Gender Identity and Transitioning
Gender Identity Exploration & Affirming Care
A guide to gender identity exploration for youth, adults and families: how gender identity differs from expression and orientation, what gender dysphoria means, what…
Blue Sails Insights
Mental health insights and guides
In-depth guides and articles on mental health, autism care and finding support in Maryland. Start with a guide, or search and filter articles by topic.
Browse the guides
Each guide covers signs, evaluation, treatment options and common questions for one area of care.
Autism and early intervention guide
OCD care and ERP
Neurodivergence and ADHD guide
Therapy and medication guide
Personality disorders and BPD guide
Veteran and military mental health guide
Anxiety care
Depression care
Trauma and PTSD care
Relationships and family guide
If you are in crisis, call 911, go to the nearest ER, or call or text 988. Maryland programs and community listings are in our behavioral health resources guide.
Latest articles
Adolescent Issues and Challenges
Common Youth Mental Health Conditions: What Parents Should Know
A parent guide to the most common youth mental health conditions: how anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD and eating concerns can show up in children…
Adolescent Issues and Challenges
Adolescent Brain Development & Emotional Regulation: The Prefrontal Cortex vs. Amygdala Gap
Why teens can feel emotions intensely before they can steady them: how the adolescent brain develops, why the prefrontal cortex matures last, how sleep…
School and Pandemic-Related Topics
How the Pandemic Affected Young Children’s Development and School
Long school disruptions, like the pandemic closures, affected many children’s learning, friendships, focus and mood. This guide explains common lingering effects, practical ways families…
School and Community Systems of Support
504 Plans & IEPs for Teen Mental Health in Maryland Schools
A parent guide to school supports for teens with anxiety, depression or ADHD in Maryland: how Section 504 plans and IEPs differ, who may…
Youth and Teen Mental Health
Family Support for Struggling Teens: Communication Without Power Struggles & Co-Regulation
Practical ways for parents to support a struggling teen: co-regulation, validating feelings before fixing, conversations without power struggles, shared limits on screens and sleep,…
Adolescent Issues and Challenges
Core Adolescent Mental Health Issues: Academic Pressure, Social Media & Peer Stress in Maryland
Academic pressure, social media comparison, late-night scrolling, identity and peer stress are some of the most common pressures on teen mental health. This guide…
Substance Use and Addiction
Addiction Treatment & Relapse Prevention: CBT, Motivational Interviewing & Psychiatric Support
A practical guide to addiction treatment and relapse prevention: why a return to use is a signal to adjust the plan, how motivational interviewing…
Relationships and Attachment
Family Systems Therapy: Co-Regulation, Blended Families & Special-Needs Parenting
Family systems therapy treats the household, not one child, as the unit of care. This guide explains roles and triangles, co-regulation and repair, co-parenting,…