Core Values Counseling

01/30/2026

January doesn’t have to feel like a deadline. 💛 If you’re still processing, resting, or just not ready for a “new year” yet — that’s okay. Take your time. Your new year might start in February… or March… and that’s perfectly valid. 🧡

Read more here:

January feels heavy for many. This gentle reflection explores rest, grief, and why it’s okay if your new year doesn’t truly begin until later.

01/22/2026

Meet the Counselor!

Katrina Berquist is a Professional Counselor Associate at Core Values Counseling.

She specializes in life transitions, grief and loss, relationship challenges, and stress related to work or health crises. She is trained in EMDR and through Level 2 of the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy.

Outside the therapy room, Katrina enjoys time with her husband of 30+ years and their three adult children. She loves gardening, crafting, exercising, reading, dancing to 80s music, and sharing tea with friends.

You can learn more about Katrina and meet all of our counselors on our website: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselors/

01/20/2026

💬 Feeling overwhelmed in the middle of a fight?

It happens to the best of us — when emotions take over, our nervous system can hijack calm thinking. This week on the blog, Sabrina Walters Counseling, LLC offers compassionate, practical steps for what to do when you’re flooded in the moment: how to recognize the physical signs, take a mindful pause that supports your relationship, regulate your body first, and then return to the conversation with clarity and connection. A great read for anyone who wants healthier conflict and deeper resilience in their relationships. 💗

👉 Read more: https://corevaluescounseling.com/family/what-to-do-when-youre-feeling-overwhelmed-and-flooding-in-the-middle-of-a-fight/

01/14/2026

💬 New on the blog!

Ever feel like your reactions take over during fights? You’re not alone. This post explores how understanding the parts of ourselves — the emotional protectors that show up when we feel overwhelmed — can help us respond with calm, clarity, and connection instead of defensiveness or shutdown. Learn how naming what’s happening inside you and leading with your true self can transform conflict into understanding. 💛

👉 Check it out!

Learn how understanding emotional “parts” can help couples reduce conflict, increase compassion, and show up with calm, connection, and clarity.

01/06/2026

Meet the Counselor!

Minah Oh is a Professional Counselor Associate at Core Values Counseling.

She has obtained an M.A. in Counseling from Western Seminary and has received advanced training through Gottman Level 2 in The Gottman Method of Couples Therapy.

She is a multicultural therapist who is originally from Seoul, South Korea and has lived in many different countries such as South Korea, USA, Canada, Japan, and Malaysia.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her young son and meeting new people, who are often from other cultures. She also loves traveling to many different countries.

You can meet all of our counselors on our website here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselors/

12/24/2025

🎄 Feeling like Christmas has turned into a to-do list? You’re not alone — let’s slow down, simplify, and reconnect with what really matters this season. ❤️✨

Overwhelmed by Christmas expectations? Let go of holiday pressure, soothe perfectionism, and reconnect with what truly makes the season meaningful.

12/22/2025

Feeling the holiday hustle? 🎁❤️ This season is a great opportunity to slow down and connect more deeply with your kids. Our latest blog shares how filial play therapy helps strengthen family bonds by empowering parents to use intentional, child-led play to build trust, improve communication, and bring more joy into your home — especially during busy times.

👉 Read the full blog to learn simple, meaningful ways to strengthen your family connection this holiday season. 🧸✨

The holidays can be overwhelming for families. Learn how Filial Play Therapy supports emotional connection, regulation, and calm for parents and children.

12/19/2025

✨ True love thrives beyond just two people. Dive into how community can boost connection, support, and joy in your relationship! ✨

Read more on our blog:

Strong relationships thrive in community: see how shared support, connection, and positivity amplify joy and resilience for couples.

12/17/2025

Jessica Mendies, LPC, is a Gottman Certified Therapist who provides Marriage, Couples & Family, Child and Adolescent Therapy at Core Values Counseling.

She holds additional certifications in Trust Based Relational Intervention, Child Centered Play Therapy, and Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts.

She believes character growth and relationship health develop through healing connections where it is safe to explore and process one’s internal world.

Jessica has personally enjoyed traveling and living abroad, raising and homeschooling her five kids and going on outdoor adventures with friends.

You can meet all of our counselors on our website here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselors/

12/12/2025

✨ Is your relationship getting lost in the rush of life?

Learn why intentionally putting your partnership first — even during busy seasons — can help you reconnect, build deeper joy, and keep your bond strong. 💑

Read more on our blog! ❤️

Prioritize your relationship: small, intentional moments of connection and shared joy keep partnerships strong amid life’s demands.

12/03/2025

Meet the Core Values Counseling Team!

Sabrina Walters, M.A., LMFT, LPC is a Gottman Certified Therapist and Trainer, and the co-founder of Core Values Counseling.

Sabrina and her husband (and co-founder) Eric have been married since 1982, and they enjoy spending time with their 3 boys, their daughters-in-law and their 6 grandchildren. They have fond memories together of raising their children partly in Poland, which gives them a unique perspective of traveling, living abroad and how culture can impact a marriage.

Sabrina and Eric consistently make time to go out on dates and continue fostering a healthy marriage. You’re likely to spot them dining at a local gluten-free restaurant in the Portland area.

You can meet all of our counselors on our website here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselors/

12/02/2025

💫 Want to deepen your bond?

Discover why play isn’t just for kids — it’s a relationship superpower.

Dive into how laughter, shared fun, and a little spontaneity can strengthen connection, friendship, and shared meaning ❤️

Read our newest blog post here:

https://corevaluescounseling.com/core-values-counseling/why-play-is-a-relationship-superpower/