Amber Mattheus, LCSW

06/18/2025

So many of us learned to carry burdens as children that were never meant for us. Healing often begins with the gentle permission to set them down.

Your younger self deserves that grace, and your present self does, too 🤍

03/02/2025

If you often focus on the worst possible outcome, you experience the fear & stress of it before it happens.... and if it actually does happen, you've essentially gone through that pain twice.

Instead of carrying that burden ahead of time, try to bring your focus back to the present moment. You can take back your peace now at the present moment, regardless of what the future holds 😌

🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️

You deserve peace, and with practice, you can train your mind to focus on the present rather than fears of what might happen. **You are stronger than your worries.**

Here are some supportive strategies to help you shift away from worst-case thinking and take back your peace:

1. Ground Yourself in the Present
- Try deep breathing (e.g., inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four).
- Use your senses: Name five things you see, four you can touch, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste.
- Repeat a calming affirmation like, “Right now, I am safe.”

2. Challenge the Thought
- Ask yourself: Is this fear based on facts or assumptions?
- Consider: What’s the best-case scenario? The most likely outcome?
- Remind yourself that worrying doesn’t prevent challenges; it only drains you.

3. Shift Your Focus
- Engage in something absorbing such as reading, art, music, or movement.
- Practice gratitude: Write down three things you’re grateful for each day.
- Spend time in nature or with loved ones who bring you comfort.

4. Reframe Uncertainty
- Instead of fearing uncertainty, remind yourself that you’ve handled challenges before.
- See uncertainty as possibility, not just for hardship, but for growth and unexpected joy.

5. Take Small, Meaningful Action
- If a concern is valid, ask: What’s one small step I can take to change things or plan ahead for coping?
- Break problems into manageable pieces and focus on what you can control.

6. Release What You Can’t Control
- Practice letting go by journaling or speaking your worries aloud, then visualizing them floating away.
- Try meditation or guided imagery to create a sense of inner calm.

7. Seek Support
- Talk to a trusted friend, therapist, or support group.
- Remind yourself that you don’t have to carry every fear alone.

02/15/2025

Give yourself permission to walk away from habits, relationships, and situations that no longer serve you. Your peace is reason enough - you owe yourself that kindness.

You don’t need to justify your boundaries to anyone. If something, or someone, no longer aligns with your well-being, stepping away is a valid choice. Growth often means recognizing what drains you and making space for what nourishes yo

What’s one thing you’re ready to let go of for your own well-being?

Behavioral Health Therapist 🧠 Mental Health Advocate 💚 Professional Friend 🫂 Licensed Clinical Social Worker ☕️ Human

10/17/2024

You may have done things differently knowing what you know now, but you have to also remind yourself that you're not the same person as you were back then... you have grown, you have changed, you have shifted, you see things differently now 🌱🌿🌳

07/24/2024

This is a SKILL that takes time, and much practice, but if you can master your reaction, you've taken back your control 🖤

06/25/2024

Healthy boundaries 🩷

I am a LCSW, providing individual counseling services with emphasis on emotional and behavior difficulties relating to grief, relationship/family issues, codependency, & substance use.

06/09/2024

There is a way to balance being calm, assertive, courageous, gentle, bold, kind, and strong... all at once!

~ Charles F Glassman (ish)

Behavioral Health Therapist 🧠 Mental Health Advocate 💚 Professional Friend 🫂 Licensed Clinical Social Worker ☕️ Human

05/09/2024

Healing takes courage 🐛🦋🦋🦋

"This is the part of healing no one talks about. It seems louder than the trauma you're healing from. You have to battle yourself not to disassociate but instead feel it entirely - to your core. It's quite possibly the hardest thing I've ever put myself through. But also the most liberating. I am one step closer on this journey of knowing, and that gives me a little bit of peace."

Behavioral Health Therapist 🧠 Mental Health Advocate 💚 Professional Friend 🫂 Licensed Clinical Social Worker ☕️ Human