Ott Counseling

12/03/2025

Every child is unique, as are their parents — their therapy should be, too. Our latest blog breaks down different types of therapy for children in clear, caregiver-friendly language, so you can feel confident choosing the right fit. 💛

Our newest staffer, Mary Gannon, specializes in supporting infants, children, and parents, and her schedule is open for January.

Read more here:

Just like there’s no “one perfect therapy” for adults, there isn’t a single right choice for every child. Learn more about child therapy options in our recent blog!

10/12/2025

How we feel and the emotions we experience are a central part of our mental health. Conversely how we respond to emotions is critical for our health, mental and physical. While they can perplexing, stubborn, frustrating, annoying, frightening and downright depressing at times, emotions are a fundamental and necessary part of brain functioning. In fact, they are central to being human.

Unfortunately societal beliefs often tells us we shouldn’t have emotions or some emotions are bad. Telling your brain it shouldn’t have emotions is like telling your heart not to beat or your lungs not to breathe, and it doesn’t make your brain very happy.

Emotions don’t always feel nice and can make us want to run away from them. And like any avoidance, short term this seems to work, we feel relieved. But inside your brain is feeling pretty annoyed at trying to hold it all in.

How you respond to your emotions is important. Research shows suppressing, berating and shaming emotions doesn’t help us deal with them at all and just creates more stress and make emotions feel even more difficult.

Naming, validating, expressing and recognising emotions seems to help us process them and help us become friends with them, rather than them having power over us. It seems to soothe those emotions and instead of adding a layer of more stress and difficult feelings, helps us deal with the ones we have.

read more about the science of emotions and how we can help our emotions in my books
📕‘A Toolkit for your Emotions’.
📚 A toolkit for modern life
📖 A toolkit for happiness

08/24/2025

Join us for PC training!

Only a week left of early bird pricing!!!

Link in comments for brochure and registration.

08/06/2025

This is funny…. But in reality It’s hard to open up but it becomes even harder when you are rejected with a pacifying comment in response to your pleads for help

07/23/2025

REMINDER: SPACE IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR PROGRESSIVE COUNTING THIS FALL! :)

06/21/2025

Welcome to the team, Richard!

Contact us to schedule or for more information!

www.ottcounseling.com
716-586-2230
support@ottcounseling.com

06/04/2025

🫶🏻

05/30/2025

📣📣📣 Attention clinicians and human service workers (i.e. mental health counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, graduate students, etc!) 📣📣📣

We’re excited to invite you to an in-depth, virtual, interactive Progressive Counting training.

Registration is now open!

🧠 What Is Progressive Counting (PC)?
PC is a highly effective and well-tolerated method for resolving trauma and loss memories. It can be used with clients of all ages and integrates seamlessly with phase-based trauma treatment. PC is often preferred over EMDR for its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and client comfort.

LIVE Online | October 2025 – March 2026

Taught by expert trauma trainer Nicole Wolasz, LCSW-R, along with Laura Ott, LCSW, and Lori Chiarmonte, LCSW
Special Guest: Annie Monaco, LCSW-R, RPT

Includes:
✅ 30 CEs | 12 EMDRIA CEs
✅ Progressive Counting textbook & scripts
✅ Practice via Zoom breakout rooms
✅ Optional low-cost consultation groups post-training

💡 Ideal for:
Therapists already trained in trauma modalities (EMDR, TF-CBT, etc.), especially those working with perinatal populations, children, or dissociative clients.

💲 Registration:

$850 Early Bird by Sept 1, 2025

$899 after Sept 1

$575 for Trauma Institute-trained EMDR therapists

Register by September 20th to receive materials in time

👉 Link to registration & flyer in comment section. 🔗

Let’s grow your trauma toolkit with a method your clients will appreciate and you’ll feel confident using!!!

02/26/2025

Message us to join or contact us by email or phone!

02/26/2025

✨ Looking for a new therapist? ✨

Saffi is now accepting new clients and has limited availability THIS week!

Whether you're seeking support for yourself or your child (ages 5+), we’re here to help.

📧 Contact us at support@ottcounseling.com to schedule an intake or a free consultation today!

🌐 Visit our website: www.ottcounseling.com

01/11/2025

Just dropped another blog post.

This one has been in the works for a while and is a little more personal. My hope is always that sharing and leading with transparency can help others feel seen and validated.

We have two therapists at our practice (as well as a fabulous graduate student therapist) who specialize in perinatal mental health and the challenges that come along with pregnancy, postpartum, and fertility. Contact us for a consultation at any time.

Take care & stay warm.

-Laura

Ott Counseling Owner and Therapist Laura details her second experience with Hyperemesis Gravidarum during pregnancy.