormous grief? Specifically, the grief of losing a child? This may be the most intense grief a [...]
Trauma and Triggers
Cristi Bundukamara, Ed. D, PMHNP, founder and creator of the Mentally STRONG Method. The Mentally STRONG Method is based on […]
What to Do When You Are Not Happy
Part of the Mentally STRONG Methodology is choice, one of the central tenets behind being Mentally STRONG – we have […]
What is Trichotillomania
Do you pull out your hair? Maybe your eyelashes or eyebrows? Or even pick at your skin and wonder what’s [...]
Are You Raising a Mentally STRONG Kid?
We all want our children to be Mentally STRONG. We want them to be able to handle whatever life throws [...]
Hoarding Disorder: What Can I Do?
Do you think you or someone you know has Hoarding Disorder? Recently, hoarding has become more well known because of [...]
Loss of a Child: 2 Things You MUST DO When Grieving the Loss of a Child
The death of a child is one of the most painful things that can happen to a family. No parent [...]
How Does the Mentally STRONG Method Work?
Cristi Bundukamara, Ed.D, PMHNP, designed the Mentally STRONG Method and approach to therapy based on the well-researched and evidence-based Cognitive […]
Is Ketamine for Depression Safe?
Cristi Bundukamara, Ed.D, PMHNP, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner with over 20 years of clinical experience and the owner and […]
Why do we need to lose our children? | Coping with Grief and Depression
It's hard to write about something so personal. It's even harder to read. But I think it's important. If we [...]
Major Depressive Disorder
The following is only a brief overview of the most prevalent diagnosis in our clinic – major depressive disorder. Understanding […]
Bipolar II
Diagnosing a client with bipolar II can be difficult. People have been told that they’re moody, that they’re bipolar by […]
5 Daily Practices for Strength When You’ve Lost a Child
Surviving the loss of a child may seem like it's so hard and impossible, but you need to find the [...]
Bipolar I
Although the DSM V clearly distinguishes bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymia, clinically, they operate on more of a continuum. […]
Unspecified Psychosis
Unspecified psychosis, as the name implies, speaks to several different situations. This diagnosis is not used very often and is […]
Schizoaffective Disorder Symptoms & Treatments
Schizoaffective disorder symptoms & treatments are critical to understand when dealing with a schizoaffective disorder diagnosis. Schizoaffective disorder is a […]
Schizophrenia Symptoms & Treatment
Schizophrenia symptoms & treatments are critical to understand when you or a loved one receives a diagnosis. Schizophrenia is a […]
Brief Psychotic Disorder & Schizophreniform
Brief psychotic disorder and schizophreniform are both classified in the DSM-5 as Psychotic Disorders. Whether you or someone you love […]
Delusional Disorder: Symptoms and Treatment
A delusional disorder is a mental illness, called a psychosis, where the individual is unable to tell what is real […]
4 Signs You May Have Adult ADD or ADHD
While many individuals receive an ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) diagnosis in childhood, there are [...]
ADHD in Children: Symptoms & Treatment
ADHD is the most common diagnosis in children today. It is important to understand the differences between neurotypical children and [...]
How to treat an Intellectual Disability?
A diagnosis of an intellectual disability brings about many questions, but often the most prominent is: how do you treat [...]
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a condition that relates to brain development and impacts how an individual perceives and socializes with [...]
Core Connections and Triggers
How can The Mentally STRONG Method help us? Through The Mentally STRONG Method, we can learn to better ourselves and [...]
How to Deal With Grief
Grief is a deep and painful emotion that we will all, unfortunately, have to cope with at some point in [...]
5 Tips to Improve Your Mental Health in 2022
Are you planning to make a resolution in the new year? Maybe you’ve had trouble keeping resolutions in the past? [...]
Grief And Gratitude: How To Find Gratitude When Grieving Loss
As the series on grief comes to a close, remember that everyone experiences grief differently, and coping skills that work [...]
Complicated Grief: Prolonged Loss After Losing a Child
Anyone who has lost a loved one has experienced grief. As mentioned in previous articles, everyone experiences and copes with [...]
Losing a Child: 3 Things to Help with Grieving the Loss of A Child
Losing a loved one is always difficult. The sadness, emptiness, and loss can be overwhelming, even if the loss is [...]
The Second Shift: Organize your Brain to Manage a Healthy Work Home Balance
By Dr. Cristi Bundukamara EdD PMHNP — The second shift is a sociological theory created by researcher and author Arlie […]
3 Ways to Support Social-Emotional Development in Children
By Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, EdD PMHNP — As part of the Raising Mentally STRONG Kids program, I developed what I now call […]
Grieving A Living Loved One: Coping With Grieving Someone Who Is Still Alive
To continue the series on grief, this article is going to discuss grieving a living loved one. Grief can be [...]
What is Anticipatory Grief? Preparing for the Loss of a Loved One
As this series on grief continues, remember that grief comes in many different forms, and everyone experiences and handles grief [...]
Grief And Guilt: Coping With The Guilt Felt While Grieving A Loved One
Mentally STRONG’s website, podcasts, and YouTube videos make it evident that their team is very familiar with the experience of [...]
Living with Mental Illness: How the Mentally STRONG Method Changed My Life
By Tatiana Rainey – My name is Tatiana and I whole-heartedly support, believe in and promote all that Mentally STRONG has [...]
A Letter To Someone Who is Struggling
By Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, EdD PMHNP -- A Letter to someone struggling, Life can be really hard, and no matter [...]
How to Talk About Mental Health with Your Family or Loved Ones
By Tatiana Rainey — Around 44 million Americans have a mental illness. That means if you’re not living with one, […]
Self-Compassion: Avoid Negative Self-Talk & Have Compassion for Yourself
By Dr. Cristi Bundukamara EdD PMHNP — Self-compassion can feel impossible sometimes. If you aren’t managing all of the stress […]
Reframe Your Thinking by Learning to Adapt When You Don’t Succeed
By Dr. Cristi Bundukamara EdD PMHNP — Do you feel like you are always repeating the same patterns even though […]
Empowering Children: Raising Mentally STRONG Kids
By Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, EdD PMHNP — Sometimes it can be difficult to feel like you are empowering your children. […]
Understanding Relationship Levels: Being Mentally STRONGer Together
By Dr. Cristi Bundukamara EdD PMHNP — Every day you encounter people, and even if it was only a brief […]
Stress is Growth: Building Resilience in Children Through Anxious Situations
By Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, EdD PMHNP -- Let’s try to change our mindset. “Stress is Growth”. As a parent, protecting [...]
3 ways You can Help Change the Mental Health Culture Right Now
By Dr. Cristi Bundukamara EdD PMHNP –The current mental health culture and system surrounding care and treatment for mental illness […]