Serenity Therapy Services, LLC

02/02/2026

CYou feel the resentment creeping in.
You've tried to reach out and express how you're feeling.
It's met with resistance, quietness, no change.

Relationships don't fall apart over night. They tend to fade quietly.

You got busy. Life got busy. Stress with work, stress with parenting. Conversations become more about other things rather than about your relationship.

One day, you feel more like you're just co-existing rather than a partnership.

Hear this: The distance does NOT have to mean you have failed -- or that love is gone.

It means connection has been unintentionally neglected.

Disconnection can look like:
- less emotional safety (can't talk to him/her about what is happening for you emotionally so you stay quiet)
- quiet resentment and keeping score of who is doing what
- less curiosity, more assumption
- feeling unseen, unheard, not cared about
- feeling alone even when together

Many couples fall into the push-pull cycle at some point in their relationship -- one partner reaches out, the other shuts down -- and both end up feeling unsafe, just in different ways.

Good news:
*connection can be rebuilt!
* emotional safety can be restored!
* you don't have to do this perfectly to do it differently

If your relationship has felt distant lately, you're not alone -- and support can help you reconnect without blame or pressure.

Free Resource (grab it and read when you have time): https://www.serenitytherapyservices.org/resources/couples-resources
Couples Online Program (mini-course): Relationship Connection -- practical tools for breaking cycles and rebuilding closeness: https://www.serenitytherapyservices.org/relationshipcourse

02/01/2026

You’re always busy. Always thinking ahead. Always finishing one thing so you can move on to the next — but rarely feeling calm or satisfied.

This isn’t because you lack discipline or time management skills.

It’s often high-functioning anxiety.

Staying busy can become a way your nervous system tries to feel safe — even when it’s exhausting you.

If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. And it doesn’t have to stay this way.

Read more about what is happening & how to overcome it here: https://www.serenitytherapyservices.org/blog//signs-high-functioning-anxiety

(can also find this blog linked in bio, under "blog" tab on website; or DM me and I'll send a direct link!)

01/30/2026

Agree or disagree?

Are you on board with using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, etc?

If so, what are your favorite tools and prompts to use?

01/27/2026

Rest shouldn't feel this stressful -- but for a long time, it did.

I used to think that something must be wrong with me because 'slowing down' made me feel more anxious... not less like everyone suggested it 'should'.

If I was sitting still, had 'nothing to do,' my mind was racing: "what am I forgetting," "what am I needing to get done," "what if I do x and get ahead and then rest later"...

Rest felt undeserved -- as if I hadn't earned it yet.

The myth I believed: If I relax, it means I am lazy.

but that wasn't true... What I eventually learned is that my nervous system had learned that staying busy was the safest option. Being productive meant I could keep things feeling under control. Rest didn't feel calming -- it felt risky.

Another myth that often comes up for people when they think of resting is: "If I slow down, I'll fall behind or people will think less of me."

In reality, rest feels stressful not because you are doing it wrong, but because anxiety has tied your worth to how much you are doing. Just not true.

This shift can change everything for you.

Here's the thing... High functioning anxiety doesn't mean you're incapable of rest. It means your body and mind has adapted in ways that once helped you survive -- even if they're costing you now.

You're not lazy. You're not going to fall behind. What others think of you is for them, not you. How you think of you is what truly matters most.

To read more about high-functioning anxiety and rest, go here: https://www.serenitytherapyservices.org/blog//signs-high-functioning-anxiety

*can also find in the link in bio under "blog" tab

01/23/2026

You know the feeling...

Sitting on the couch, not doing anything cause you just need a break.

It might feel safe(r) to do this when you're alone, but the moment someone gets home, or walks in, you feel like you need to either a) jump up and go do something or b) you quickly jump into justifying why you're just sitting.

It might not even feel safe to do this when you're alone.

You have these thoughts, beliefs, in your mind that say "you should just get it done," or "don't be lazy."

When in reality... if you take a step back, you actually have achieved a lot that week already.

It's hard to give yourself a break.

If this is you, you're not alone.

Many people struggle with rest and feeling guilty when resting.

To read more about this + signs you might have high-functioning anxiety (& what to do about it), click here: https://www.serenitytherapyservices.org/blog//signs-high-functioning-anxiety

(also located in link in bio under tab "blog")

01/21/2026

What’s the point of journaling??

Well, there’s several. But one of the biggest reasons is because journaling helps you slow your mind down so that your nervous system can catch up.

Thoughts are very quick.

Thoughts pass quickly.

Thoughts can cause you to spiral and feel overwhelmed.

Journaling helps to slow them down. Writing, specifically, helps to slow them down. Yes, you can journal on your computer but you won’t get quite the same effect.

Other reasons why journaling is beneficial:

✨ Helps you to feel more clear emotionally (emotional clarity). Much like therapy helps you to make sense of your thoughts, journaling can be a great aid to use between sessions.

✨ Helps you to feel less overwhelmed, scattered, and helps you to organize your thoughts, your needs, your wants, your desires.

