Using your Female Hormones to Biohack your Mental Health – Part 4
This article series was written for Southwest’s Michigan “Moxie Magazine” (formerly Women’s Lifestyle Magazine). You can read Part 3 of this 4-part series here. Author’s Note: I reference “femaleness” and...
Using your Female Hormones to Biohack your Mental Health – Part 3
This article series was written for Southwest’s Michigan “Moxie Magazine” (formerly Women’s Lifestyle Magazine). You can read Part 2 of this 4-part series here. Author’s Note: I reference “femaleness” and...
Using your Female Hormones to Biohack your Mental Health – Part 2
This article series was written for Southwest’s Michigan “Moxie Magazine” (formerly Women’s Lifestyle Magazine). You can read Part 1 of this 4-part series here. Author’s Note: I reference “femaleness” and...
Using your Female* Hormones to Biohack your Mental Health – Part 1
This article was written for Southwest’s Michigan “Moxie Magazine” (formerly Women’s Lifestyle Magazine). *Author’s Note: I reference “femaleness” and gender in this article series. There is a diverse interpretation of...
Is Therapy Worth It?
I have already written a blog on what therapy really is. But, knowing that therapy can provide people with the opportunity for learning and growth may not be enough. As...
Natural Sleep Aids to Support your Sleep and Mental Health
We have already covered in my previous blog “5 Habits that are Destroying your Sleep”, that there are some things you may be doing that are contributing to your sleep...
5 Habits that are Destroying your Sleep (and Quick Tips to Help you Sleep Better)
Around 50-70 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders. Even temporarily, whether due to situational stress or as a symptom of anxiety, sleep issues are common. But, they don’t have to...
What Therapy IS
With all this talk of what therapy is not, it is also probably helpful to know what therapy IS so that you can know if it is for you and...
What Therapy is NOT
Starting with Stereotypes We have come a long way from the stereotype of therapy being the image of a Freudian psychologist having their client lay on the couch staring at...
Couples Counseling the “Inner Peace” Way
Our approach to couples counseling Have you ever heard of Doctors John and Julie Schwartz Gottman? They are becoming more popular due to their growing recognition as the go-to people for...
Addiction and Substance Abuse Treatment: Key Features
What is addiction? Addiction exists on a spectrum. Occasional problem behaviors that result in negative consequences are on one end of the spectrum. On the other end of the spectrum are...
Counseling Professional Women: A Passion
The Realities of Being a Woman Let’s face it: there are some harsh realities of being a woman in the workplace. General topics like sexual harassment, discrimination, maternity leave, the...
Counseling for Chronic Pain/Illness
Why Helping those with Chronic Pain/Illness is Dear to My Heart For those who deal with chronic pain or illness, a common thought is that no one really “gets” how...
Counseling for Religious, Spiritual, & Cultural Issues: The Importance of Bringing it to the Therapy Room
I value diversity at Inner Peace Counseling, PLC! I work to make this common-knowledge (You can find my Diversity & Inclusion Policy here.) However, in therapy, people often ask if...
What You Should Know about Family Therapy
Therapists naturally see the “big picture” of systems and how they interact with one another. This approach called “Systems Theory”. As I mention on the “Home” page, we are not...
How to Re-Integrate Socially After COVID-19
Where to Start These past couple years have been beyond difficult for us all. We have laughed, cried, felt like we are living in a Hollywood movie, and worked to...
The Missing Link in Disordered Eating and Food Addiction Treatment: The Spirit – Part 3
Continued from “Part 2” and as published in Kalamazoo’s Moxie Magazine, November 2021 edition. Components of Healthy Eating No matter what food you are putting in your mouth, there are...
The Missing Link in Disordered Eating and Food Addiction Treatment: The Spirit – Part 2
Continued from “Part 1” and as published in Kalamazoo’s Moxie Magazine, October 2021 edition. Bioindividuality Let us say it again together: You are unique. There is no one like you....
