A Therapy & Mental Wellness Blog

Written by: Amanda Levison , M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Content Warning: Spiders, Insects Let’s discuss a hypothetical scenario. Say you’re watching a scary movie about spiders, and after the film is over, those 8-legged creepy crawly insects are still on your mind. You start to feel on edge, and your mind begins to wonder if spiders are lurking in your home's corners and dark spaces. Your brain interprets the brush of your tag from your shirt on the back of your neck as a giant s

Written by: Amanda Levison , M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Relationships are essential in every aspect of life. This is not limited to romantic relationships but also friendships and familial ones. We all need someone who genuinely understands, supports and accepts us for who we are. However, relationships are not always smooth sailing, and we often face criticism from our partners and loved ones. Criticism can hurt our well-being, leading to feelings of hurt, inadequacy, and destruc

Written by: Amanda Levison , M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Words have a profound impact on our lives. "Work Hard." "Keep Going, You'll Make It." Or "You're a failure." "You're not good enough." How we communicate our words can either build individuals up and empower them or tear them down and instill self-doubt. Among various forms of communication, words of affirmation hold a unique power to transform our mindset and enhance our overall well-being. Think of when you walked into a do

Written by: Amanda Levison , M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Anxiety is a prevalent issue affecting millions of individuals worldwide, stemming from various triggers such as stress, mental exhaustion , traumatic events, or an underlying mental health condition. Significant life changes, including the loss of a loved one, can also contribute to heightened anxiety, as grief often brings feelings of uncertainty and emotional distress. During these challenging times, grief counseling can

Written by: Amanda Levison , M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Imagine you’ve been invited to join the annual family “Picnic in the Park” with a few other outdoor activities to follow, and yet you’ve been experiencing intermittent episodes of lower back pain for the past year. You made it to the picnic last year with no pain present. However, with how your pain has been persisting this time around, you don’t think you’ll make it for the event. Now you’re faced with the choice, “Should I

Written by: Amanda Levison , M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Barbie dolls have been around since 1959, but it's not until the new Barbie movie has been released that there has been a huge craze. The recent Barbie movie has sparked a ton of conversation over the last few months, even before the film opened in theatres for viewing. Many people have positive and negative experiences with someone who loved the doll or the iconic Barbie doll. Were they just toys, or did the designer have a

Written by: Amanda Levison , M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Understanding Anxiety in Children Being a parent or caregiver comes with its own set of challenges. One of the most common challenges parents face is seeing their children struggling and the desire to help them cope with anxiety eagerly. Anxiety is not uncommon, and it can start at a very young age. As adults, we hopefully have developed coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety—or at least try to manage it in the healthiest way

Written by: Amanda Levison , M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Being in a new relationship can be so exciting that it's easy to assume that the "honeymoon phase" will last forever. Most of us know this all too well. However, that's not the case. After the initial butterflies have dwindled, you or your partner may become bored and even antsy, especially if the relationship is not built on a genuine and strong connection. After a while, the relationship may start to feel dry and routine. I

Written by: Amanda Levison , M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Boundaries are where you end and others begin. It's essentially the fence you build around your physical, emotional, mental, financial, and spiritual space. And that fence allows you to play gatekeeper, to decide who can come in, who can't, and under what circumstances. Setting boundaries can be complicated and sometimes intimidating depending on who you are setting them up for, like your boss, kids, spouse/partner, coworkers

Written by: Amanda Levison , M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Have you ever gotten to a point where you didn't want to do anything, go anywhere, or even be around anyone? Even the things you love to do seem like the worst ideas ever. You know you have so much to do. However, you don't even have a lot of energy to muster up. This can happen to anyone when they consistently put too much on their list of things to do and give themselves little to no time to wind down, shut off their brain,