UTS Counseling and Consulting Services LLC

08/22/2025

🍂✨ Fun Fact Friday ✨🍂
Did you know that fall is one of the most romantic seasons of the year for date nights? The crisp air, cozy layers, and golden leaves create the perfect backdrop for making memories together.

Here are a few fun fall date night ideas to spark some inspiration:
🍁 Pumpkin Patch Adventure – wander rows of pumpkins, pick your favorite, and carve it together later.
🔥 Bonfire & Blanket Night – roast marshmallows, sip hot cider, and share stories under the stars.
🌽 Corn Maze Challenge – get lost together and laugh your way through the twists and turns.
🍷 Fall Flavor Tour – visit a cider mill, brewery, or winery and taste the seasonal flavors.
🌌 Starry Night Walk – bundle up for a stroll through crunchy leaves while admiring the fall night sky.
🎥 Backyard Movie Night – set up a projector, cozy blankets, and popcorn with a fall classic film.

Fall isn’t just about pumpkins and sweaters—it’s about slowing down, being present, and making space for joy and connection. 🍎💛

What’s your dream fall date night? Drop it in the comments and share some inspiration!

08/21/2025

💬 Do you ever feel like you and your partner keep having the same fight on repeat?

EFCT (Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy) can help couples break those old cycles and create real, lasting connection.

✨ Join Giselle Ortiz and Ustina Shives for a powerful conversation on how EFCT works, why it’s different, and how it can shift relationships.

📅 Tuesday, August 26
⏰ 5:30pm EST
📍 Instagram Live

Don’t miss this chance to learn how to transform your relationship patterns and build the connection you’ve been craving.

08/18/2025

When couples come into therapy, they often share the same struggle. We keep having the same fight. I don’t feel like my partner hears me. We love each other, but we feel stuck.

This is where Emotionally Focused Therapy, or EFT, can help.

EFT is a research-backed approach that looks beyond surface arguments and focuses on the emotional patterns underneath. Instead of asking who is right or wrong, EFT helps couples notice the cycle they are caught in. The push and pull, the blame and defend, the silence and withdrawal.

At its foundation, EFT is built on attachment theory, the science of our human need to feel safe, loved, and connected. When that bond feels threatened, we often react in ways that push our partner away, even though what we want most is closeness.

Through EFT, couples begin to:
• Recognize their negative cycle rather than blaming each other
• Understand the fears and needs beneath their reactions
• Create new patterns of communication based on safety and trust

The goal is not to fix one partner. The goal is to repair the bond that connects you both.

Research shows EFT is one of the most effective ways for couples to heal old wounds, strengthen their relationship, and build lasting connection.
Your emotions are not the problem. They are the map that can lead you back to each other.

✨ Want to learn more about how this works for couples? Join and live on Instagram August 26 for a real conversation on Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and how it can deepen your relationship ♥️

08/15/2025

Fun Fact Friday ✨✨✨

Did you know? Studies show that up to 1 in 3 students experience increased stress and anxiety when starting a new school year. And it’s not just kids—parents and caregivers feel the shift too! Between new schedules, homework, and activities, our routines can take a hit, which impacts mental health.

The good news? Small morning habits can make a big difference in how you feel. Things like:
☀️ Getting outside for a few minutes
💧 Drinking a glass of water
📝 Writing down your top 3 priorities
🧘‍♀️ Meditating or stretching

These little actions help reduce stress, boost focus, and set a positive tone for the day.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the back-to-school transition, you’re not alone. Therapy can be a safe space to talk things through, gain new coping tools, and create a routine that works for you.

📅 Ready to get started? Let’s connect.
📞 Call or message us to book your session today.

08/08/2025

Fun Fact Friday ✨
Did you know Ustina is not only a licensed therapist… she’s also a certified yoga teacher?

She brings her trauma-informed, grief-aware approach into gentle alignment-based yoga classes — both in person and online. Every month, she offers a free virtual session open to all, making mindful movement and healing more accessible.

