Motivational interviewing (MI) is a counseling technique that helps individuals explore and resolve ambivalence about making changes in their lives. It helps individuals identify their own reasons for change, rather than imposing change on them. The reality is that we all have behaviors that we want to change. And we all have behaviors that we have talked about changing for a long time without actually following through.

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but it doesn't have to control you. Managing stress is crucial for maintaining your overall well-being, and there are several strategies that can help. Here are some of the top strategies for managing stress.

Partnering with local counseling practices can be a valuable way to improve the mental health of your employees. These collaborations help your employees on an individual basis while helping the productivity and health of the company as a whole. Here are a few ways that companies can collaborate with counseling practices to support your employees’ mental health.

Work stress is something that many people experience at some point in their careers. It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as tight deadlines, heavy workloads, and difficult co-workers. However, there are ways to manage and reduce work stress. Here are some strategies for handling work stress.

Shortly after I started weaning my toddler, sadness engulfed me. I felt like melted ice cream, honestly. This led me down a rabbit hole of reading. I am sure that you are joining me in my surprise that as a therapist, a former educator, and a mother who reads every parenting article I can get my hands on, I had never heard of post-weaning depression. Well, I think that the answer is two-fold. From what I can gather, there is limited research on post-weaning depression. This blog is centered on raising awareness on post-weaning depression, along with an encouragement for greater societal attention and research.

Supporting your child in effectively managing their symptoms of ADHD, while celebrating them and accepting them for all that they are, will aid long term success and elevated self-esteem. This will promote self-confidence, self-acceptance, and assurance that can handle all that life throws their way. 

Brainspotting is a cutting edge brain and body based treatment modality that doesn’t require you to do a lot of talking. Despite the fact that Brainspotting was discovered almost 20 years ago, many people have still not heard about it. In this blog, we’ll be going over common questions that people have when they first learn about Brainspotting. Have questions? Let us answer them!

Every year, several organizations and programs dedicate time to bring awareness to certain topics, including mental health, substance use, stress management, and more. Over the course of the year, each organization and/or program brings awareness, reduces stigma, offers a variety of shareable resources, and hosts helpful events locally and nationally. If you’re looking to learn more about a particular topic, share helpful resources, and partake in local opportunities, be sure to mark your calendars with these important dates!

Multicultural counseling does not provide quick solutions. I understand that in front of me is a unique person with a rich history of cultural interactions. This is their journey toward the fruition of their own identity. This is not just about culture. This is about who they are as a person and whether they are ready, and how to get ready to bring wholeness and self-leadership into their identity. In multicultural counseling, we explore what is a relationship that one wants to develop with their own culture and other cultures? And more importantly, how to get there? I feel honored to be on this journey with many clients. I found the following strategies really helpful to support this personal growth. 

I have never felt so Chinese before I came to the U.S. As a matter of fact, I rarely mentioned the word “Chinese” in my daily life while I was in China–I never had to, given that everyone around me was Chinese. Cultural diversity in the U.S. has given me a chance to reflect on my relationship with my own culture, and more importantly, what is the relationship that I want to develop with my own culture. As a therapist, my experiences with clients tell me that culture plays a significant role in people’s mental wellbeing, especially in U.S. society. In this article, I will share some examples of when culture is at the center of people’s mental struggles.

“I think she/he is just too sensitive,” some parents complain. Indeed, some children are more sensitive than others. But does high sensitivity only bring trouble? Who gets to decide what is the right amount of sensitivity and what is too much? Those difficult questions take us into an important research area–HSP (Highly Sensitive Person). If you get frustrated with yourself or/and your child over their high sensitivity, this article is going to help you learn about highly sensitive people and how to best support your child.

Many of us have never been taught that therapy was an option for preventative care or times of emotional distress. In fact, many of us have received harmful messages that dissuade people from seeking services that have the potential to help them. Here are a few of the most common reasons we hear for why people don’t seek mental health therapy. We’ve thrown in our own thoughts on these reasons for good measure!

Many people feel stress wrapped up along with their holiday cheer. The holiday season, as wonderful as it can be, can also be full of demands, expectations, financial strains, resurfaced grief and fatigue. Here are five ways that you can prioritize your well-being and manage these stressors effectively.

The out transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) populations are among the fastest-growing populations in the United States. What this means is that you are likely to know someone who identifies as TGNB. They could be your neighbor, a family friend, they could even be your child.  So now what? How do you treat them with dignity, respect, and worth as human beings? How do you learn to respect their individuality and be a supportive person in their life?

According to the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics, we are responsible to respect the dignity and promote the wellness of our clients. What does this mean for therapists when working with TGNB clients? This means that we must make it a priority to have at least a baseline understanding of what it means to be TGNB and an understanding of how we can support their well-being.  As with most marginalized communities, the TGNB community is often discriminated against, mistreated, misunderstood, and faces psychological trauma as a result. In light of this, what can we do to be trans-inclusive and gender-affirming therapists?

Coping skills are adaptive actions that people take to bring themselves comfort and control.

Many of the books listed feature coping skills being taught within therapy sessions. These include the utilization of breath, mindfulness, mindset reframing, utilizing support systems, and acknowledging worry rather than pushing it away.

This post is a valuable resource to parents looking to make changes at home to best support their children while in therapy and beyond. Many of the recommendations that are discussed in this blog are overarching routines and practices that can be beneficial for all children, no matter the current difficulties that they are experiencing. Please keep in mind how valuable it is to have open communication with your child’s therapist, identifying any stressors that may be affecting your household, so that you may receive additional individualized, tailored advice.

A good night’s sleep helps the body and mind recharge; improving mood, increasing one’s ability to concentrate and think clearly. It has been proven to lower anxiety levels, elevate mood, and improve overall functioning. As one can imagine, better relationships are formed due to clear minds and elevated moods. So how is it achieved? Here are some tips that I have found in research and within my experience in working with children and adolescents.

This post is for the parents on the edge, wondering if their child would benefit from therapy and what therapy for children and adolescents even looks like. I hope that this article will answer any questions that you may have, keeping in mind that every child and family is unique and should you need a more personalized conversation, please call our office for a more tailored conversation. 

Do you notice your mood goes down when the weather gets colder? Have you ever been told that you were too “sensitive” to feel that way? The truth is, many people (three million people in the U.S.!) experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD). So, it is no joke.