Core Values Counseling

09/15/2025

Shared meaning is one of those phrases that sounds big and abstract — but in reality, it shows up in the small, everyday moments that make a relationship thrive. The Gottmans describe shared meaning as the culture of your relationship: the rituals, roles, goals, and symbols that bring depth to your connection.

If you’ve been following along on our blog, you’ve already seen this theme woven through many conversations. In posts like "From Coexisting to Connecting" and the "Power of the Pause" series, we explored how couples can move beyond just “getting by” together. Shared meaning is the difference between living parallel lives under the same roof and truly building a life together.

So what does this look like in practice?...

Read the full blog post:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/couples/cultivating-shared-meaning-weaving-your-relationships-inner-life/

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Learn more about our counseling services here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselingcoaching

09/10/2025

One of the shifts that can feel both surprising and necessary in adulthood is the way our relationships with our parents change. As young adults, it can feel natural to want to share everything — calling home every day or filling in your parents on every detail of your new adventures. Over time, though, you may notice that those constant check-ins feel less necessary. That doesn’t mean the relationship is weaker; often, it means it’s more secure. That security allows both parent and child to grow independently, while still knowing the connection is steady and reliable in the background...

Read the full blog post:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/family/learning-to-stand-on-your-own-two-feet-in-adult-parent-child-relationships/

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Learn more about our counseling services here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselingcoaching

08/28/2025

School is starting, the leaves are turning, and pumpkin spice is about to make its annual debut. For many of us, fall carries a sense of rhythm and routine that summer often lacks — a chance to return to familiar patterns, nourish our bodies, and reconnect with ourselves and our families.

As the season shifts, I notice myself craving structure: healthier meals, regular exercise, and mornings that aren’t a chaotic rush. There’s a cultural rhythm baked into fall — family dinners, packed lunches, and cozy routines that signal “we’re back.” But let’s be honest, trying to do it all — morning meditation, walks, breakfast prep, work tasks — can feel overwhelming...

Read the full blog post:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/family/welcome-fall-finding-rhythm-and-joy-in-the-season-of-change/

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Learn more about our counseling services here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselingcoaching

08/22/2025

At Core Values Counseling, we want you to know one thing above all else: we care about your mental health. Our deepest desire has always been to make counseling accessible, safe, and supportive for as many people as possible. That’s why the recent changes to Oregon Health Plan (OHP) coverage have been so heartbreaking — not just for us as providers, but for the many clients who are impacted...

Read the full blog post:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/core-values-counseling/for-our-ohp-clients-when-barriers-to-care-get-in-the-way-of-mental-health/

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Learn more about our counseling services here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselingcoaching

OHP cuts threaten access to counseling. Core Values Counseling shares options, resources, and hope for clients facing care barriers.

08/21/2025

We want to share an upcoming event for couples, featuring equine-assisted therapy:

Join us this September for a truly unique couples experience – Hold Me Tight® plus Horses – a weekend workshop designed to deepen connection, improve communication, and strengthen your bond.

Special Offer: Register by September 1 and enjoy 40% off the regular $1,095/couple price!

What is Hold Me Tight®?
Based on Dr. Sue Johnson’s acclaimed approach to relationships, Hold Me Tight® workshops focus on the attachment bonds that help partners feel safe, seen, and loved. Through engaging teaching sessions, guided exercises, and individual couple workbook time, you’ll gain tools to:

-Understand each other’s emotional needs
-Rebuild trust and closeness
-Create lasting emotional intimacy
-And with the addition of horses to the process relational barriers, you’ll benefit from unique, experiential activities that deepen insight and connection.

Whether you are newlyweds or decades into your relationship, this workshop offers a warm, supportive environment to help you and your partner grow together.

📅 Date: September 19-21, 2025
💲 Early Bird Price: $657/couple (40% off!)
📍 Location: Helping Hands Healing Sanctuary, Newberg, OR
🔗 Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hold-me-tight-plus-workshop-registration-1039249522297?aff=odcleoeventsincollection

Don’t miss this chance to invest in your relationship and create memories you’ll treasure forever.