The Missing Link in Disordered Eating and Food Addiction Treatment: The Spirit – Part 1
Humans are different from other animals because we do not “feed.” We eat. So, we have an inherently unique relationship with food compared to all other life forms. And, when...
Why “Intuitive Eating” Is Not Enough
Published in the June 2021 Edition of Moxie Magazine (formerly Women’s Lifestyle Magazine.) Beginning with Mindfulness The research about the impact of mindfulness on healing a variety of different kinds...
Telehealth: Changing the Face of Healthcare and Why You Should Try It
Published in the December 2020 Edition of Women’s Lifestyle Magazine. Since COVID-19, virtual visits with healthcare providers have become a necessity. When people need help but are not able to...
Eating Mindfully: How to Change your Relationship with Food
Published in the July 2020 Edition of Women’s Lifestyle Magazine. In my work as a holistic psychotherapist*, I am seeing an ever-growing number of people describing that they do not...
Mindfulness: The Essential Skill during a Quarantine
It has been both my professional and personal experience that mindfulness is the single most-powerful tool that helps support someone’s personal growth and resilience. As I describe in a blog...
How to Stay Sane during the Coronavirus Pandemic
Published in the April 2020 Edition of the Women’s Lifestyle Magazine. I’ll just say it: we all feel a little crazy right now! The central challenge? How to stay grounded...
How to Survive a Quarantine in the Age of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
As a psychotherapist, one of my central approaches to helping others is the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This approach is founded on challenging distorted thoughts that tend to foster...
Just Because We Can Doesn’t Mean We Should
Published in the March 2020 Edition of the Women’s Lifestyle Magazine. If you are going out of your way to read these words, it is likely that you care not...
How to Love your Body
As published in the February 2020 edition of The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine. We all would like to love our bodies. As you may have noticed, however, loving our bodies is...
The Case Against Making a New Year’s Resolution
As published in the January 2020 edition of The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine. It’s that time of year again: the time for New Year’s resolutions. But, before you go making goals...
Mothers: Stop Ruining Your Daughters!
As published in in The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, October 2019 Edition. Ladies, it’s about to get real. I’m about to give you a behind-the-scenes look at being...
The Dangers of Being Small
As published in in The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, September 2019 Edition. I don’t have to tell you that we live in a society where “diet culture” is...
The Secret to Happiness: Stop Trying to Change People!
As published in in The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, August 2019 Edition. What if we stopped spending time trying to change people, “rescue” them, or make them see...
How to Make a Decision
As published in in The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, July 2019 Edition. Life can be hard and hindsight always seems 20/20. So, how should one make a decision,...
When Our Support Base Is Not Supportive
[Published in Natural Awakenings Magazine, June 2019 Edition.] The reality is not everyone agrees with us or believes that what we are doing is the right thing and in light...
The Power of Mother/Daughter Relationships: Practicing Appreciation
As published in in The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, May 2019 Edition. This month we get to celebrate Mother’s Day. What a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the...
Nutrition and Mental Health: The Essential Missing Link
As published in in The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, March 2019 Edition. Did you know?: The “Minnesota Starvation Experiment” in the 1950s found that mental health symptoms (e.g....
What you Should Know about the Highly Sensitive Person in your Life
[Published in Natural Awakenings Magazine, November 2018 Edition.] I previously wrote an article offering a general overview of the concept of a Highly Sensitive Person/“Empath”. Since writing that article, there...
Listen to Your Heart
[As printed in The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, February 2015 Edition]; article from guest blogger Stacy McDonald. It’s Friday evening after a long week of work, housework, errands,...
How to Improve Mental Health – Stop Coping!
[Published in Natural Awakening’s magazine, September 2018 edition.] Yes, you read the title of this article correctly – a therapist just told you to stop coping in order to improve...
Recognizing and Addressing Domestic Violence
[As printed in The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, October 2018 Edition] In honor of October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I want to pay tribute with this...
