Mental Health in Color, PLLC

Mental Health in Color, PLLC My name is Melissa Lehto, M.S., LPC

1. Harness Brain Plasticity Through NoveltyEngaging in new, challenging activities (learning a language, taking a potter...
08/28/2025

1. Harness Brain Plasticity Through Novelty

Engaging in new, challenging activities (learning a language, taking a pottery class, dancing) stimulates neuroplasticity, which strengthens emotional regulation and resilience.
đź“– Reference: Merzenich MM, Brain Plasticity & Human Development, 2013

2. Practice “Self-Distanced Reflection”

Instead of ruminating (“Why am I like this?”), research shows that talking to yourself in the third person reduces emotional reactivity and improves problem-solving.
đź“– Reference: Kross E. et al., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2014

3. Polyvagal Reset With Exhalation

Longer exhales than inhales stimulate the vagus nerve, calming the nervous system and improving emotional safety.
đź“– Reference: Porges SW, Polyvagal Theory, 2011

4. Safe Touch & Co-Regulation

Safe, consensual touch (hugging, weighted blankets, even petting a dog) reduces cortisol and increases oxytocin, rewiring attachment wounds.
đź“– Reference: Ditzen B. et al., Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2007

5. Intergenerational Healing Through Narrative

Writing and speaking your family’s story with context (rather than silence) interrupts cycles of generational trauma and strengthens identity coherence.
đź“– Reference: Duke M, Fivush R., Emory Study on Family Narratives, 2008

6. Behavioral Activation Beyond Mood

Scheduling meaningful, small activities isn’t just for depression—it’s proven to increase motivation circuits and counter emotional numbness.
đź“– Reference: Dimidjian S. et al., Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2006

7. Awe as an Antidote to Trauma Hypervigilance

Experiencing awe (nature, music, art, spiritual moments) reduces self-focus and downshifts the nervous system, creating space for healing.
đź“– Reference: Keltner D. & Piff P., Emotion, 2015

IG≠ Therapy

If you just pictured someone while reading this… 👀Yeah, send it to them. 🙊Healing: because your friends deserve brunch d...
08/12/2025

If you just pictured someone while reading this… 👀
Yeah, send it to them. 🙊

Healing: because your friends deserve brunch dates, not to be your emotional punching bags. 🥞✨🍾

When people say, “You look happy,” this is the truth behind it:I tell my clients all the time,Whatever you tolerate whil...
07/31/2025

When people say, “You look happy,” this is the truth behind it:
I tell my clients all the time,
Whatever you tolerate while dating will multiply by ten in marriage. Don’t marry potential. Marry reality.
Love that requires you to shrink, excuse, or overlook red flags isn’t love. Happiness in relationships isn’t an accident, it’s a decision to honor your boundaries and choose someone who already shows up as the partner you need.

This is for the ones who are still healing but learning to breathe again. The ones who’ve stopped apologizing for their ...
07/26/2025

This is for the ones who are still healing but learning to breathe again. The ones who’ve stopped apologizing for their pain, their voice, their truth. Peace isn’t the end of the journey, it’s the moment you choose to stop abandoning yourself. Not because everything is fixed, but because you’re finally safe enough to stay.

This post outlines nine hard but necessary truths about the growing use of ChatGPT as a substitute for therapy. It explo...
07/25/2025

This post outlines nine hard but necessary truths about the growing use of ChatGPT as a substitute for therapy. It explores how AI, while incredibly validating and insightful, can also unintentionally reinforce avoidance, distort emotional growth, misguide users, and provide a false sense of clarity or resolution. From reinforcing cognitive distortions to lacking cultural competence, emotional attunement, and clinical safety measures, this reflection serves as a cautionary reminder of what AI can and cannot hold.

Important Disclaimer:
This post is not a condemnation of those who turn to ChatGPT for support. In fact, one of the most pressing issues in mental health today is accessibility and it’s no surprise that so many individuals seek out AI when affordable, trauma-informed, and culturally competent care is often out of reach. This reflection is offered with compassion, not judgment. It is here to raise awareness, support media literacy, and advocate for responsible and ethical use of AI in mental health spaces.

This content is being shared for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical, psychiatric, or psychological diagnosis or treatment. If you are in crisis or in need of support, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional or crisis line in your area. You deserve real-time, relational care that sees you fully and walks with you, not just talks to you.







There comes a moment in healing when the silence gets loud, the loneliness creeps in, and the old patterns call you back...
07/24/2025

There comes a moment in healing when the silence gets loud, the loneliness creeps in, and the old patterns call you back like a familiar lullaby. But don’t forget what it cost you to betray yourself the last time. Don’t forget the ache of self-abandonment dressed up as belonging. The becoming will strip away what was never meant to stay but it will return you to who you were before the world convinced you to be smaller. Loneliness may visit, but self-betrayal will haunt. Choose you. Even when it’s hard. Especially then.