08/19/2025

If you’ve been navigating a painful or distant relationship with a parent, there may come a time when you realize: this may never be what I hoped it would be. That realization carries a deep, specific kind of grief—the loss of a relationship that never was...

Read the full blog post:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/counseling/loving-from-a-distance-part-3-grieving-the-parent-you-wish-you-had/

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https://corevaluescounseling.com/join-our-newsletter/

Learn more about our counseling services here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselingcoaching

Grieve the parent you never had. Let go of old hopes and find healing, clarity, and peace as you move forward. Then? Keep going, with gentleness and clarity.

08/12/2025

In Part 1 of this series, we explored what it means to love a parent who may not be able to meet your emotional needs. Now, we’re turning our attention to parenting your own children while navigating that same dynamic.

This can be one of the most emotionally complex roles to hold: to be both a child of a strained parent-child relationship and a parent trying to break generational cycles. The tension is real — and so is the courage it takes to parent with intention...

Read the full blog post:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/family/loving-from-a-distance-part-2-parenting-while-navigating-a-fractured-relationship-with-your-own-parent/

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Learn more about our counseling services here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselingcoaching

08/01/2025

It’s a painful truth for many of us: the realization that a parent we love deeply may not be emotionally available in the way we need. We want to feel seen, supported, and understood — but instead, we often walk away from interactions feeling dismissed, misunderstood, or even blamed.

It’s common for adult children to carry guilt or self-doubt here. We ask ourselves: Am I asking too much? Should I be more patient? Am I being ungrateful? But the truth is, emotional connection is a basic human need. Wanting warmth, validation, or attunement from a parent isn’t wrong — it’s deeply wired into our nervous system. And when that need is consistently unmet, it hurts...

Read the full blog post:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/counseling/loving-from-a-distance-part-1-when-your-parent-cant-meet-you-emotionally/
Subscribe to our weekly blog/newsletter here:
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Learn more about our counseling services here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselingcoaching

07/25/2025

There’s a quiet ache that can settle into long-term relationships: the feeling of coexisting rather than truly connecting. You’re raising kids, building careers, caring for aging parents — and somewhere in all that hustle, the person you once felt closest to starts to feel more like a roommate than a beloved. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not stuck...

Read the full blog post:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/couples/from-coexisting-to-connecting-rekindling-emotional-intimacy-in-long-term-relationships/
Subscribe to our weekly blog/newsletter here:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/join-our-newsletter/
Learn more about our counseling services here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselingcoaching

07/16/2025

In our closest relationships — whether it’s your spouse, your college-aged kid, or a friend — taking a pause when emotions run high is one of the kindest things you can do.

We’ve all had those conversations where everything escalates. A small disagreement becomes a huge misunderstanding. That’s often because our prefrontal cortex, the part of our brain responsible for logic and empathy, has gone offline. We’re in fight, flight, or freeze.

That’s why I love having a shared pause ritual...

Read the full blog post:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/counseling/the-power-of-the-pause-part-2-cultivating-calm-in-adult-relationships/
Subscribe to our weekly blog/newsletter here:
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Learn more about our counseling services here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselingcoaching

07/09/2025

One of the most powerful tools we have as parents and caregivers is simple: the pause.

It’s not something most of us were taught growing up. Many of us didn’t have caregivers who paused; we had people who reacted. But choosing to pause — to stop, breathe, and respond with intention — can change the dynamic in your family, especially when emotions are running high...

Read the full blog post:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/parenting/the-power-of-the-pause-part-1-helping-kids-regulate-through-connection/

Subscribe to our weekly blog/newsletter here:
https://corevaluescounseling.com/join-our-newsletter/

Learn more about our counseling services here: https://corevaluescounseling.com/counselingcoaching