http://growthandgracecounseling.com/

Growth & Grace Counseling, 142 W Marengo Street, Albion, NE (2025)

11/19/2025

You don’t have to have it all together before you start.
You don’t need a perfect plan or the right words. You just need to begin.

That thing you’ve been thinking about doing — maybe it’s something creative, maybe it’s finally reaching out for help — it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to exist.

Start messy. Show up uncertain. Try the thing even if your voice shakes a little. You can figure out the rest as you go.

That’s the truth about growth — it doesn’t come from waiting until you’re ready. It comes from showing up anyway.

So, if counseling has been sitting in the back of your mind, maybe this is your sign to just make it exist. You don’t have to be in a perfect place to start. You just have to start.

Growth & Grace Counseling
142 W Marengo St, Albion, NE 68620
📞 402-396-5710
🌐 [www.growthandgracecounseling.com]

11/17/2025

Let’s normalize admitting when we’re overwhelmed.

You know those days where you’re knee-deep in dirty diapers, the sink’s full, someone’s crying (maybe it’s you), and then—someone asks for one more thing?
And you just… can’t.

That’s not weakness. That’s being human.

It’s okay to admit that your plate is full, that your mind is tired, and that you don’t have the capacity to take anything else on today.
You don’t have to hold it all together all the time. You don’t have to smile through it or pretend it’s fine when it isn’t.

Saying “I’m overwhelmed” isn’t a failure. It’s a sign that you’re self-aware enough to know your limits—and that’s something to be proud of.

Let’s make it normal to speak up when we’ve reached that point.
Because the truth is, everyone hits that wall sometimes. You’re not alone in it.

If you’re feeling like you’ve hit yours, it might be time to reach out—to talk it through, to take a breath, to give yourself permission to pause.

You deserve that space. ❤️

📍Growth & Grace Counseling
142 W Marengo St, Albion, NE 68620
📞 402-396-5710
🌐 www.growthandgracecounseling.com

11/15/2025

🌿 Make Yourself Seen and Heard 🌿

You deserve to take up space — in your relationships, your work, your dreams, and your healing.
You don’t have to shrink your needs, silence your thoughts, or soften your light just to make others more comfortable.

Your voice matters. Your story matters. YOU matter.

We know it can feel scary to speak up or be truly seen — especially if you’ve spent years blending in or putting others first. But healing often begins when you start showing up as your full, authentic self. When you let your true feelings out. When you stop apologizing for existing.

So today, take up a little more space.
Say what’s on your heart.
Ask for what you need.
Let someone see the real you — because that’s where connection and growth begin.

We’re here to remind you that you’re not “too much.” You’re exactly enough. 💛

11/13/2025

World Kindness Day 💛🌎

Today is a beautiful reminder that even the smallest act of kindness can make a big impact — not only for others, but also for you.

Here’s what’s really amazing: kindness actually changes your brain.
🧠✨ When you do something kind — whether it’s holding a door, offering a compliment, or checking in on a friend — your brain releases a wave of feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.

💫 Dopamine gives you a natural “helper’s high,” boosting motivation and mood.
💫 Serotonin helps regulate emotions and promotes a sense of calm and satisfaction.
💫 Oxytocin, often called the “love hormone,” deepens your sense of connection and trust with others.

And here’s the best part — your brain remembers these feelings. The more you practice kindness, the stronger those neural pathways become, making it easier to feel empathy, connection, and joy.

Kindness truly is contagious — when we give it, we also receive it.
So, whether it’s a smile, a kind word, or a moment of patience, know that every act of kindness ripples outward and inward. 💛

Be gentle with yourself today, and spread a little extra kindness — it’s good for the soul and the brain.🌿

If you’re working on being kinder to yourself, too, therapy can help you strengthen that inner compassion.
Visit us at 142 W Marengo St, Albion, NE 68620, call 402-396-5710, or head to [www.growthandgracecounseling.com] to connect with a therapist today.

11/11/2025

It’s All About the “AND”
One of the most supportive shifts we can make in our emotional and mental wellness is learning to move away from either/or thinking and toward both/and thinking.

When we live in either/or mode, we feel pressured to choose one identity, one emotion, one truth — and anything that doesn’t “fit” gets pushed down or ignored.
But real life, real healing, and real growth are rarely that simple.

You are allowed to hold multiple truths at the same time.
This is called dialectical thinking — recognizing that two things that seem opposite can both be true.

