It’s a term that surfaces from time to time – Inner Child.  You either get the concept or you think it’s silly and dismiss the person who said it.  Well, I have news for you…it’s real!  The term inner child doesn’t refer to some woo-woo, hippy, liberal, esoteric ritual or practice.  We’re all living with an inner child, my question to you is this: Is your inner child or your adult-self driving the bus? 

They’re overwhelming, powerful and can hit like a tidal wave at times!  They aren’t logical and let’s be honest, they can get us into trouble sometimes...yep, feelings!  I’m not here to devalue or dismiss your feelings, I’d never do that and you shouldn’t let others do that either.  I am here to say that while feelings are a very real and potent response to a situation, they are NOT FACTS.  

We’ve all been flooded with feelings to the point where it’s hard to grab hold of a coherent thought.  We’ve all had those times when our thoughts are spinning out of control and we just need something to hold onto long enough to get over being dizzy and feel our feet underneath us again.  The flood of feelings, thoughts, memories, possible outcomes all hits us at once and we feel paralyzed to act.  Here’s one way to learn to swim through the waters rather than drowning in them... 

Are you the type of person that puts 125% into everything you do, no matter how big or how small the task?  Do you ever feel like your pursuit of perfections runs your F-ing life?  Has your goal of doing something perfectly ever gotten in the way of starting or completing a project?  Have you run yourself ragged trying to perfect something?  Perfectionism can be a real pain in the ass!  

Are you the type of person that craves deeper connections, more meaningful experiences and finds themselves getting lost or bored in surface conversations?  If so, you might want to see how your answer to this question applies to the therapeutic work you do with your counselor... 

So, you think it's time to begin seeing a therapist but you don't know where to start?  Finding the right therapist to meet your needs can feel overwhelming but if you're reading this...you'll know some of the necessary things to consider when choosing which therapist might be the right fit for you!   

I'm going to break down the process into a few steps to make things simple. 

Counseling is an investment!  It’s an investment in yourself, your relationships, your career and your happiness.  It’s an investment in your future and let’s be honest, it can be transformative...if you put the work in.   

One of the common questions clients asks when they first call to schedule is, “Why should I pay out of pocket for counseling if it’s covered under my insurance plan?” 

I saw a bumper sticker recently that stated, "I play the harmonica, what's your superpower?"  Strangely enough, it got me thinking.  I began to ask myself what makes me different from all the other therapists out there?  This simple question started to feel really large as I sat down to write about it and I felt the familiar feeling of fear rise up in my body as I prepared to make myself vulnerable and to tell you a little about myself.