How to Do “Tapping”/EFT – Vlog Demonstration
Posted 9/22/18 As promised when I announced that I now offer another holistic healing technique to clients, here is a video that walks you through how to do “Tapping”/EFT so...
How to have “The Sex Talk” with your Kids
[As printed in The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, August 2018 Edition] Just reading the title of this article may give you anxiety. It’s okay. As uncomfortable as it...
Understanding Grief: The Five Stages
[As printed in The Women’s Lifestyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, July 2018 Edition] It would be nice if life was made only of blissful moments. However, we all know that...
The Significance of The Lotus
For those of you who have been to my office, seen my business cards, or have browsed my website, you may have wondered about the significance behind the design of...
An Introduction to Mindfulness
Mindfulness in Kalamazoo Posted July 16, 2018 – “Mindfulness” has become a buzzword over the past several years that makes it similar in popularity to things like “yoga” or “meditation.”...
EFT/Tapping: Introducing a new Holistic Counseling Technique
I am excited to announce that I now have another holistic healing modality to offer with clients! Introducing Tapping/EFT (stands for “The Emotional Freedom Technique”): a free, simple, and powerful...
How to Support a Loved One in Therapy
[While my time meeting with clients is focused how I can help them directly, it has struck me that it is also important to address the culture of change that...
How to Meditate
[Published in Natural Awakening’s magazine, April 2018 edition.] Last month I wrote “What is Meditation?” about a topic that has become increasingly popular. Hopefully, since the last article you have...
What is Meditation?
[As printed in Natural Awakening’s magazine, March 2018 edition.] What do you think of when you think of “meditation?” If you are anything like me, the image of Rafiki, the...
Vlog – Announcing a holistic new therapy practice in Kalamazoo, Inner Peace Counseling!
Announcing a new therapy practice to offer holistic counseling to those in the Kalamazoo area… Inner Peace Counseling! To hear more about how and why I am a holistic therapist, why...
How to Quiet the Bully in your Head
[Published in Natural Awakening’s magazine, November 2017 edition.] How often do you find yourself getting caught up in a spiral of negative thinking? “Shame on me!”, “I cannot believe I...
How to Prepare for Marriage
[As printed in The Women’s LifeStyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, February 2018 Edition] How do you know when you are ready to get married? How do you know when you...
What to Do when a Loved One Needs Help
[As printed in The Women’s LifeStyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, November 2017 Edition] Behavioral health symptoms, whether addiction, anxiety, or those that threaten the safety of one’s self or others,...
How to Manage Stress
[As printed in The Women’s LifeStyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, September 2017 Edition] Let’s face it: we are all busy. There is a lot to balance as women – work;...
Vlog – ArtPrize 2017 Follow-up
Kalamazoo Therapist Ashley Carter Youngblood and Professional Face and Body Painter Kristen Adams Present: You’ve had questions about the 2017 ArtPrize Project. So, we’ve answered them! Here’s to all those...
Vlog – ArtPrize 2017 Project
To hear more about my role as a Clinical Consultant to an ArtPrize 2017 project, “Healing through Body Art,” a piece illustrating the stories of recovery for those healing from...
How to Handle Emotions
[Published in Natural Awakening’s magazine, September 2017 edition.] Emotions are challenges in themselves. When we feel happy, we bask in the glory of how good it feels. Yet, when we...
New Client Newsletter
It is not uncommon for those new to therapy or me as a therapist to ask “What can I expect from therapy?”. Here are some tips to help you make...
Beating the ‘Winter Blues”
[As printed in The Women’s LifeStyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, August 2017 Edition] An Introduction to the “Winter Blues” I hate to break it to you, but winter is coming....
How to Deal with Toxic People
[Published in Natural Awakening’s magazine, July 2017 edition.] We all have that (at least!) one person in our life that we just don’t know what to do with. We try...
