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Personal Development
Everyone faces struggles in life, whether it’s dealing with grief, job loss, frustrating circumstances, financial stress, or just the everyday challenges of living. These issues may not meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety, but they can still cause significant distress and impact your quality of life.

Counseling can help you learn how to manage these challenges effectively and develop skills to prevent them from turning into more serious mental health issues. Our articles offer practical tips and insights to help you navigate life’s ups and downs and build resilience in the face of adversity. Learn more about how counseling can help you manage life’s challenges and achieve greater well-being.

Too many files and projects on a desk. People pleasers often take on too much and burn out.

7 Signs That You’re a People Pleaser

Being kind and helpful is a great quality, but sometimes it can go too far. If you often find yourself putting others' needs before your own to the point of stress, burnout, or even compassion fatigue, you might be a people pleaser. Here are…
African American hands holding up paper cutouts of four figures holding hands.

Autism Spectrum and Making Friends

Developing and maintaining friendships can be a rewarding and fulfilling aspect of life for teens and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While building social connections might present unique challenges, there are effective…
A man in a blue shirt is shown stacking coins in equal piles. Budgeting is the number one reason for conflict in couples.

Finances, Budgeting and Mental Health

Finances are not the number one reason for suffering; it's an attachment to financial or material gain that is the root of suffering. However, money is often cited as the number one reason for relationship stress. Even for single individuals,…
Preparing for college, a senior in his cap and gown ascends the stairs at graduation.

Preparing for College: A 6-Step-Guide

The transition from high school to college marks a significant milestone in the lives of young adults. It's a time filled with anticipation, excitement, and even a touch of uncertainty. As high school seniors prepare to embark on this…
little girl gives a little boy a gift. Friendship counseling austin tx

A Guide to Developing Strong Social Skills

Navigating the complex world of social interactions as a teenager can be both exciting and challenging. Developing strong social skills is crucial for building meaningful relationships, fostering self-confidence, and preparing for success…
Image of a male studying at a desk

Effective Study Strategies for Teen Success

Navigating the world of academics as a teenager can be both challenging and rewarding. Developing effective study habits is crucial for achieving academic success while maintaining a healthy balance with other aspects of your life. In…
A cartoon of a person in a hazmat suit going into a toxic person's office with a lady coworker saying, "You clearly know about his toxic personality."

Dealing with Toxic People

Recently, there has been a lot of attention on how to recognize and minimize contact with toxic people. While it is important to take appropriate steps to protect yourself from such people, it is also helpful to know how to deal with or even…
Cartoon of angry man shaking his fist and speaking angry words shown as symbols in a speech bubble

Understanding Toxic People

Dealing with toxic people can be a difficult task, but it's important to remember that with the right knowledge and practice, you can protect yourself and avoid being pulled into their negative vortex. This article will provide you with some…
woman smiling on a nice day outside

Creating the Mindful Mind

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The word "mindfulness" is becoming more familiar to the general public, and that's a good thing. In a world full of violence and heartache, a mindful mind can help relieve suffering. Mindfulness is the practice of noticing what "is" without…
child absorbed in smelling a flower

Mindfulness Practice

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When you look at the child in this picture, notice the 10,000-mile stare. This gaze is called the "10,000-mile stare," and it happens when someone is totally absorbed in the moment. His eyes are open, but he is completely present with the smell…
an isolated girl being mocked by others. Social anxiety counseling austin tx

Extracting Rejection

Extracted Rejection is a phenomenon where one perceives rejection after an event has taken place, even though the facts suggest otherwise. It is different from Anticipatory Rejection, which occurs before a situation even happens. Mindfulness-based…
lonely guy looks out window

Anticipatory Rejection

Anticipatory rejection is a pattern of behavior where you reject yourself before others have the chance to accept or reject you. This self-defeating habit can prevent you from forming lasting connections with others. In contrast to extracting…
An image of a brain with the right hemisphere blue and the left hemisphere red. There are energy bolts feeding into each side.

Basics of the Mind

The mind is a complex process involving urges, thoughts, and drives that lead to behaviors that are either encouraged or discouraged though either pleasant experience or unpleasant experience. To understand how this vastly oversimplified explanation…
Image of brain

Brain Science

Brain science (neuroscience) involves the physical structure of the brain, its biochemistry, and experiences that help shape it. A brain repeatedly subjected to trauma (physical or emotional/chemical) is more likely to suffer some difficulty.…
A silhouette of a man and woman arguing

Anticipatory Defensiveness

First, we should differentiate between plain old defensiveness and anticipatory defensiveness. They share a certain vibe of irritability and protectiveness, but they are certainly different, and seem to come from different places: One defending…
grieving statue at cemetery

Grieving an unfair loss

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Balancing the anger and sadness of an unfair loss can feel impossible, especially in the beginning. First, breathe and understand that this will pass even though it does not feel like it. Before going any further, if you are unsure, please get…
Sad woman looking down

Emotional Confirmation Bias

When we think of "confirmation bias" we typically think of politics. As voters, confirmation bias is when we hold a particular belief, then selectively look for evidence to support it; this is typically an unconscious process (i.e. we are not…
Overlapping circles of thinking and feeling minds creating hybrid wise mind.

Mindfulness and the Wise Mind

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In dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), there is a wonderful explanation of how the best of our thinking and feeling minds can be accessed. This "Wise Mind" is based on the idea that the thinking brain and feeling brain both have validity and…
A man at his desk procrastinating by listening to music in headphones

Procrastination

When it comes to not getting things done, we can be extremely creative about feeling good about it. Does this sound familiar, "To be at my most productive, I need some down time." Or, "Sleep is really important, so I'll just sleep in today .…