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Area's health service needs increase during holidays

Beloit Daily News - 12/23/2016

BELOIT - With the stress of the holidays and growing mental health needs in the area, Stateline Mental Health Services is busier than ever and looking to hire more clinicians.

Business owner and psychotherapist Stephanie Knueppel opened the practice in November of 2014 at the Strong Building. It has grown to employ two full-time and three part-time clinicians and five support staff. It moved to 540 E. Grand Ave. in November. It currently has 185 clients, and has seen 353 clients since inception.

Kneuppel credits her father-in-law Henry Kneuppel for inspiring her to open her own practice. Kneuppel uses good humor, practical wisdom and a listening ear to help her clients along the many twists and turns of life. Stateline Mental Health Services helps individuals, couples and families.

Many of those seeking services have anxiety or depression. Others are working on blending families or are students dealing with academic or peer issues. Therapists work to align each client, couple or family toward healing, peace or letting go.

In an interview on last week Kneuppel explained some of the common advice she doles out during the ever stressful holiday season. Holidays can be difficult, she said, because there is a heightened awareness of what may be lacking in one's life coupled with pressure to perform for others and act like everything is OK. Family dynamics can also to come a head. All of the different stresses tend to compound in a time with less sunlight.

To cope, Knueppel encourages people to keep things in perspective.

"If you are going to be with your whole family for Christmas, it's a brief period of time," she said.

She encourages clients to focus on the positive moments and to take breaks when people feel themselves getting stressed. Even if it's a 2-minute break, it can help diffuse tension and help avoid someone exploding. A family member, for example, could retreat to the bathroom or volunteer to make a run to the store.

"If you start to feel that stress and anxiety, walk around and take a break," she said. "If you don't want to get caught up in uncomfortable conversations, go play with the kids. Find a way or place to get positive energy."

Knueppel said everyone needs a safety net of people to support them through stressful times. If they don't have it, she encourages them to seek out therapy.

"People feel bad about reaching out over the holidays, as they don't want to disrupt others. People don't realize it can bring people joy to be a support for a friend," she said.

Knueppel recommends people ask a friend if it's OK to call or send a text during their stressful times and vice versa.

"Proactively create a safety net," she said.

Knueppel said Christmas also can be a great time to spiritually reconnect as there are many services available where people can reach out to each other and strengthen their faith.

She urges people feeling financial pressures to remember the best gifts are homemade or might be a phone call, free babysitting or simply spending time with someone.

Knueppel's hope for her clients this holiday is that they would feel more comfortable in their own skin and their families would be accepting.

She cautions everyone to be careful of what they ask or don't ask their family members over the dinner table.

"Be aware of what doors you are opening and be willing to accept the answers you get," she said.

When in doubt of how to respond to the probing questions one may get over the dinner table, Knueppel humor can be a help. When asked if one plans to have more children, one could say, "have you met the ones I've got?"

And as always, avoid politics at the dinner table.

"Maybe it's not a day to process the election, but to gather and be present with each other and enjoy those moments," she said. "And if all else fails, 'this too shall pass.'"