Examples:

I am imperfect AND I am enough.
I can love someone AND set boundaries with them.
I want to grow AND I am doing the best I can with what I have.
I am proud of myself AND I still have things I want to work on.
I can feel anxious AND keep moving forward.
I am allowed to say no AND others are allowed to have feelings about it.
Healing takes time AND I am already on the path.

Learning to use AND softens our inner dialogue.
It allows space for grace.
It makes room for humanity.

Because you don’t have to choose between being a work in progress and being worthy.
You can be both.
You already *are* both.

If this is something you’re working on right now, know that you’re not alone — this is a skill, and like any skill, it can be learned, practiced, and strengthened over time.

11/08/2025

How are you feeling today?
Not the “I’m fine” kind of answer — but the real one.

Maybe you’re feeling grounded, steady in your routine and connected to the moment.
Maybe you’re restless, itching for something to change but not sure what that is.
Maybe you’re feeling hopeful, seeing little glimpses of light ahead.
Maybe you’re accepting the present, finding small ways to get comfortable right where you are.
Maybe you’re unsure, a bit lost but still searching for what’s next.
Or maybe you’re brightened by optimism, finally starting to believe in what’s possible again.

Wherever you land on that list — just noticing it matters.
Bringing awareness to how you feel is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself.
You don’t have to fix it, change it, or label it as good or bad.
Awareness is the first step toward understanding and healing.

And if you’re ready to explore those feelings a little deeper, therapy can be a great place to start. 💛
We’re here for you at Growth & Grace Counseling — real people having real conversations that lead to real healing.

📍142 W Marengo St, Albion, NE 68620
📞 Call us at 402-396-5710
💻 Or visit www.growthandgracecounseling.com

11/04/2025

🌿 The Goal Isn’t to Raise a Child Who’s Always Happy

As parents, it’s completely natural to want to see your child happy. But part of healthy emotional development means understanding that happiness isn’t a constant state — it’s one of many emotions that come and go.

Children need to experience the full range of emotions to grow into emotionally intelligent, resilient adults. When we focus only on keeping them “happy,” we may accidentally teach them to suppress or avoid the harder feelings like sadness, anger, or disappointment — emotions that are just as valuable for their growth.

The goal isn’t to raise a child who never struggles.
It’s to raise a child who:
💛 Learns from their mistakes and can reflect on what went wrong
💛 Expresses all emotions in healthy, age-appropriate ways
💛 Tries again after failure, developing perseverance and self-trust
💛 Respects both their own boundaries and the boundaries of others
💛 Feels confident enough to stand up for themselves
💛 Leads with empathy and kindness toward others

Every meltdown, every “I’m mad,” and every “I don’t want to try again” moment is actually a learning opportunity — for emotional regulation, communication, and problem-solving.

So rather than aiming for constant happiness, focus on helping your child understand, name, and manage their feelings. In doing so, you’re teaching them one of the most valuable life skills there is: emotional resilience. 🌱

10/31/2025

👻🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃👻

We hope your day is filled with fun, laughter, and maybe a few sweet treats! 🍫🍬

Just a little reminder from us — don’t ghost your feelings this Halloween.
It can be tempting to shove them down or pretend they’re not there, but even the spookiest emotions deserve to be seen and heard. 💬

So instead of haunting yourself with what-ifs or bottling things up, try giving those feelings a voice. You might be surprised by how much lighter you feel when you do. ✨

From all of us here, have a safe, fun, and emotionally honest Halloween! 🕸️🖤

📍142 W Marengo Street
📞 402-396-5710
💻 www.growthandgracecounseling.com

10/29/2025

We’ve all had that feeling before — you leave a conversation feeling exhausted instead of uplifted. You started out fine, but by the end, your mood feels heavy, your energy feels low, and you can’t quite put your finger on why.
You may have just spent time with what’s often called an energy vampire.

Here are some common traits of an energy vampire:

🩸 Neediness: They always seem to need something — advice, reassurance, validation, or emotional support — but rarely offer the same in return. You might feel like you’re constantly “pouring from your cup” while theirs never fills.

🩸 Self-Focused Conversations: They often dominate discussions, talking mostly about their own problems, achievements, or feelings. When you try to share, they quickly redirect the topic back to themselves.

🩸 Jealousy: Instead of celebrating your successes, they might minimize them or shift the focus. Their jealousy can show up subtly — through backhanded compliments, criticism, or a noticeable change in attitude when things are going well for you.

