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During this pandemic and the election many of us are having difficult conversations about the things that are most important to us... Or maybe we are avoiding those conversations entirely. Things can get heated. Feelings may be hurt. It is easy to feel misunderstood or to judge people who see things differently. Learning the skill of having crucial conversations can bring greater clarity, complain, and understanding to our most important relationships. Join Jesie and I as we discuss this timely topic! And please reach out with any questions by leaving a comment or sending a DM. FB: @riverbendcounselingco IG: @riverbendtherapy www.riverbendcolorado.com

Your mind and body can be powerful collaborators. How you think can affect how you feel and how you feel can affect your thinking. Often we become focused on one side of this equation. Maybe you are trying to be more positive in your relationships but failing to give your body the rest it requires. Or perhaps you have spent years dieting and trying to change the shape of your body but have never grappled with the negative thoughts that sit behind the idea that your body is unacceptable. True healing and freedom come from connecting our minds and bodies. We need to learn to listen to both. In today's River Bend Therapy Chat Lateka and Jesie will be sharing insights on connecting our minds and bodies to create healing. Learn more at www.riverbendcolorado.com IG: @riverbendtherapy FB: @riverbendcounselingco

Are there unwritten rules in your life that are shaping your path and relationships? Many of these rules come from culture, religion, the media, and family traditions and feel so ingrained that we may not even think to challenge them. Many of these rules are meant to protect us, but they often have the opposite effect and can be quite damaging. These rules may appear as expectations such as "a good mom does ________" or "A happy marriage looks like ____________." Whether we are aware of these rules or not they are constantly shaping the way we move through the world. When we learn to recognize them and challenge them we can begin to create the life and relationships we really want. Find our more at riverbendcolorado.com IG: @riverbendtherapy FB: @riverbendcounselingcolorado

This week we've talked about the importance of completing the stress cycle. We do this most often through physical movement, touch, and emotion. If you've felt like you need to move, cry, scream, or connect, that's probably just your body telling you that you need to get rid of some stress hormones. The truth is there is no one right way to do this. As we watch people navigate this quarantine and virus, we may be inclined to judge the way people behave, but remember, most of us are just trying to manage the stress that comes from this giant stressor. Yes, we have to be responsible neighbors, but we also have to be gentle neighbors. Try to remember that we're all a little scared right now. Give yourself and everybody else a break - most of us are just trying to do the next right thing. ~ Brooke Small, MA, LPCC, NCC RiverBend Counseling, Colorado Springs Telehealth Online Counseling available. https://riverbendcolorado.com Want to know more? Connect with me: Instagram: @riverbendtherapy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riverbendco/ Website: www.riverbendcolorado.com Schedule a FREE 30-minute consultation: https://brooke-small.clientsecure.me/

As a trauma therapist, I've learned the importance of sleep as a way to heal our brains and bodies. . I don't know about you, but I have had the craziest dreams lately. It's not the content of the dream that matters so much as it is the emotion that I'm trying to process in that dream. In my dreams, I've felt confused, frustrated, confused, and isolated. It's my brain's way of making sense and trying to file away the difficult emotions that may seem too overwhelming for me to think about during the day. . Let yourself sleep. We are so busy trying to make sense of all of this, trying to do the things that need to be done. It's when we sleep that we heal, so tonight, give yourself an 8-hour sleep opportunity. Let yourself heal so you can be prepared for tomorrow. ~ Brooke Small, MA, LPCC, NCC RiverBend Counseling, Colorado Springs Telehealth Online Counseling available. https://riverbendcolorado.com Want to know more? Connect with me: Instagram: @riverbendtherapy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riverbendco/ Website: www.riverbendcolorado.com Schedule a FREE 30-minute consultation: https://brooke-small.clientsecure.me/

The other day, I had someone tell me that they thought people would move through this pandemic in two ways. She explained that some people would numb from beginning to end, and when the doors finally open, they would leave just as scared as when they closed. Or, people would emerge from their homes like butterflies. I love this! Mainly because when a caterpillar creates a chrysalis, the pressure and stress are so intense that they break down the caterpillar to its essential elements. The process of growth requires a struggle. It's okay to be struggling right now. It's okay to have days where it feels that the very bones and structure of your life have disintegrated, in many ways, they have. It's okay to grieve and slow down. To emerge as a butterfly doesn't mean that you leave this as your best and most productive self. It means the struggle broke us down to the essentials - perhaps, in the breaking, we all emerge with a little more love, compassion, tenderness, gratitude, and grace, like butterflies. ~ Brooke Small, MA, LPCC, NCC RiverBend Counseling, Colorado Springs Telehealth Online Counseling available. https://riverbendcolorado.com Want to know more? Connect with me: Instagram: @riverbendtherapy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riverbendco/ Website: www.riverbendcolorado.com Schedule a FREE 30-minute consultation: https://brooke-small.clientsecure.me/

I have spent the week talking with clients who are struggling with their inner critic which tells them they are lazy and wasting time. Clients tell me they feel exhausted and every time they go to grab that book, paint that room, or organize that cupboard they just can't do it. Of course, they are tired, we are all tired. In the last two weeks, we have all had to redefine what it means to be; what it means to be safe, connected, productive, and human. Of course, you didn't check all the boxes, you're not there right now. Be gentle with yourself, you have been working harder than you know. Do what is most needed, reach out for support, find a way to connect and then rest. There will be time for busyness again soon enough ~ Brooke Small, MA, LPCC, NCC RiverBend Counseling, Colorado Springs Telehealth Online Counseling available. https://riverbendcolorado.com Want to know more? Connect with me: Instagram: @riverbendtherapy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riverbendco/ Website: www.riverbendcolorado.com Schedule a FREE 30-minute consultation: https://brooke-small.clientsecure.me/...