Hello!

Happy Spring! Our newsletter this month is all about healthy relationships and I am thankful for your relationship with McCaskill Family Services.

I hope you are able to get outdoors and join our team in downtown Plymouth this Saturday for the Mental Health and Wellness Fair (see below!) and check out our MFS spring gnome display in Kellogg Park!

If you are struggling, keep swimming...you've got this. We are here if you need us.

Dr. Pam McCaskill

734-416-9098
McCaskill Family Services Newsletter
Term: Spring| Issue 40| April 27th, 2023
April is for Awareness
  • 1 in 3 high school students experience either sexual or physical violence (or both) by someone they are dating.
  • 26% of women and 15% of men report experiencing intimate partner violence before the age of 18.
  • Only 1/3 of youth experiencing dating violence told someone about it.
  • 1/2 of adolescents who experience rape, physical, or sexual violence attempt suicide.

These are alarming statistics for our youth and our community. With interpersonal relationships being such a cornerstone of development, and teens being developmentally reluctant to confide in adults, it can be challenging to monitor and help them navigate their relationships.

April is sexual assault and domestic violence awareness month.
At McCaskill, we believe that knowledge is our best asset in helping to alter these statistics and protect our youth. Know the signs of dating violence and unhealthy relationship behaviors, gain access to resources, and learn how to talk to your kids openly about what they might be experiencing in their relationships. Click below for an insightful article by our own Dr. Jessica Peatee on the signs of domestic violence and sexual assault.
At McCaskill Family Services, we specialize in working with children and adults who are struggling with all kinds of presenting mental health issues. If your family or someone you know could benefit from our services, please contact us. Our clinicians are trained and experienced in empirically-based techniques, and would be happy to promptly schedule an appointment in person or via tele-health. We can be reached by phone at 734-416-9098 or by email at office@mccaskillfamilyservices.com.
Resources for DV & SA
Domestic Violence Reading List
Sexual Assault Reading List
First Step
-Transitional Housing
-Emergency Shelter
-Assault Response
-Children's Advocacy and Prevention
-Community Eductaion
Safe House Center
-Emergency Housing
-Support groups
-Youth Services
-Crisis Support Services
-Response Team
Healthy Relationship Group
Did you know McCaskill now offers a healthy teen relationship group?
This group hopes to raise awareness of positive and negative behaviors in teen relationships, while equipping them with skills and resources for healthy relationship success. This group focuses on building positive communication skills, emotion regulation, and conflict resolution. Visit our website for more info or to register!
Get to Know Our Staff
Clinician Spotlight
Jessica is most passionate about assisting those who may be struggling with experiences of trauma, relationship violence, gender and sexual identity exploration, and romantic relationship concerns.

Dr. Peatee has received specialized training in trauma-informed treatments such as prolonged exposure (PE), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), and Exposure, Relaxation, & Rescripting Therapy (ERRT) for trauma-related nightmares.

Dr. Jess has also received training in a variety of couples therapy approaches, including behavioral couples therapy (BCT) and integrative behavioral couples therapy (IBCT). She has experience delivering interventions that target both experiences of trauma and relationship issues.

She also has experience conducting comprehensive psychological assessments which focus on providing diagnostic information and helpful recommendations for children and adults who have experienced trauma and other presenting concerns.
Mental Health Fair
Anxiety Reduction Technique
Engage your senses in this grounding exercise that helps to calm you during moments of anxiety.
Wherever you are, stop, and name:
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
Fun Tip:
If you have young children, it can be fun to help them create a coping skills sensory box.
Let them creatively decorate a box, treasure chest, bag etc. Then, fill it with items that meet these sensory needs (a lollipop, a fidget, a family picture, a favorite toy, lavendar oil, etc.) Encourage them to use this when they are feeling a big emotion.
Newsletter Editor's Notes
Growth in Time

Spring can often be seen as a time of re-birth; leaves return to the trees, last year's flowers start to pop up, and we are met with the familiar feeling of warm (ish) sunshine that melts away our seasonal blues and darker days. It is in these moments that I am thankful for the laws of physics, and the reality that time only moves forward and not backward.

So often, we wish that we could reverse time. Whether it be because we desire to re-live cherished moments, do something differently, or change our past, this seems like a luxury that could save us a lot of pain and suffering.

If this was the reality, where would our growth occur? Life would be repetitious, and we would likely stay stuck in the past attempting to alter our present. We would never learn how to handle emotions of guilt or sadness if we could simply go back and prevent them. We would struggle to appreciate a warm spring breeze if we never allowed ourselves to experience another winter. It is only because time moves in continuum that we truly grow.

With that in mind, I encourage you to think about who you have become by surviving this past winter (and maybe even the past few years). Have you grown in resilience? Compassion? Patience? Motivation? This is the perfect season to take the time to appreciate who you have transformed into, or better yet, set intentions of who you would like to be as the season renews you. It is never too late or too early to celebrate who you have become, or, to make a change. Happy soul searching.

Warmly, -Jaclyn
Happy Spring!
Welcome. I'm Jaclyn, a masters level clinician at McCaskill Family Services who specializes in the treatment of OCD, anxiety, self-harm, and eating disorders for all ages. I co-run the McCaskill Family Services DBT groups for teens and adults, and specialize in psychological assessment. I am also our monthly newsletter editor and social media manager!

I'd like to personally thank you for staying in touch with our practice, and hope you find this newsletter inspirational and informative. If you or someone you know would like to schedule an appointment with me, please contact our office at 734-416-9098 or email us at office@mccaskillfamilyservices.com. I look forward to working with you!