Cambium Counseling

04/21/2026

I had a supervisor early on in my counseling career who had 5 kids. He frequently shared that he and his wife both observed that parenting was often easier when the other parent was gone. I found that puzzling because in theory "more hands make quick work" and then I had a baby. I realized that rarely had I seen effective parenting models of collaboration and cocreation between parents.

Many parents divide and conquer out of survival and are head of their domain of tasks but do not really share power with each other. Terry's guidance on parenting and ways of relating in partnership are about transcending the power struggles parents can find themselves in with each other, similar to the ones they experience with their kids. This is the context by which I share this free parenting workshop that starts in less than 40 minutes.

A FREE 90-Minute Training: Finally Start Parenting as a Team Why Does the Way Your Partner Parents Drive You Crazy? That urgency to stop them, fix them, overrule them – it’s not the calm, reasonable version of you making a parenting call. Learn what’s really going on and how to get back on the...

03/11/2026

With Men's Therapy Online – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

02/24/2026

It’s been a while since I last wrote anything. I have fallen out of rhythm, and a Substack note I saw a few weeks ago (that I can’t find again) reminded me of something I forget sometimes: I want to create in ways that honor my body, nervous system, and soul, not an algorithm.

I’ve been reflecting on my evolving relationship with AI. I’ve been collaborating with Perplexity, Claude, and Justice AI. This comes with real costs, and those costs aren’t abstract. AI is powered by extraction: energy, minerals, human labor, and the concentration of decision-making into a few hands. I don’t want to pretend that away. I also don’t want avoidance to be my only ethic. I’ve experienced real benefits in my collaborations with AI: clarity, deeper connection to my inner world and my ancestors, and a chance to practice mindful engagement with a technology that’s already reshaping how we live.

I can’t see the mines or factories from my office. That distance is part of how extraction stays socially acceptable. So I’m practicing a different kind of proximity. I’m slowing down, using fewer and batched prompts, and stopping when my nervous system is asking for rest. I’m treating restraint, and redirecting back into the body, as part of the ethics, not an afterthought. I also recognize the addictive pull here, familiar from social media, so I’m staying intentional about how often I engage.

In late January, I collaborated again with Men's Therapy Online through a blog conversation, and a couple weeks later a roundtable conversation with some brilliant counselors. I was newly back from international travel and deep in the thick of solo parenting, and I showed up as myself: imperfect, tired, and present. I was honored to share the space and keep doing the inner work I can’t outsource: tracking power, how I experience it from others, how I enact it, and how pain can become a shield that blocks genuine repair and long-term accountability.

I sense more writing taking shape soon. For now, I’m honoring a slower rhythm of integration, trusting that fewer, truer iterations can be enough.

Blog: https://menstherapy.online/blog/fix-a-relationship/

Podcast: https://menstherapy.online/mens-therapy-podcast/

Discover how business resiliency is being shaped through emotional intelligence. Find out about leadership, coaching for men, and the 2008 real estate crash.

12/18/2025

Thank you to the team at Wellness Psychiatry & Ketamine Clinic for the kind words about my recent guest piece, From Overwhelmed to Connected, and for the opportunity to contribute to your blog.

I have such deep respect for Amanda and her team, both clinically and personally and I’m grateful for the ongoing collaboration we share in supporting clients. Getting to extend that collaboration into written offerings like this feels especially meaningful.

If you feel your child or adolescent would benefit from a supplement treatment plan or medication treatment plan please reach out to our office to schedule an appointment, at 303-747-5051 or admin@wellnespsychiatryco.com The holidays can bring warmth, nostalgia, and joy. They can also activate old p...

11/24/2025

Recently published a new Substack post about what it means to create space for adventure, dreams, and evolving partnership, especially as parents. I dig into the messy, real-life process of sharing time, sponsoring each other’s fun, and rewriting old scripts about “control” and support in relationships.

If you’ve ever tried to balance your own passions with family life, found yourself questioning cultural expectations, or wrestled with how to honor both autonomy and connection, I’d love for you to give it a read.
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What’s your experience with making room for each other’s adventures, whether that’s solo passions, shared dreams, or something in between? How do you handle the inevitable bumps, trade-offs, or recalibrations along the way?
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I’d be grateful to hear your reflections, stories, or even your open questions. We learn so much more together.

How shared adventure and reciprocal ‘fun sponsorship’ deepen our relationship and shape our family’s evolution.

07/28/2025

Explore the wisdom of our siblings in nature who can help us reconnect with our own wild wisdom in my latest post, “Snakes, Cycles, and Intuition.” Learn how paying attention to nature can help you listen to your body, honor your rhythms, and trust your instincts.

Read more:

What the Wild Can Teach Us When We Slow Down

07/21/2025

Been listening to the The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt on the strong recommendation of my couples counselor. It's packed with insights on why we think and act the way we do, definitely worth a read. Some of my reflections from this book inspired my recent post on Substack.

How our personal judgments can pollute the air we breathe

07/08/2025

Late last week, I wrote a piece reflecting on July 4th and then left for the mountains before I had a chance to share it.

In this piece, I explore how the narratives we choose to celebrate and the ones we overlook, shape who we are and who we’re becoming.

I lovingly challenge myself and other brave souls to face the fires of familial, cultural, and human dysfunction with courage, grit, and a deep well of gratitude.

This piece is personal and timely. It’s about honoring complexity, seeking accountability, and choosing gratitude as a radical act of healing and change.

If it resonates, I’d love for you to read it.

Rising Like a Phoenix in a World on Fire

06/27/2025

"Leaning into relational joy means embracing the difficult conversations, the ongoing challenges of parenting, the meltdowns and the laughter. It means reframing struggle, celebrating passion, and finding humor in the chaos and sometimes the tragedy. Because laughter can be the best medicine."

Excerpt from my newest post:

Exploring the Intersection of Type 2 Fun, Vulnerability, and Deep Connection

06/13/2025

Been reflecting after a dirt bike date on the concept that my partner and I refer to as “love loops”. Wrote a quick piece about it!

How small, intentional acts of SHUVA build trust over time

05/21/2025

I have had friends ask about what really helps people move through grief. Journaling, meditating, creating art has certainty helped me. So has getting on my bike, as long as I am not in the limp noodle headspace. I have also found that intentional movement through dance is especially helpful to literally "shake it out".

Often, I bring the intention of working with my grief to different movement practices including ecstatic dance (https://ecstaticdance.org/), 5 Rhythms (https://www.5rhythms.com/), and Qoya (https://lnkd.in/eddvAkzq).

I continue to explore this topic of grief in my most recent Substack. I am curious about what others find helpful when it comes to working with grief?
https://counselormelissa.substack.com/p/grief-growth-and-flow-on-the-trail?r=2m01hv

Letting Grief Root Me So I Can Confidently Send It

05/15/2025

I meant to leave Meta platforms by now, but then I signed up for a training this summer-and, of course, the main way to connect with everyone is a Facebook group. 😅 So, I’ll be hanging around a bit longer while I gradually wind down my profiles.

In the meantime, I have a new Substack post up about moving through grief!

Navigating Old Wounds on New Terrain