✨ Helps you to make sense of what you’re going through. Anxiety and trauma specifically tend to be more fragmented and memories are harder to recall. We tend to fill in the blanks in our minds, whereas journaling helps to slow these down and make more sense of what you are experiencing.

❕Journal-Prompts: reduce overwhelm, provide guidance (not forcing) of self-reflection, and help you to go deeper more quickly.

(If you know me, you know I whole-heartedly believe in getting to the root. This helps.)

Journal prompts also help to guide and target specific goals (reduce anxiety, increase self-esteem, reconnect with self, etc).

If you’re new to journaling… or even if you’re not… and you want to do some reflection, I have put together journal writing prompts to help you get started.

Check it out here:

Download a free self-love journaling worksheet created by a licensed Missouri therapist. Gentle prompts for anxiety, trauma, and self-compassion.

01/19/2026

Slowing Down = fear, uncertainty, anxiety

If I 'slow down' then something bad might happen.

If I don't get x done, then something bad might happen.

I need to get x and y done so that I can rest...

Rest brings feelings of anxiety, racing thoughts, irritability, and an urge to just get up and do something... Rest feels hard.

Is this you? If so, here are a few gentle tips that you can incorporate to help

1. Practice giving yourself permission.

2. Practice self-compassion (i.e. I am loved, I am good enough, no matter what I accomplish today)

3. Challenge the thoughts that are talking negatively to you. The thought that says "if you don't get x done...." with "If I don't get x done today, I can make time tomorrow or the next day."

4. Read my most recent blog for more help: https://www.serenitytherapyservices.org/blog//signs-high-functioning-anxiety

01/17/2026

Sometimes, what we call "stress" is actually a nervous system asking for safety.

And sometimes, what we call "trauma" is just stress that we are having a hard time learning how to navigate.

Regardless, feeling these things doesn't mean you are broken, nor something is inherently wrong with you.

This post breaks down the difference.

Looking for help to navigate stress, anxiety, or trauma? Reach out. Here to help.

https://www.serenitytherapyservices.org/

Oh! And if you haven't heard yet -- sign up for my weekly emails! They are supportive, filled with insight and care. I promise to be non-spammy. That's not my vibe.

01/13/2026

We all have those days.

Recently, I thought everything was going well.
A slow Saturday morning. No plans. No rushing.
And then it hit me — I have two notes due today. *slight panic*

Baby napping. Boys playing together. A quiet moment.

Got my Laptop out.

And immediately… I heard it... little feet down the hallway.

I felt the irritation rise fast. That familiar pull toward panic and frustration.

In that moment, I had two options:
push through, get stressed, and battle for control —
or pause.

I closed my laptop and hugged her.
Then I made a plan for 30 minutes of quiet time later, checked in with my partner, and came back to the work when I could actually focus.

It wasn’t on my timeline — but choosing flexibility over force helped the stress drain instead of build.

A few real-life ways to meet stress when it shows up:
• pause before reacting (even a few seconds helps)
• name what’s stressing you instead of pushing it away
• shift from “right now” to “what’s realistic”
• create a small plan instead of demanding perfection
• choose presence when control isn’t available

Stress doesn’t always need to be fixed — sometimes it just needs to be met differently.

And that can change everything. 🤍

01/12/2026

"New Year, New Me"

We hear it all the time, but personally I think that it isn't about a "new me" -- it's more about becoming the version of yourself that is safe, secure, and knows you are enough.

This you has always been there. This you just hasn't had the opportunity to be in the driver's seat.

Therapy isn't about completely changing who you are.

Therapy is a place where you feel more connected to yourself, to who you truly are, aside from what society, family, friends, etc. tell you that you *should* be.

If you have questions about counseling or want to learn more, reach out to me (via link in bio or click here: https://www.serenitytherapyservices.org)

or you can read my latest FAQ blog post regarding online therapy here: https://www.serenitytherapyservices.org/blog/starting-therapy-new-year-online-therapy-missouri

*Now accepting new clients (virtual) throughout the state of Missouri*

01/08/2026

Many people wait until things feel unbearable before asking for support.

But therapy isn't only for breaking points -- it's also for the quiet signs that something isn't sitting right anymore.

Gentle signs therapy might help (even if you’re “functioning”):
• you’re constantly managing your emotions instead of feeling them
• your body feels tense, wired, or exhausted more often than not
• you overthink conversations long after they’re over
• the same patterns keep showing up in relationships
• you feel disconnected from yourself, even on “good” days

A few things to know if you’re considering therapy:
• you don’t need the right words to start
• you don’t have to know what your “goal” is
• going slowly is allowed
• feeling unsure doesn’t mean you’re not ready

Therapy is less about fixing yourself
and more about learning how to feel safe inside your own body again.

If this resonates, you’re not behind —
you’re listening. 🤍

(Save this if you need the reminder.)

click here to learn more or email me with questions: https://www.serenitytherapyservices.org/

10/10/2025

It’s a good day, and a good life.
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