Not every goodbye comes with closure.Sometimes the silence is the closure.No explanation. No apology. Just the echo of w...
07/21/2025

Not every goodbye comes with closure.
Sometimes the silence is the closure.
No explanation. No apology. Just the echo of what will never be said.
And somehow, in the stillness,
something begins to shift.
The parent who left.
The partner who disappeared.
The friendship that ended quietly.
The loved one who passed before
the wound ever had words.
Some stories end without conversations.
Some endings are chosen to protect peace.
And some questions will never be answered,
not because they weren’t worth asking,
but because the answer was already felt in the way someone stopped feeling safe.
Healing begins the moment the waiting ends.
Not because it was resolved,
but because peace became more important
than understanding.
This is for anyone still holding the ache
of what was never said,
and for those who had to walk away without saying anything at all.
Because even in silence, you deserve to be free.

— Mental Health in Color

For many, chaos wasn’t just noise, it was normal. It was the nervous system’s baseline, shaped by environments where lov...
07/18/2025

For many, chaos wasn’t just noise, it was normal. It was the nervous system’s baseline, shaped by environments where love was inconsistent, conflict was constant, or safety was unpredictable. When you grow up around emotional volatility or chronic stress, your brain and body adapt to it, not because it’s healthy, but because it was familiar.

This is why peace can feel unsettling at first.
The absence of chaos doesn’t always register as calm,it can feel like disconnection, boredom, or even fear. But that discomfort isn’t proof that something’s wrong. It’s often a sign that your system is re-learning what it means to feel safe.

You’re not broken for craving intensity.
You’re healing when you learn to trust consistency and embrace the peace.

So many of us grew up thinking love had to hurt to be real, being the bigger person, or keeping the peace was love. But ...
07/08/2025

So many of us grew up thinking love had to hurt to be real, being the bigger person, or keeping the peace was love. But love that dysregulates your nervous system, silences your truth, or chips away at your worth is not love, it’s control. This is your reminder that real, mutual, emotionally safe love does exist.
And you deserve nothing less.

What a fun and full weekend I had! I often hear people say there’s not much to do here in El Paso, but I’d have to compa...
03/30/2025

What a fun and full weekend I had! I often hear people say there’s not much to do here in El Paso, but I’d have to compassionately disagree. One of the joys of living here is discovering little pockets of magic—places that align with your interests, your values, or even surprise you with something new to fall in love with.

This weekend, I had the chance to visit three incredible local businesses that made me feel connected, inspired, and grateful for the creativity and heart in our community.
1. Texas Culinary Institute – A beautiful space where food becomes art. With the guidance of talented chefs and the warmest staff, I got to create something delicious while feeling totally supported. It’s more than just cooking—it’s connection.
2. Cantaletas – Such a cozy, creative space filled with good energy. Whether you’re working with clay or designing your own jewelry, the teachers make you feel at home. There’s a true sense of community and freedom to explore your creativity.
3. No Me Olvides – A flower arrangement class that completely stole my heart. There’s something so soulful about working with flowers—knowing their beauty is fleeting somehow makes the experience even more meaningful. A reminder of presence, appreciation, and letting go.

I’m so thankful for local spaces like these that pour love into what they do and create opportunities for connection and creativity. If you’re in El Paso—or wherever you live—I hope you take time to explore your own local gems. Support your community, and you might be surprised by the joy you find.

A Crashed Nervous System: The Lasting Impact of a Toxic RelationshipEven after leaving a toxic relationship, the psychol...
03/08/2025

A Crashed Nervous System: The Lasting Impact of a Toxic Relationship
Even after leaving a toxic relationship, the psychological trauma lingers. Your brain and body are still trapped in survival mode, struggling to recognize that you’re truly safe.
Chronic stress has left you mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted. You don’t feel like yourself anymore, and the world feels unfamiliar. The predictability of survival mode is gone, but peace still feels unsettling.
Healing isn’t just about leaving—it’s about learning how to live again. It takes time to retrain your nervous system, to trust safety, and to embrace peace without fear. Be patient with yourself-true healing happens in the body, not just the mind.

My friend, you are not your mistakes. Be gentle with yourself and forgive the choices you made while simply trying to su...
03/02/2025

My friend, you are not your mistakes. Be gentle with yourself and forgive the choices you made while simply trying to survive. You did the best you could with what you knew at the time.

Address

5625 Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive, Suite 137
El Paso, TX
79924

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 7pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+18135088826

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Mental Health in Color, PLLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category