Elevate Counseling

01/11/2026

Sticking your paws in places they don’t belong?

Often our impulse is to “problem solve” with loved ones when they aren’t actually asking for advice. Sometimes the best thing to do is just listen, express your empathy, and offer support.

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01/10/2026

As an expert in anxiety disorders, I spend a lot of time talking with people about catastrophic thoughts. 💥👀💣

And as a side note, I'm married to a news reporter, so I also spend a lot of time at home continuing the speculation on catastrophic possibilities!

With all of that exposure, I've had a lot of opportunities to practice what I preach! 😃💪

💥 How To Stop Catastrophic Thoughts 💥

When we are anxious, we tend to be thinking with our fight or flight, animal brain. When there is real danger, this is great because it keeps us safe. But what about when our worries are unfounded? How to stop catastrophic thoughts.

01/09/2026

😲 During the adolescent years, the brain becomes activated in new ways and neurochemicals can make tweens obsessed with their social world.

Knowing what’s "normal" can reduce the stress of peer expectations and interactions. Reference this article to help your middle schooler understand their friendship ups and downs. ✨

Friends are a big deal to middle school students. By helping adolescents learn the ebbs and flows of friendships, experts say they can better navigate their social lives and feel better understood.

01/08/2026

THERAPY IS READILY AVAILABLE. In fact, it may be as easy as switching on your computer.

At Elevate, we can help you make mental wellness a priority for your family. If you need support, our mental health clinicians are here with video, phone & face-to-face options available.

Shift your thinking and find more enjoyment in life.

✨ LEARN MORE at https://elevatecounselingaz.com/?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

01/07/2026

Secrets can't survive the light.

01/06/2026

Remember when you were SURE you knew the answer and you turned out to be WRONG? 👀

✨ By exploring the PROCESS of our errors, these moments can be ripe with LEARNING OPPORTUNITY. (Mindshift)

American educators love to emphasize correct procedure, but cognitive science says that students learn better when you focus on their mistakes.

01/05/2026

What's the best way to motivate others to action? 📢

📢 How To Give A NUDGE, Without Being A "NOODGE."

What's the best way to motivate others to action? How to give a Nudge, without being a "Noodge."

01/04/2026

😳 Do current events or the 24-hour news cycle have you in hiding? (Can you spot our dog, Henry amongst the pillows?)

Empathy — the ability to tune into and share another person’s emotions from their perspective — plays a crucial role in bringing people together. It’s the joy we feel at a friend’s wedding or the pain we experience when we see someone suffering.

But this seemingly positive emotion can also be your kryptonite, especially if you get overly consumed by situations beyond your control.

Consider the following tips for managing emotional empathy:
1) Acknowledge negative emotions without dwelling on them
2) Focus on what you CAN do rather than what you can't
3) Incorporate grounding & centering practices into your day
4) Limit time reading and listening to triggers
5) Make space for gratitude

01/03/2026

Today I'm talking about the common struggles of "twice exceptional" or "2E" students. These are kids (or adults) who are identified as Gifted and ALSO are diagnosed with something that can impact their academic functioning, such as a learning disability, ADHD or autism.

When a child realizes that they are out of sync with their peers, that they struggle to capitalize on their abilities or if they are getting feedback that they aren't meeting standards, serious issues can develop. This can impact feelings of self-efficacy, emotional stability, and confidence. It often generalizes to other areas of life beyond school and lasts into adulthood.

This article explores the most common emotional struggles of 2E students and what you can do to help your child shift their mindset.

Do you know someone who is both as gifted AND Dyslexic? Read about 5 common struggles of Twice-Exceptional students and how you can help

01/02/2026

Remember those long summer days when you would go out and play for hours as a child? ‍🏃‍♀🤸‍♂️🚴‍♀️

The importance of play is well documented for kids. And research is now exploring the benefits of play for adults as well. (originally published in The Washington Post)

For our earliest grown-ups, play wasn’t just about adding fun to their lives, it may have been a way of keeping the peace, which was critical for survival.

01/01/2026

🫶 The best feeling in life is the feeling of being understood.

Creating safe spaces for acceptance, exploration, and understanding is the mission of each Elevate clinician (if you are observant, you can find this mission statement in our office waiting room within this piece of artwork) .

For those of you who meet with us, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey. 💕

12/31/2025

👀 Feeling stuck? ⁣
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Even small shifts will get the wheel moving when they are in the right direction. ⁣
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In fact, research shows that small changes over time are more effective for long-term, lasting shifts towards a healthier lifestyle than bigger, more dramatic changes (actually, those big changes tend to cause a "rebound effect"). ⁣
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So instead of that low-carb diet you've been thinking about, when you're used to stopping at Taco Bell on the drive home from work, what if you start with a switch to homemade taco salads a few days a week instead? ⁣
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Or rather than trying to gas yourself out, training for a marathon when your last mile was in gym class 15 years ago, why not look into a couch-to-5k? ⁣
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If you can sustain your new habits, you'll come out ahead by year's end. And that's a goal worth sticking to!⁣
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