Caring for Your Whole Self this May
- Paul Aguirre, LCSW-R
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
Paul Aguirre, Director, CHC's Baker Family Emotional Health and Wellness Center
May is both Mental Health Awareness Month and National Speech-Language-Hearing Month—a perfect time to recognize how closely our emotional well-being and communication health are connected.
At the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC), we see this connection in countless ways. Down the hall, our Emotional Health and Wellness Center might be working with someone whose relentless tinnitus is increasing their feelings of hopelessness. In Audiology, a musician may be grappling with the news that she needs a cochlear implant. Across the way in Education, a single parent may be fighting back guilt because work demands are taking time away from focusing on her son’s IEP. And in Communications, an eight-year-old boy might be facing isolation as the only child with hearing loss in his class—and just needs someone to talk to about it.
Each situation is unique, but they share something in common: the emotional toll that can come with communication challenges, hearing loss, or caregiving. That’s why collaboration is at the heart of CHC’s care. Our team of audiologists, speech-language pathologists, mental health professionals, and educational specialists work together every day to support the whole person, not just one aspect of their care.
We also know that stress, loss, and change can lead to anxiety and depression—no one is immune. That’s why self-care is more than a wellness trend. It’s an essential part of how we stay balanced. And it doesn’t have to be perfect. Some days, self-care might mean pausing for a walk or taking a deep breath. Other days, it might just be asking yourself, “What do I need right now?” Even that moment of checking in counts.
This month is a reminder to care for your whole self—body, mind, and spirit. And if you or someone you love needs support, CHC is here. Whether you’re facing hearing loss, speech challenges, or the emotional impact of either, we’re ready to help you reconnect—with yourself and the world around you.
About the Author
Paul David Aguirre, LCSW-R, is the Director of the Baker Family Emotional Health and Wellness Center and has been with CHC since 2015. He attained proficiency in American Sign Language through his early career work at National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, NY, and has since worked extensively with children, adolescents and adults who are deaf, hearing and hard-of-hearing in all treatment modalities. Mr. Aguirre’s clinical approach uses adaptive attachment modeling and a strengths-based perspective to create a warm, supportive, life-affirming holding environment that empowers clients to achieve their personal and professional goals. Mr. Aguirre earned his Master’s Degree in Social Work at Adelphi University, New York, in 2007.