CARE Counseling

07/24/2025

Today is International Self-Care Day—a gentle reminder to nurture your mind, body, and whole being. Take a moment for yourself today and practice self-care with intention. Whether it's a peaceful walk, journaling your thoughts, or a moment of mindfulness, prioritize self-care and recharge your spirit. CARE is always here to support your self-care journey, with same week availability and in-person or telehealth sessions.

07/21/2025

Who are you? 🤔
A combination of factors shapes your self-identity, which is how you see yourself. These include your personality, abilities, appearance, interests, culture and more. It also includes the role you play in your close relationships and the larger community. When you feel uncertain about who you are, it can sometimes lead you to do things you don’t want to do or that aren’t in your best interest. It can also make it harder to appreciate your own value, purpose and potential.

Be honest with yourself 😁
It’s important to consider your own perceptions and potential biases that shape how you think, feel and act. It’s natural to feel more comfortable with people who are most like you, to favor information that supports your existing beliefs and to hold onto assumptions. But just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it always serves you or others.

Ask for feedback 😳
Another approach is to ask people you trust for feedback. You could ask them to share qualities they admire in you, as well as areas they think you might consider improving. You could also ask them for their take on experiences you remember strongly or have strong feelings about. For example, you might ask your sister how she remembers the argument you recently had with your parents. She may offer insights into the situation you didn’t consider or don’t remember, which could help you understand the impact of your own actions differently. And you might realize that these actions reflect patterns of behaviors that have influenced your relationships.

Wanting to know more about your mental health?
👉 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013

07/18/2025

At CARE Counseling, we strive to offer same week availability, so that in the moment some is ready to reach out, we are here to help. We want you to know that we have exceptionally trained, compassionate, and skilled therapists that are ready to support you in moments of feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or unfulfilled.

Schedule your therapy appointment:
https://care-clinics.com

07/14/2025

Why We Stress 🤔 💭
When you experience stress, your body reacts as though it is under attack and usually you go into fight or flight mode. That is, you either defend yourself or remove yourself from the situation. In certain cases, you may also “freeze” or “fawn.” Freezing can feel like going numb, where you can’t think clearly or move. Fawning happens when, for example, you feel threatened by someone and try to calm them down to protect yourself.

In any case, stress motivates you to protect yourself, and then you return to your regular state.

🤝 Control what you can:
When you focus on controlling what you can, it helps narrow your attention and calm you. Once you’re calmer, you’re more likely able to think through how to manage the stress, or at least the parts of it within your control.

👍 Depending on the situation, you may need to:
Find a way to avoid the trigger:
Decide to do something differently if it were to happen again
Remove yourself from the situation
Accept it’s something you cannot change

🧘‍♀️ For example, if your co-worker often tries to get you to reveal confidential information or wants to gossip about others, you could:
-Choose not to engage and instead steer the conversation in another direction
-Tell your colleague politely but directly that you prefer not to discuss such topics
-Limit the time you spend with the co-worker, such as by excusing yourself from the conversation or scheduling shorter meetings

👉 Find care at: http://spr.ly/61812rm57 or call 1-877-OBC-0013

07/09/2025

07/07/2025

Water workouts are easy on your joints (low-impact). And they help build strength because water provides natural resistance as you move. Those qualities make it a great choice no matter your age or fitness level.🤽‍♀️

1. Swim laps
Keep track of how many you can do without taking a break. Then, try to add one to that number each week.

2. Walk or run
Walking or running in the water is a great way to keep up your fitness after an injury. Pool cardio can also help people with joint conditions.

3. Try a water aerobics class
If a water aerobics class isn’t offered in your area, you can find videos online to inspire you and get some workout guidance.

4. Challenge your strength
You can do many dry-land strength moves, like biceps curls and chest presses, in the water.
Use the natural force of the water to add resistance as you go through the exercise.

07/07/2025

Water workouts are easy on your joints (low-impact). And they help build strength because water provides natural resistance as you move. Those qualities make it a great choice no matter your age or fitness level.🤽‍♀️

1. Swim laps
Keep track of how many you can do without taking a break. Then, try to add one to that number each week.

2. Walk or run
Walking or running in the water is a great way to keep up your fitness after an injury. Pool cardio can also help people with joint conditions.

