Melissa Carlson Counseling

10/29/2025

Don’t confuse resilience with endless capacity, even the strongest trees need a season of rest.
❤️Melissa

10/23/2025

Unpopular truth: many parents attempt to “fix” their child’s behavior through therapy but are unwilling to do their own work.

Parents may feel that if the child’s behavior improves there will no longer be issues within the family, but it doesn’t work that way. Often what is presenting as a “problem” with the child is part of a larger family issue.

When parents seek out their own support through individual, couples, &/or family therapy or through parenting sessions, they are showing their child they are in this WITH them. They’re not asking the child to do anything that they are not willing to do.
🖤Melissa

To get started with one of our therapists complete an inquiry form at www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/contact

10/10/2025

Shame and guilt can feel like emotional quicksand.

You try to move forward, but something keeps pulling you back.

🔹 Guilt is feeling bad about what you did.
🔹 Shame is feeling like you are bad.

Both are painful—but shame can be especially isolating. It whispers things like “You’re not enough” or “You don’t deserve forgiveness.”

Here’s the good news: these feelings don’t have to define you.

In therapy, you can:

Unpack where guilt or shame comes from

Challenge the beliefs that keep you stuck

Learn to show yourself compassion

Begin to heal from the inside out

You are not your worst moment. You’re a whole person—worthy of understanding, growth, and healing.

If you’ve been carrying shame or guilt alone, maybe it’s time to talk to someone. Therapy can help.

You’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re human.
- Aaron Peska, LCSW

Aaron currently has availability for new IL telehealth clients on Saturday mornings. To learn more about working with Aaron, you can read his bio & submit an inquiry form here: www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/meet-aaron

10/08/2025

Question I get asked A LOT: How can I make my [insert title of boy/man they care about] go to therapy? Short answer - you can’t.

(I mean this next part sincerely) You can’t MAKE someone go to therapy and even if you could manipulate them into GOING, therapists don’t have a magic wand to wave and “fix” whatever it is you think needs fixing. 🫶🏽

Here’s what you CAN do:
• Make sure you’re doing your own work. Talk about how it’s helping. Normalize it in conversation.
• Encourage them to share their feelings without judgement. Be a safe space but know (and this is important) *you are not their therapist*
• Offer support in looking for a therapist but do not take over and do it for them (unless you’re the parent of course).
• Recognize that they may need to sit with the idea for a while before they act on it. Don’t personalize this - it’s not about you.
• Hold your own boundaries. Boundaries does not mean an ultimatum, it means what you will and will not accept in the relationship.

I hope this helps!
💙Melissa

To read about some of our therapists who specialize in men’s issues visit www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/meet-the-therapists

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 24/7

10/05/2025

The science is clear: ADHD is a genetic condition whose expression is muted or amplified by environmental factors. additu.de/rfk

09/23/2025

APA Statement on White House Announcement on Autism https://ow.ly/P6k850X0zCi

09/23/2025

Not everyone is entitled to your time or your energy. They’re not owed your joy or your softness. Regardless of the expectations others put on you, you decide who has earned those gifts.
💚Melissa

09/22/2025

Si conoce a alguien que ha sido detenido por ICE, envíenos un mensaje para que lo conectemos con recursos. No está solo. Hay apoyo, información y atención comunitaria disponibles para usted.
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If you know someone who has been detained by ICE, please message us to be connected to resources. You are not alone. There is support, information, and community care available for you.

09/22/2025

It’s not meant to co-sign everything you do.

09/12/2025

If you’ve been paying attention to the world at all, it’s been another difficult week. Heartbreaking. Infuriating. Frustrating. Please, please, continue to take care of yourselves. Yes, it’s important to be aware. Yes, it’s important to take a stand, to take action (whatever that looks like for you) but we are not built to ingest in this constant stream of bad news, political rhetoric, or horrific imagines. Your nervous system needs a break.
✨Practice deep breathing to activate your parasympathetic nervous system & help you relax.
✨Move your body gently with yoga, stretching, walking. (I’ve done one of these every day this year & it has made a huge impact on managing my stress levels🩷)
✨Spend time with people who you feel as ease with.
✨Sleep. Eat good food. Step away from socials.
✨Seek out professional support. You don’t have to manage this on your own.
✨Call or text 988 if you or a loved one is in crisis to speak with a counselor 24/7/365

🩷Melissa

09/05/2025

Uncomfortable truth: Perfectionism is rooted in fear.

On the surface perfectionism looks like having high standards; but what drives that is a story that whispers you must be perfect in order to be accepted, worthy, maybe even lovable. A perfectionist is working tirelessly to prove they are “good enough.”

If this is something you identify with, take a moment to ask yourself, what would happen if you made a mistake? If you showed up imperfectly? Knowing what your specific fear-based story says is the first step in challenging that false belief and moving toward the truth, which is that you are already enough.
💜Melissa

If you’re ready to loosen the hold perfectionism has on you, I encourage you to consider professional support. To see if one of our therapists may be a good fit, visit www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/meet-the-therapists

09/03/2025

💚💚💚

🌿 We’re asking our Well-Rooted community to come together in prayer and support for one of our own.

If you’ve brought your child to our Crystal Lake office, you may know Jacki, one of our beloved nurse practitioners. She has cared for so many of your kiddos—helping them heal, playing a part in their wellness journey, and pouring her heart into this community.

This past weekend, Jacki’s young son was involved in a tragic accident. 💔 Right now, the Liggett family needs to be wrapped in love, prayer, and strength.

We are asking our community to:
🙏 Pray for healing, peace, and comfort for this sweet boy and his family.
💚 Give if you are able—anything helps. A GoFundMe has been set up to help support the Liggetts during this unimaginable time.

👉 Click here to donate: https://gofund.me/bdc9f4fa

Jacki has given so much of herself to our families; now it is our turn to lift her family up in every way we can. Please join us in surrounding them with love.

💚 From all of us at Well-Rooted: Jacki and the Liggett family, we are with you.