How to be a B***h: Reflections of a Therapist
[As printed in The Women’s LifeStyle Magazine of Greater Kalamazoo, May 2017 Edition] Yep. You read right. That is the title of this article. Now that I have your attention…...
Vlog – Interview About Me
To hear more about the motivations behind my trip to India, why I specialize in counseling worrying women and struggling couples, and what services I offer, check out my new...
Should I Take Medication?: The Mental Health Dilemma
[Published in Natural Awakening’s magazine, May 2017 edition.] As a holistic therapist, this is the question I get most often. To me, being holistic means looking at the whole picture...
What is Anxiety?: Making Friends with the “Fear Spiral”
The Wisdom of President Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt famously stated about the political climate in the 1930s that “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”. At the time, he...
Why Won’t My Husband Stop Drinking?!: Explaining Addiction
I recently wrote a blog titled “Addiction Treatment: Why It’s More than Just ‘Will Power’”. The fact that hundreds of people interacted with the material tells me that people are...
How to Survive (& Thrive!) as an Empath
[Published in Natural Awakening’s magazine, March 2017 edition.] On my professional Facebook page, I recently posted a link to an article by the famous holistic practitioner, Deepak Chopra, on how...
Addiction Treatment: Why It’s More than Just “Will Power”
I used to work at a center for addiction treatment for 5 years. Those seeking treatment were exhausted, struggling to be healthy, and often had spent years battling their addiction....
For the love of Dog!
[As printed in Greater Kalamazoo’s Women’s LifeStyle Magazine, February 2017 Edition] If you have ever had a dog (or any pet), you know the love they offer. To pet owners, animals...
Fighting in front of Your Kids? The Do’s and Dont’s
Fighting in front of Your Kids? The Do’s and Dont’s [Originally published at Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling, PLLC’s website.] Kids are smart. They learn quickly through what they observe....
Treatment for Anxiety and Depression: The Case for Avoiding “Why?”
“Why?” can be a powerful, yet dangerous question to ask. “Why?” explores causality and can provide insight. However, it can also be a black hole contributing to anxiety and despair....
Do I have Anxiety?: The Beginner’s Guide to Anxiety Treatment
In my work with others, I have found there typically are two kinds of people related to the treatment for anxiety. First, there are those who come in to me...
5 Steps to “Think Well”
[Published on 12/15/17 on Antoniotti Chiropractic‘s website in response to how to follow their motto to “Eat Well. Move Well. Think Well.”] It’s easy to say “think positively” or “don’t...
Quick Tips for Healthy Sleep
*Update since publishing: The American College of Physicans determined that the FIRST line of defense for insomnia is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). They stated that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy should be...
A Non-traditional Holiday Season: For those Dealing with Loss and Grief
[As printed in Greater Kalamazoo’s Women’s LifeStyle Magazine, December 2016 Edition] Handling the traditions that come with the New Year and, for those who have religious holidays that fall around the end of...
6 Tips to Uplift the World, Starting with your Self
[As published in Natural Awakenings’ magazine, December 2016 edition] When was the last time you turned on the T.V., listened to the radio, or browsed social media and were overwhelmed...
Anxiety Treatment 101: Breathing
Breath. It’s the foundation of our life. Science shows that, generally, we can survive for 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food. But, we cannot survive without our breath...
Reflections on the Emotional Results of the Election: A Love Letter to Current Clients, Potential Clients, and Everyone in between
No matter where you stand politically, I know you are sick of hearing about the election. I usually try to stay out of politics, especially since my last blog post was...
How to Stay Sane During this Election
That’s it. I can’t take it anymore. I HAVE to write a blog about this election. Luckily, contrary to most stuff posted about the election these days, it won’t be...
What Women Need to Know about Anxiety and Depression
[As printed in Greater Kalamazoo’s Women’s LifeStyle Magazine, October 2016 Edition] We all deal with times of stress and sadness in our lives. But, how does one know when those emotions are...
Why People Go to Therapy
As Robert Frost wrote many years ago, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” People...