Welcome

Mental Health Matters. PERIOD. This is why I created Psycophi (pronounced, at least by yours truly, as sigh-coh-fee). Throughout my medical career, I have witnessed firsthand just how many people struggle with mental health challenges at one point or another. *Spoiler Alert* It's just about everyone. 

Most people tend to ignore their mental health. Here are two reasons I have observed:

1. Many people struggle recognizing how they are doing in the mental department. 

2. Many don't have the necessary tools and coping strategies in their mental health toolbox to respond effectively to their mental health challenges. 

Terrifyingly, I was once like this. I ended up in the emergency room thinking I was dying. I failed to recognize the signs of anxiety and panic that had crept in during my first year of medical school when the first wave of COVID-19 struck. I failed to respond to my mental and physical symptoms in healthy ways. Thankfully, medical providers were able to correct my electrolyte imbalances and discharge me in good physical health. But it took additional time and personal work to find and develop the tools to help me heal mentally. I don't ever want to be in that mental state again. I don't ever want anyone else to be in a similar situation either. This is why I created Psycophi.

Psych is Latin for mind. Ophi is a derivative of wisdom. From our name to our philosophy, mind wisdom is what we are about.

Psycophi has a simple three-step philosophy and action plan: Recognize, Respond, Optimize. 

1. Recognize:

Learning to listen to yourself and recognize how you are doing mentally is a vital skill we all need to have. My goal is to teach you in simple ways how to recognize the signs and symptoms of the various mental health conditions. Even if you do not meet the criteria of a diagnosable condition, you can still be aware of the symptoms and tendencies you do have when reacting to any given situation.

2. Respond: 

Learning how to respond and rebalance when you are off mentally is a challenging thing to do. I am dedicated to helping you learn the tools to not only survive, but to thrive. While medication is an important tool in the mental health field, my focus here will be on internal and lifestyle modifications you can implement. Changing the way you eat, sleep, move, and breathe all play a vital part in positively improving your mental health. 

3. Optimize:

Once you have recognized what mental health conditions you are struggling with the most and have learned additional skills and habits to successfully respond to these challenges, the third and final step is to optimize your mental health. This includes fine tuning your daily habits, setting goals for improvement, and measuring the results. 

Our course, Mental Health and You: Lifestyle Changes to Optimize Your Life, breaks down these three stages into easily applicable lessons and over flows your toolbox with strategies you can use.

It is my hope that you will realize your mind matters and it deserves special care. Invest the time now in your mental health. Your family members will notice. Your co-workers will notice. But most importantly, you will notice a difference. You will be happier and in a better place because of it. 

May I be the first to welcome you to our Psycophi family—a community where every mind matters. You are not alone.

Bryson Ensign

Small Steps to Big Results