3. Try a water aerobics class
If a water aerobics class isn't offered in your area, you can find videos online to inspire you and get some workout guidance.

4. Challenge your strength
You can do many dry-land strength moves, like biceps curls and chest presses, in the water.
Use the natural force of the water to add resistance as you go through the exercise.

06/30/2025

Words are tricky.
It can be difficult to find or know the right words, especially because their meanings sometimes change over time, or mean different things to different people, or in various contexts. But, understanding that we might not always get it exactly right, it’s still important to try.

☀️ Ally
A term used to describe someone who is actively supportive of LGBTQ+ people.

☀️ Gender identity
Describes our internal understanding and experience of our own gender identity. Each person’s experience of their gender identity is unique and personal, and cannot be known simply by looking at a person.

☀️ Gender expression
Describes the external appearance of one’s gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, body characteristics or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine.

☀️ Sexual orientation
The scientifically accurate term to describe who someone may be attracted to and/or desire to be in a relationship with. Use ‘sexual orientation’ rather than ‘sexual preference’. The word ‘preference’ can imply that a person’s sexual orientation is a choice.

☀️ Pronouns
It is important to be intentional about the way we use pronouns as we all work to create as inclusive an environment as possible. Commonly used pronouns include: She/her/hers, He/him/his, They/them/theirs. Listen for and respect how the pronoun someone uses to self-identify. To show your support and understanding, you can also introduce your own pronouns when you meet a person, which gives them the opportunity to share theirs.

06/27/2025

Resources for LGBTQ+ Mental Health and Support:

• The American Psychological Association (APA) – Provides educational and support resources.
• The Association of Gay and Le***an Psychiatrists – Provides mental health resources for LGBTQ+ individuals, including psychiatric professionals with LGBTQ+ clients.
• CenterLink LGBT Community Center Member Directory – Supports the development of strong, sustainable LGBTQ community centers to address social, cultural, health, and political advocacy.
• The Gay and Le***an Medical Association’s Provider Directory – A search tool that can locate an LGBTQ-inclusive health care provider.
• The LGBT National Help Center – Offers confidential peer support connections for LGBTQ+ youth, adults, and seniors, including phone, text, and online chat.
• National Q***r and Trans Therapists of Color Network — A healing justice organization committed to transforming mental health for q***r and trans people of color. Provides a directory to help q***r and trans people of color locate mental health practitioners who are q***r and trans people of color.
• The National Center for Transgender Equality – Offers resources for transgender individuals, including information on the right to access health care.

🚨 If you are in immediate danger or having a medical emergency, call 911 or text 678-678.
💬 If you are in crisis or thinking about su***de, get in touch with someone immediately:
📞 1-866-488-7386
📱 Text START to 678-678

06/27/2025

Celebrate Pride with Us!🌈

We’re thrilled to be part of the Twin Cities Pride Festival again this year, on June 28th and 29th! Come connect with us as we honor love, diversity, and the strength of our LGBTQ+ community. Stop by our booth to meet our CARE team and learn more about mental healthcare that is responsive to all identities. Let’s make this PRIDE one to remember—together!

06/20/2025

Inclusivity means making sure everyone, regardless of their differences, feels safe, accepted, and welcomed.

“Regardless of their differences” may refer to the differences you can see, like appearances. It also includes the broad spectrum of what may be invisible to you:

• Relative health and wellness, including any physical disabilities or those related to learning, attention, mental health, and chronic pain
• Education, including one’s access to and quality of it
• Environmental conditions they live in
• Financial status and stability
• Gender identity and sexual orientation
• Lived experiences, including being marginalized, discriminated against, or harassed
• Cultural background
• And so much more.

We never really know what someone else is going through in any given moment. Outside of our inner circles and social networks, we rarely know who a person is. We don’t know what drives them or what makes them the way they are.

But, as one person to another, we hopefully can see and appreciate the value each of us brings.

✨ We can choose to be kind.
✨ We can choose to treat people with respect and dignity.
✨ We can choose to create safer, more accepting, and welcoming environments.

By celebrating our differences, we can make a difference.

06/19/2025

How are you honoring Juneteenth this year? Whether it’s through celebration, education, or supporting Black-owned businesses – every act matters. At CARE, we recognize the importance of this day and commit to continued advocacy for equity and justice in mental health care and beyond.