Olive Branch Counseling and Training

Olive Branch Counseling and Training Olive Branch offers individual and family counseling, and play therapy. I am an existentialist and believe in making meaning of one’s experiences.

My name is Amy Hutchinson and I am the owner of Olive Branch Counseling and Training, PLLC. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Southwest Texas State University and in 1996 earned my lifetime certification as a teacher. My focus for over 15 years was working with special needs populations including students receiving special education as well as those identified for gifted and talented programs. More recently, in 2012, I completed my Master of Arts degree in Counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio and am now a Licensed Professional Counselor. My career in education and the opportunity to work with students, teachers and parents has profoundly shaped me as a counselor and I am grateful for the experience. I have enjoyed helping many families facing changes such as divorce, and relocations as well as offering guidance to client’s that need support as they navigate the typical developmental adjustments that everyone experiences in their life. I truly believe in the power of a strong therapeutic relationship between counselor and client. It is the greatest tool to empower change and I am mindful to take special care of the relationship. Some of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves are to heighten our own awareness, be authentic, and present in our own lives. Olive branch has grown over the years and we have two locations. One in Boerne and one in Helotes, Texas. We work with children ages 4 and older, as well as tweens, adolescents, teenagers and adults.

Wishing a very happy birthday to Mary!
07/27/2025

Wishing a very happy birthday to Mary!

Let them play!
07/27/2025

Let them play!

These phrases sound small. But stacked together, they send a loud message: Stay safe. Stay clean. Stay quiet. Do it right.

And play shrinks under all that pressure.

Here’s the hard truth:
A lot of what limits children’s play has more to do with our need for control than their actual needs.

We say it’s about safety or structure. But is it really?
Or are we just uneasy with chaos, noise, and not calling the shots?

Letting go of control doesn’t mean letting go of care. It means noticing when our fear is louder than their curiosity. It means asking: Is this about the child, or about me?

Are you familiar with gaslighting? Learn how to respond. Boundaries are everything. Email us to learn more: admin@o...
07/26/2025

Are you familiar with gaslighting? Learn how to respond. Boundaries are everything. Email us to learn more: admin@olivebranchsa.com

Come start a relationship with us. We are ready. 😊
07/22/2025

Come start a relationship with us. We are ready. 😊

Happy birthday wishes to Tiffany! Enjoy your special day! 💜
07/18/2025

Happy birthday wishes to Tiffany! Enjoy your special day! 💜

Separate yourself from what you are feeling. It takes practice. We can help. 💜
07/18/2025

Separate yourself from what you are feeling. It takes practice. We can help. 💜

According to Daniel Goleman (the psychologist who popularized the term "Emotional Intelligence"), to be self-aware you have to be able to distance yourself from your feelings as you experience them.

When a feeling comes up, it's helpful to notice it without judging it, identifying with it, or letting it consume you.

Feelings do pass — when we allow them.
Feelings are not just reactions to what’s happening now; they’re predictions based on what has happened before. Our nervous system draws on past experience to interpret and respond to the present.

They give us important information, but they're also not always relevant to the context at hand; triggers are a perfect example of this.

And just because we feel a feeling, does not mean we ARE that feeling.
This distinction is important for allowing the feeling to move, and to use that feeling as a signal giving us information about our deeper needs.

You aren't sad or depressed, you're feeling sad or depressed.
You aren't an angry person, you experience anger often.
You aren't anxious, you feel anxiety.

Holding space between yourself and the feeling allows the you who’s experiencing that feeling to look at the feeling and decide what you'd like to do (and more you practice inserting space, the more natural this process becomes). Take a few deep breaths? Start self-soothing? Vocalize a need? Lean in and simply let it wash over you?
You do get to choose, but emotional self-management does take time and practice.

If you fully identify with the feeling, it can easily take over and you react instead of respond to the situation at hand.

Are you able to notice feelings or do you often feel consumed by them?

If you're working to deepen your self awareness, then the Cycle Breakers program beginning September 2nd is for you. We spend the first 6 weeks of the program working to develop a stronger, safer connection to Self.
This is a year long program for those committed to intentionally meeting themselves with more safety, generosity, compassion, and accountability as they begin to break old cycles and patterns of relating to themselves, others and the world.
And it’s done in small, supportive, heart-centered community.
Register before August 1 to get the early bird discount!

More info & registration at the link below:
https://theeqschool.co/cycle-breakers

Talking about the hard things. How do you and your person get through it?
07/16/2025

Talking about the hard things. How do you and your person get through it?

💜
07/11/2025

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31320 Interstate 10 W
Boerne, TX
78006

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My name is Amy Hutchinson and I am the owner of Olive Branch Counseling and Training, PLLC. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Southwest Texas State University and in 1996 earned my lifetime certification as a teacher. My focus for over 15 years was working with special needs populations including students receiving special education as well as those identified for gifted and talented programs. More recently, in 2012, I completed my Master of Arts degree in Counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio and am now a Licensed Professional Counselor. My career in education and the opportunity to work with students, teachers and parents has profoundly shaped me as a counselor and I am grateful for the experience. I have enjoyed helping many families facing changes such as divorce, and relocations as well as offering guidance to client’s that need support as they navigate the typical developmental adjustments that everyone experiences in their life. I truly believe in the power of a strong therapeutic relationship between counselor and client. It is the greatest tool to empower change and I am mindful to take special care of the relationship. I am an existentialist and believe in making meaning of one’s experiences. Some of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves are to heighten our own awareness, be authentic, and present in our own lives. I work with children ages 4 and older, as well as tweens, adolescents, teenagers and adults. I have a wonderful team of counselors avaialble to work with you and members of your family. Call today for an appointment. (210) 564-4310.