🩸 Attention-Seeking: They crave to be the center of attention and may become irritated or withdrawn if they aren’t. This can look like interrupting others, exaggerating their struggles, or creating situations that pull focus back to them.

🩸 Victim Mentality: They often see life as something happening to them. Nothing is ever their fault — and they rarely take accountability. This can keep them trapped in cycles of helplessness and draw others into constant rescue mode.

🩸 Pessimism: They tend to see the negative in every situation. Their constant complaints and gloomy outlook can make it hard to stay positive around them.

🩸 Ongoing Drama: There’s always something chaotic happening — a falling out, a crisis, or a major issue that demands your time and energy. Over time, you may start to feel emotionally burnt out by the constant turbulence.

Your energy is valuable — spend it with people who recharge you, not those who constantly deplete you.

10/27/2025

Let’s Create a Self-Care Elixir Together** 🌿

If you could bottle up everything that helps you feel grounded, calm, and recharged—what would be in your self-care elixir?

Would it be a long walk in the crisp fall air? A good book and a warm blanket? Maybe a playlist that makes your soul feel seen? Or laughter with the people who just get you?

Sometimes, self-care isn’t just about bubble baths or spa days (though those are lovely, too). It’s about knowing what actually restores you—what brings you back to yourself when life gets heavy or loud.

Your self-care elixir might include:
✨ 10 minutes of stillness before the day begins
✨ A favorite cozy sweatshirt that feels like a hug
✨ Saying “no” without guilt
✨ Journaling out the noise in your head
✨ Reaching out to someone who makes you feel safe

Today, I’d love for us to build a big, beautiful list of self-care ingredients together. 💛
What would you add to your personal elixir?
Drop it in the comments below ⬇️ — you never know who might need your idea today.

Let’s remind each other that self-care doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s the little things, practiced with intention, that make the biggest difference. 🌸

10/24/2025

Feelings Are Like Seasons — They Always Change 🍂

As the leaves start to fall and the world shifts into shades of gold and amber, we’re reminded that change is constant — and temporary. The trees don’t fight the process. They don’t cling to their leaves or mourn what’s falling away. They simply allow the transformation to happen, trusting that spring will come again.

In many ways, our emotions work the same way. Feelings — whether joy, sadness, anxiety, or peace — are like seasons passing through us. They aren’t permanent, even when they feel like they might never end. When we’re caught in the middle of something heavy, it’s easy to believe we’ll always feel this way. But just like the leaves, our emotions shift, fade, and make room for something new.

For someone struggling, this truth can be comforting: what you feel right now won’t last forever. The sadness, the worry, the loneliness — it all moves, changes, and eventually softens. Holding onto that hope can help you breathe through the hard moments and trust that brighter days are ahead.

And on the flip side, remembering that feelings are temporary can also teach us to slow down and savor the good. The laughter around the dinner table, the peace of a quiet morning, the warmth of someone’s kindness — these moments are fleeting, too. When we understand that emotions are like seasons, we learn to embrace them all — the difficult and the joyful — with gentleness and gratitude.

So as the leaves fall this season, take a moment to notice the beauty in the change. Let it remind you that nothing stays the same forever — and that’s what makes each feeling, and each season of life, so meaningful. 🍁

10/22/2025

Real People. Real Conversations. Real Healing. 🌿

At Growth & Grace Counseling, we pride ourselves on being real. No stuffy sessions or scripted conversations — just genuine people who care deeply about helping you find healing in whatever season you’re in.

When you walk through our doors (or log on for a telehealth session), you’ll meet clinicians who are authentic in every way — both inside and outside the office. We laugh, we listen, we meet you where you are, and we believe that honest, human connection is what leads to true healing.

If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy but you’re a little skeptical — that’s okay. It’s completely normal to feel unsure. Taking that first step is often the hardest part.

We’re here if you’d like to see what we offer, no pressure, just real support. 💛
And the good news? We have openings right now— some as early as this week.

So if you’ve been waiting for a sign to reach out... this is it. Give us a call, stop in the office, or check out our website to learn more.

📍 142 W Marengo Street Albion, NE 68620
📞 (402) 396-5710
💻 www.growthandgracecounseling.com

Growth & Grace Counseling

11/19/2025

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11/15/2025

11/13/2025

11/11/2025

11/08/2025

11/04/2025

10/31/2025

10/29/2025

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10/24/2025

10/22/2025

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