Dana Hall LCPC

10/14/2025

Fall Can Stir Up Our Mood

As the Midwest shifts into shorter days and cooler air, many people start to feel their energy dip or their anxiety rise, and it’s not “just in your head.” Neuroscience shows that changes in light directly affect our circadian rhythm (the brain’s internal clock), which in turn influences serotonin, melatonin, and cortisol, the key players that regulate mood, sleep, and stress.

When daylight hours shrink, our brain produces more melatonin (making us sluggish) and less serotonin (lowering mood stability). The result? We might feel wired and tired at the same time restless, irritable, or emotionally flat.

But this seasonal shift doesn’t have to throw us off course. Here are a few simple ways to help your nervous system stay in sync this fall:

Get morning light: Step outside within an hour of waking, even on cloudy days. Natural light tells your brain it’s daytime and resets your circadian rhythm.
Move daily: Exercise boosts serotonin and dopamine, helping offset the natural dip that comes with darker months.
Keep a steady rhythm: Stick to consistent sleep and wake times to give your brain predictability.
Stay connected: The Midwest can get gray and isolating; social connection literally strengthens neural pathways that buffer against seasonal anxiety.
Consider a light therapy lamp: A small dose of bright light in the morning can mimic natural sunlight and lift mood.

Our bodies are designed to adapt, but they need signals of safety and consistency to do it well. Think of these habits as helping your brain “tune” itself to the rhythm of fall, instead of feeling like you’re fighting against it. 🍂

10/11/2025

When the World Hurts, We Feel It Too!

More and more of my clients are coming in deeply disturbed by the current social climate, and if you’re feeling it too, you’re not alone.

Our brains were built to keep us safe, but not necessarily to differentiate between what’s happening to us and what we see happening to others. The neural systems that detect threat, regulate fear, and process emotion aren’t finely tuned to know the difference.
When we watch vivid traumatic images or hear distressing stories, the same areas of the brain, the amygdala, insula, and other parts of the limbic system, light up as if the danger were right in front of us.
Trauma isn’t only what happens to us physically. Sometimes, what we see or hear can embed itself into our nervous systems, especially when it’s repeated, intense, or emotionally charged.
Our brain’s threat and memory systems don’t always distinguish between direct and vicarious trauma.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or heavy after watching the news, that reaction makes sense. Your body is responding as if it needs to protect you.

Be gentle with yourself. Limit exposure when needed. Move your body. Ground. Reach out.
Being aware of how our brains work helps us care for our emotional systems, and guard against unintended harm.

10/11/2025

Happy World Mental Health Day

Today is a reminder that your mind deserves the same care and attention as your body. Healing isn’t linear, and you don’t have to do it alone.

✨ “See this as your sign to reach out, life can be brighter, softer, and lighter when you share the weight.” ✨

Whether it’s a therapist, a friend, a family member, or a support group, connection is where hope begins.

💚 Take a breath. Check in with yourself. And remember: you are worth the care you give to others.

10/10/2025

Let's talk relationship health.
In every relationship, there are three parts:
You. The other person. And the relationship itself.

When we look at connection through this lens, it becomes clear that each part requires care and attention. A healthy relationship isn’t about merging into one identity, it’s about two whole people creating a shared space that both can safely inhabit.

Let’s talk about one key piece of that balance: autonomy.
Autonomy means maintaining your sense of self, your values, needs, and goals, even while deeply connected to another. In a healthy relationship, you don’t have to sacrifice autonomy to feel close. In fact, the healthiest partnerships encourage independence. They celebrate personal growth, support individual goals, and recognize that a thriving “us” depends on thriving “me’s.”

Ask yourself:

Do I feel free to be myself in this relationship?
Do we both have space to grow individually?
Do I support my partner’s independence as much as I seek connection?

When both people nurture their individuality and the relationship between them, that’s where true intimacy lives, not in control or dependency, but in mutual respect and trust.

Healthy love says:
“I choose you, and I still choose me.”

10/06/2025

Let's talk about how anticipating your partner’s triggers being an act of care...
Knowing what activates your partner’s anxiety, shame, or fear doesn’t mean you’re responsible for fixing it, it means you’re attuned.

When you learn to anticipate triggers, you’re saying:
✨ “I see what hurts you.”
✨ “I respect your nervous system.”
✨ “I want to be someone you feel safe with.”

Maybe you notice they pull away during conflict, or their tone changes when they feel criticized. Instead of reacting, you pause. You check in. You offer grounding, not judgment.

This isn’t about control, it’s about co-regulation. When both partners understand each other’s safety cues and triggers, healing happens in the relationship instead of alone.

Empathy is preventative care for connection. 💛

09/30/2025

Thank you SAMHSA! Spot the signs, save a life. Learn the warning signs of su***de and share this graphic to help others recognize them.

If you see these signs in someone, urge them to contact a mental health professional or the 988 Lifeline at 988Lifeline.org

09/30/2025

May you find some glimmer today.

09/26/2025

Let's talk about relationship cognitive dissonance...
It’s common to downplay mistreatment in close relationships as a way of protecting ourselves from pain.

We might think things like:
👉 “She can be hurtful, but she’s still my sister.”
👉 “He yells sometimes, but he really loves me.”

These thoughts allow us to hold onto both love and harm without fully facing the conflict between them. It’s a form of self-protection but over time, it can keep us stuck.

Healing often begins with gently acknowledging both truths: you can love someone and still recognize that their behavior hurts you.

09/23/2025

As parents, we all want to be open and honest with our kids, but sometimes how much we share can place a heavy burden on little shoulders.

Children thrive when they feel safe, supported, and free to focus on being kids. Sharing adult struggles, like financial stress, relationship conflicts, or personal insecurities, can unintentionally shift that weight onto them.

Instead, give kids age-appropriate honesty paired with reassurance:
✔️ “We’re working on it, and you don’t have to worry.”
✔️ “It’s okay to feel upset, thank you for sharing with me.”
✔️ “You are safe and loved.”

Protecting kids from adult concerns isn’t about secrecy, it’s about creating a stable environment where they can grow without carrying responsibilities that aren’t theirs.

💬 Parents, what helps you decide what’s okay (or not okay) to share with your kids?

09/18/2025

Trauma isn’t just a story in your mind, it’s an experience your whole body remembers. That’s why healing involves more than talking, it’s about regulating your nervous system, building safety in the present, and allowing your body to relax and trust again.

This can look like:
Grounding practices (deep breathing, walking, sensory soothing)
Creating safe, supportive environments
Building relationships that feel steady and trustworthy
Practicing self-compassion and patience with your healing process

You are not broken, your body just learned how to survive. Now it’s learning how to feel safe. 🌸

BPD, Bi-Polar, Anxiety, Depression. It's okay to talk about it.

09/12/2025

When we’ve lived through trauma, our nervous system can shift from trigger straight to reaction in an instant. It’s not because we’re “too sensitive,” it’s because our body is trying to keep us safe.

The good news? We can gently teach our system a new path one where we pause, listen to what we need, and respond with care instead of reacting out of survival mode.

Here’s a simple 5-step plan to support yourself in those hard moments:

09/05/2025