🧘‍♀️ Next up: Free Online Yin Yoga
📅 Tuesday, August 20
🕖 7:00 PM
All are welcome — no experience needed! Link in bio to join.

Ustina also speaks to workplaces and community groups about the deep connection between mental health and self-care, helping others build supportive, sustainable practices from the inside out.

07/25/2025

Did you know your brain can’t always tell the difference between something you imagine and something that’s actually happening? It’s true. When you picture yourself in a calm, safe place or repeat a soothing phrase, your brain starts to respond as if it were real—lowering stress, slowing your breath, and helping you feel more grounded.

That’s why tools like guided imagery, mindfulness, and visualization are so powerful in therapy and everyday life. You’re not just daydreaming. You’re helping your nervous system regulate and feel supported.

Want to try it?

• Close your eyes and picture a place where you feel calm and safe. It could be the beach, a quiet forest, or your favorite cozy chair. Spend one minute there in your mind and notice how your body responds.
• Try repeating a calming phrase like “I am safe right now” or “It’s okay to slow down” the next time you feel overwhelmed.
• Before bed, visualize yourself moving through your day tomorrow with ease and confidence. Set the tone with intention.

These may seem small, but they add up. The more you practice, the more your brain builds new pathways for peace.

Your mind is powerful. Let’s use it with care 💛

🌳

07/22/2025

When you’re stuck in a rut, everything feels harder.
Getting out of bed. Answering texts. Making decisions.
Even taking care of yourself can feel like a stretch.

I get it. I have been there too.

That’s why I put together 10 simple things you can try when life feels heavy.
No therapy buzzwords. No pressure to be perfect.
Just real tools for real moments.

Swipe through and save what speaks to you! Please know that you don’t have to do this alone. 💛
If it still feels too hard, is here to help.

07/18/2025

Fun Fact Friday 💡 | July is Disability Pride Month

Did you know that Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July to honor the history, culture, and contributions of the disabled community?

It began in recognition of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law on July 26, 1990 — a major milestone in the fight for equal rights and access.

But Disability Pride is more than a date on the calendar — it’s a movement that:
✨ Celebrates disability as a natural part of human diversity
✨ Shifts the narrative from shame to pride
✨ Demands accessibility, equity, and visibility
✨ Uplifts the voices of those too often left out

The updated Disability Pride Flag honors different types of disability — physical, neurodivergent, invisible, psychiatric, and sensory — while the black background remembers those we’ve lost to ableist violence.

Disability Pride also intersects deeply with other identities — including race, gender, and sexuality — and many people are both disabled and part of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride means embracing all of who we are.

💬 Let’s use this month to learn, unlearn, and celebrate.

07/11/2025

Medicaid is the largest single payer of behavioral health services in the United States. The recently passed "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" cuts Medicaid funding by $1 trillion over 10 years, jeopardizing health insurance for millions of Americans.

Read a joint statement from APA and several other organizations dedicated to protecting and expanding access to mental health and substance use disorder care: https://at.apa.org/fl9

06/27/2025

How Did Pride Start? 🌈

Pride Month, observed every June, honors the resilience and resistance of the LGBTQ+ community—particularly the historic events of June 1969, known as the Stonewall Uprising.

In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. At the time, LGBTQ+ people faced widespread discrimination, criminalization, and violence. Raids like this were common. But that night, the community fought back.

Led by trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, what began as a spontaneous act of defiance turned into six days of protest, solidarity, and resistance. These events marked a watershed moment in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

The first Pride marches were held one year later, in 1970, to commemorate the uprising and demand visibility, justice, and equality. Since then, Pride has grown into a global celebration of love, identity, and liberation—but its roots remain firmly grounded in protest.

✨ Pride is not just a party—it’s a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.

06/24/2025

With this extreme heat, please stay cool, hydrate, and be mindful.

These medications make it harder for people to deal with extreme heat:

• Antidepressants
• Blood Pressure Medication
• Antihistamines

If you don't feel well, our Emergency Department and Ambulatory Care Center are ready to care for you. Call 201-225-7130 or visit www.NewBridgeHealth.org