Melissa Ward Counseling Services

01/26/2026

01/23/2026

Perhaps you have heard me say this😂

01/23/2026

I ♥️ your notes.

01/20/2026

Great that Ester has validated when we (I!) talk to strangers.

01/19/2026

Today we honor & remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

01/13/2026

DO NOT DO THIS.

01/13/2026

Many people fear EMDR because they imagine being thrown into the deep end of painful memories.
But that’s not at all how EMDR works.

EMDR is a structured, paced, and deeply resourced process.
Before any reprocessing happens, your therapist helps you build:
🌿 Grounding skills
🌿 Internal resources
🌿 Emotional regulation tools
🌿 A sense of safety in your body

You’ll NEVER be pushed into memories you aren’t ready for.
EMDR is about supporting your nervous system — not overwhelming it.

Want to learn more?
www.traumaspecialistsofmd.com

01/09/2026

Acceptance isn’t agreement. It doesn’t mean you approve of what happened, agree with how someone treated you, or pretend it didn’t hurt. Acceptance simply means you’re willing to see reality clearly, without fighting it or rewriting it to feel better. It’s acknowledging what is so you can stop exhausting yourself trying to change what already happened.

Acceptance creates space. Space to grieve what you hoped for, to name what wasn’t okay, and to decide what you need moving forward.

01/05/2026

This is something we work on in the Cycle Breakers program —
learning to tell the difference between misalignment and actual harm.

Harm is absolutely real and it happens a lot.
And I find that many people interpret misalignment as harm —
they take it deeply personally when someone can't meet them where they want to be met.
And while it's true that misalignment and harm can overlap at times,
it's also true that someone not being in the same space as you isn't inherently harmful or offensive, and it doesn't necessarily make either of you "wrong."

You might be in different places with different needs, maturity levels, perspectives, or feelings about something significant.
And that's not inherently bad —
but in order to tolerate misalignment, we have to have a respectful connection with ourselves.
We have to have the self awareness to be present to our own feelings, needs, wants, and desires, and to be in touch with our own boundaries.

And when we do so, we can encounter misalignment and recognize what's happening is that we're not in the same place —
and use that information to help us move forward.
Sometimes together, respecting differences.
Sometimes separately when we realize the gap is too large.
This can be quite painful at times, but it's what differentiated, emotionally mature adults become increasingly capable of over time.

This is a complex topic, but one that can be incredibly helpful when we stop interpreting difference as harm (which often happens when we're raised in codependent systems).
If this is something you're working on, the 12 month Cycle Breakers program begins January 21.
Space is limited!
https://theeqschool.co/cycle-breakers

01/02/2026

As 2025 winds down, let this be your reminder:

Stop telling yourself it won’t happen.
Start doing the work to make it happen.

A new year doesn’t magically change your life - your decisions do.

You can create the life you dream about, starting today.

12/30/2025

This girl♥️

12/28/2025