Northwest Community Counseling Services

12/05/2024

We're looking for an LPC/LCPC. If you or someone you know is looking for a place to practice please contact us!

08/05/2024

Therapy Facts and Statistics

We cover recent mental health therapy statistics to give you an overview of the state of mental health treatment in the United States.

08/05/2024

A growing body of research suggests that swimming provides a unique boost to our brain health. Neurobiologist Seena Mathew explains what scientists know — and what they’re still figurin…

08/05/2024

Therapy in 2024. We're happy to see you in person or remotely, whatever is most comfortable and attainable for YOU.

Together, the pandemic and Zoom have seeded an online therapy boom. Therapists say they have never been busier.

07/03/2024

1. Maintain Your Recovery Routine

Be sure to stay on your schedule as best you can. The holidays can throw schedules into chaos. Be mindful to keep your 12 step meeting schedule, church if you attend, and self-care routine including meditations or workouts. Keeping your daily routine on track will help you stay focused on recovery. Stay connected to your sponsor and recovery community. Remember, each piece of additional treatment and support only strengthens your stand against relapse.

2. Pass on Triggering Events

Office parties, family gatherings, neighborhood celebrations, New Year’s Eve with friends – your first go-round of staying sober during the holidays may require you to skip annual events that involve open bars or a heavy focus on alcohol consumption.

You are free to skip a year and focus on yourself, specifically on your health and well-being. The best way to manage triggers is to avoid them altogether, especially early in recovery. Keep building on your recovery foundation and reevaluate the party invites next year. During the holidays, AA and NA have many gatherings that serve as safe and smart alternatives to alcohol-infused parties. They can also provide a more meaningful experience.

3. Have a Holiday Party Plan

If you do attend a party where drinks are served, prepare yourself for the event. Walk through potential party scenarios and how you will react. Plan your arrival and departure, who you will spend time with – and who you will not. Bring your own or select a festive nonalcoholic option and have an exit or even escape strategy if you start to feel anxious. Make sure you have your own transportation so that you can leave quickly if you feel uncomfortable. Call your sponsor before the party and walk through the plan. And, bring the address of the nearest AA meeting, just in case. Having a plan will help you stay focused on your desired outcome – staying sober during the holidays.

4. Communicate with Loved Ones

Share with your family and friends so they can help and support your recovery. In addition, be mindful during holiday planning. A supportive family can make the difference between recovery and relapse. Family members need to get involved in their own recovery from codependency. Then, you and your loved ones can work together as a team to recover together and avoid holiday relapse.

5. Lend a Helping Hand

Skip the party and head out to help others. There are countless opportunities to serve your community during the holidays. Homeless shelters, recovery programs, community toy drives – volunteer to help others this season and stay out of your head. Participate in charitable giving or adopt someone who could use some holiday hope and cheer. Use the opportunity to engage deeper into your AA or recovery support group. Keep a check on your sober friends and offer support. Do something that is good for humanity and your recovery this season to avoid relapse.

--Valley Hope Recovery

06/27/2024

June is Men’s Mental Health awareness month. How are you? How is your mental health?

Did you know that 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health challenge each year? Over 6 million of those suffering from depression are men, and it's often left undiagnosed.

05/24/2024

The way people view you.

Sometimes I think about the different characters I play in everybody’s story.
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I’m a terrible person in some people's narratives and a Godsend in others.
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And none of it has anything to do with the person I truly am.
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The lens that others view you through is coloured by their upbringing, beliefs, and individual experiences.
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Some people see your bright personality as endearing and others see it as annoying.
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Some people think you’re weak and emotional and others feel safe to be themselves around you.
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Some people think you’re rude and selfish and others respect the way you stand up for yourself.
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Some people admire the way you take pride in the way you look and others think you’re conceited.
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And none of it has to do with who you truly are as a person.
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What you have to understand is that you have no authority over how people view you so never try to control the way others see you because the only thing that truly matters when the dust settles down at the end of the day is what you genuinely see in yourself.

~Cody Bret

04/29/2024

👏 🫶🙏

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Daybreak Health, a school-based mental health company, to offer teletherapy services to our K-8 students! 🎉 These services are provided at no cost to families.

We understand that access to high-quality mental care is a significant barrier for children and their families. That's why we sought to enhance our capacity to provide additional mental health support to a greater number of students and families.

We believe that a strong social and emotional foundation is key for academic success. 📚 If you’d like to inquire about teletherapy for your student, please reach out to your school's mental health clinician. Read more here, https://bit.ly/D47DaybreakHealth

04/26/2024

April is sexual assault awareness month 🩵

03/29/2024

Please be mindful this upcoming Monday. It may seem funny to some people - but all jokes aside you don't understand what this is like unless it happens to you.

I have no doubt that those pulling the prank aren’t intending to hurt anyone, they are just having fun. The reactions from their friends and loved ones gives them a laugh and they are able to move on. What they may not see, however, are those friends and loved ones who don’t comment, don’t “like,” don’t laugh. Those friends and loved ones for whom a pregnancy announcement is no joke. Not because they don’t have a sense of humor but because there is a deep ache within them to have a real, not a joke positive pregnancy test of their own. It’s not funny, it’s painful. It isn’t necessary to understand or relate to that pain, it’s just human decency and kindness not to cause them more pain once you’re aware of it. 🫶

02/15/2024

🩷 Journaling / self care thinking prompt: