Apricity Counseling and Wellness

09/28/2025

Think of your nervous system like your body's car. 🚗

✅ Regulated (Ventral Vagal State): You're in the driver's seat. You can access calm, connection, and clarity. You're cruising smoothly, able to handle life's curves.

⚠️ Mobilized (Sympathetic State): The gas pedal is stuck. This is fight or flight. You feel anxious, stressed, irritable, or overwhelmed. Your body is ready for danger.

⛔ Shut Down (Dorsal Vagal State): The brakes are slammed. This is freeze or collapse. You feel numb, disconnected, fatigued, or hopeless. It's a total energy conservation mode.

We're designed to move through all these states, but modern life can get us stuck in the "gas" or "brake" positions.

So, what is regulation?
It's learning how to shift gears yourself.

It's not about eliminating stress or big feelings. It's about building the capacity to return to that "driver's seat" state more easily.

Simple Regulation Practices:
➡️ For Overwhelm (Stuck Gas): Sighing exhales, shaking out your limbs, brisk walk.
➡️ For Shutdown (Stuck Brakes): Humming or singing, warm drink, gentle movement.
➡️ For Staying in the Driver's Seat: Morning sunlight, deep belly breathing, connecting with a safe person.

Regulation is a skill, not a personality trait. And it's one we can all practice 🌸

What's one way you help regulate your nervous system today? Share below! 👇

09/25/2025

Ever wonder what's really happening in a play therapy session? It's more than just play! 🧸

For children, play is their natural language. They often don't have the words to express big feelings like anxiety, grief, or frustration. Play therapy gives them a safe space to use toys as their words and play as their conversation.

Through specially chosen activities, a trained play therapist helps a child:
✨ Express difficult emotions
✨ Process challenging experiences
✨ Develop coping skills
✨ Build self-esteem and resilience

It’s a powerful, evidence-based way to support a child's emotional well-being. If you have questions about whether play therapy could help your child, feel free to email us at admin@apricitycw.com or call 651-348-8551.

Ready to set up an appointment? Request an appointment ⬇️

https://www.apricitycw.com/request-services

09/24/2025

Ever feel like your brain gets "stuck" on a distressing memory? 🧠⏸️ You're not alone. After a difficult experience, the brain can have trouble processing it fully, leaving you with the same intense emotions and reactions.

That's where EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help. Think of it like a reboot for your brain's processing system.

In an EMDR session, instead of just talking about the memory, your therapist will guide you in using bilateral stimulation (like side-to-side eye movements, taps, or sounds) while you briefly focus on the upsetting event.

Why the side-to-side stimulation? It's believed to mimic the same process that happens during REM (dream) sleep, helping your brain naturally digest and file away the memory. The memory doesn't disappear, but it loses its emotional charge. The "stuck" feeling is released.

In short: EMDR helps your brain heal itself from past trauma, so you can remember the event without the painful emotional overwhelm.

Interest in EMDR? Feel free to out👇

https://www.apricitycw.com/request-services

09/22/2025

Super cool new resource for our friends in Dakota County! And it’s FREE!!

Meet CredibleMind, a website full of mental health, wellness and recovery information, articles, podcasts and videos.

https://dakotacounty.crediblemind.com/?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwM9dslleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp671IMWS4vnMikLy4cBOy5IMHBr8PS-s4VaTOXnMU6N5gDuS6WuzzoO6Ke9f_aem_E0X2gr6IpXGImv1O33Otsw

CredibleMind contains general mental health information, including videos, podcasts, articles and more. Dakota County is providing free access to this website for use by county residents.

09/20/2025

The new school year can bring big feelings—for kids and parents alike. 🍎✏️

If your child is struggling to adjust, feeling overwhelmed, or just needs a safe space to talk, we are here to help. Apricity Counseling and Wellness has immediate openings for children and adolescents.

Our trauma-informed providers specialize in helping young people navigate anxiety, big transitions, and emotional challenges. We offer a compassionate, holistic approach to healing the mind, body, and spirit.

You don't have to wait for support. Link in bio to learn more about our providers and request a session today.

Make a referral, request services, or to learn more about if our services are a good match for you.

09/19/2025

📝 Did you know we have a blog?

Check it out! www.apricitycw.com/blog

We love to post things about coping tools, psycho-ed and much more 💛

09/18/2025

Let's talk about trauma. Often, we think of it as a single, catastrophic event. But trauma can wear many different faces, and understanding its forms is a powerful step toward compassion—for others and for ourselves. 🧠💚

Why does this matter?
Because we can't heal what we don't know/understand. Your experience is valid, regardless of which "category" it falls into. Healing is not linear, and it looks different for everyone.

If this brings anything up for you, please know you are not alone. Your feelings are valid. Consider reaching out to a trusted friend or a mental health professional.

👉 Let’s normalize these conversations. Feel free to share (only what you're comfortable) in the comments below or with trusted family and friends to start a conversation.

09/13/2025

Curious about Safe and Sound protocol? Check out this video to learn more about this bottom-up approach.

Want to book a session? Contact Jenna Butzow to schedule a session. https://www.apricitycw.com/jenna-butzow

https://youtu.be/baalpOg3Yts?si=tXccDITuK5-hiSDl

09/13/2025

Myth vs Facts: Mental Health Addition 🥳

Knowledge is power 💪🏼 Share this to help fight the stigma against mental health 💛

Have questions? Our team is here to help!
☎️ 651-348-8551
📧 email admin@apricitycw.com
💻 www.apricitycw.com

08/26/2025

17K Followers, 1,775 Following, 129 Posts

08/20/2025

Less than one week until the free parent workshop on Aug 26th!

Join us to learn about myofunctional therapy

08/19/2025

New blog post 🥳

“Mental Health Tips for Going Back to School”

Back to school mental health tips for students, parents, and teachers—reduce stress, build routines, and start the year strong