That's an aggressive title, isn't it? With the world as it currently stands though, the way we recover from the daily chaos, stress, and unknowns has to be aggressive. It has to be unstoppable. We have to force through the circumstances of life to find time to take care of ourselves. We desperately need it. A common theme in therapy...[ read more ]

Do you wish there was an instant switch from insight to doing life differently?  Have you ever been stuck in the transition between dysfunction and learning how to live in a new way?  Back in 2015, I heard Jeff Manion speak on his new book, The Land Between.  I purchased the book at that conference and have referred to his...[ read more ]

So this post will be different from my others. Here at Phenix, we strive to live by authenticity. Which means we live out what we challenge each of you to do each session. Usually, my posts are written after I’ve processed something, after I have learned a new concept, one that I have had time to put into motion. This...[ read more ]

I originally had a different blog post planned, one with a great picture of one of my cats. Then I met with individuals this week and heard what they had to say. With COVID revamping, and just the daily stressors of being an adult in the 21st century in America, there was this pattern of loneliness.  Not just the "oh...[ read more ]

If you have been in therapy with anyone from Phenix Counseling, you have probably heard the following words: the importance of slowing down.  There are usually a variety of reactions when this is discussed, all the way from the impossibility of even considering a different pace in life to flat out annoyance of still hearing this as an option. We...[ read more ]

I started growing a green bell pepper plant around the same time we began posting about sowing. My coworker, Justin, had already done the work of planting the seed. My job was just to fertilize and nurture the little growing plant. Let me tell you though, a lot easier said than done. Plants may have the same basic needs, but...[ read more ]

Do you have sneakers/cleats you no longer wear or that just never felt comfortable?  Want to avoid adding to our exploding landfills?  Would you like to help provide excellent mental health care to your neighbors?  Have we got an easy plan for you!  Drop those shoes off at one of two locations during the month of May.  When we turn...[ read more ]

Last month we looked at sowing - how to begin the process of creating the life we want to  have. This month, we are exploring the next step in the process - tending the garden as it begins to grow. Tending has two main parts, pruning and weeding. Both require patience. Pruning starts as the plants begin to grow. You've done...[ read more ]

I am currently smack dab in the middle of this time in a therapist’s life called Registered Internship. It is a time where grad school has finished (thank You, Jesus) but you are not yet licensed. It is this in-between time, this time of transition. Often, it is viewed as a segment of life that one wants to pass through as...[ read more ]

Valentine’s Day is coming up and the whole month seems to be focused on this concept of love - finding it, keeping it, healing from the loss of it, nurturing it, or even avoiding it.But what is love really? Where does it even start?Many times for people, love equals acceptance. We try to earn the acceptance through how we look,...[ read more ]