Reagan Duenckel, PLPC

03/15/2026

Sourdough and Mental Wellness

🥖 ➕ 🧠

I know- this sounds like a stretch, but hear me out. I think there are some great analogies here.

Sourdough starter needs daily attention to stay alive. You have to fuel it each day for it to grow. If you use it when it has peak energy, it can make beautiful loaves of bread.

Your mental health and your wellbeing as a whole is similar. You need daily attention to thrive. You need food, water, warmth, and just basic things to get through each day. You work your best when you have energy. Your brain does its best work when fueled properly.

Sourdough bread doesn’t just then magically appear though. You have to check on it often. You have to stretch it, and fold it, and let it rest. After all of that energy you started with, the bread dough then needs REST. If you give it enough rest time, the result when you bake it can be (and taste) amazing.

Don’t you also need periods of rest? Aren’t there times where life (and therapy) may stretch you or make you fold to old habits? Can’t rest also be incredibly healing for you? 🤯

The good news about everything I’ve learned about sourdough is this: any efforts are good efforts. Even my worst loaves of breads were still a loaf of bread that fed my family and tasted great. Sure, the texture is sometimes off, and sometimes I don’t let it bake long enough. But usually, the errors are due to me rushing the process. And it’s humbling to remember that sometimes we rush our own healing… and then it leads to our own little mistakes.

Maybe we need to sit back, fuel, wait for peak energy, do our best to stretch when needed, then rest until it’s time to shine again. Could be worth a try?!

I don’t know- maybe this is a bit far fetched… but I’m just thinking, humans really aren’t that different from other living things. And yes- sourdough starter is a living thing- natural yeast and science are awesome. 😎

Sincerely,
A therapist who also loves her sourdough ❤️

03/13/2026

Trust me, I get it. Life is brutal sometimes. 😅😳

Most of us are just trying to get by and "survive" these days. We're trying our best to be healthy and enjoy life, but it feels like we just continue to fall short. The hard days just get harder and the easy days feel like a trap.

Sound familiar? 🤯

You're not crazy if you relate. Your nervous system is just working overtime to try to protect you. Consider this- You don't need happy thoughts to run from a bear- you just need to run.

Except, it's modern day and the bear isn't a bear at all... it's bills, a job, constant notifications, the success we're all chasing, the emotional trauma we just don't have the time or the energy to unpack, and the expectations we've been trying to live up to. We're trying to outrun our emotions and escape them, which in turn, just keeps us running... and running... and running... 🏃‍♀️ 🐻

But if we slow down, that also feels bad. Because when you slow down, that's when you notice everything and somehow that can almost feel... worse?

So, we're surviving. That's great. But we're not feeling anything joyful or happy, or if we do, it takes WORK. We're missing that old version of ourself that had fun, and found joy in the little things. That saw a minor inconvenience and shrugged it off rather than spiraling into a pit of despair.

The nervous system hasn't made time for that. Happiness and connection and warm fuzzy feelings happen when we feel safe and calm. Which means we have to slow down. We have to quit running. And we have to make peace with some of the chaos.

In therapy, I slow down with you so it doesn't feel so bad. I help you find that calm. I work with you to reframe some of the thoughts and figure out what the heck you're running from, so that we can teach your nervous system to calm down and actually give you a chance to enjoy things again. ☀️

Not all of the work has to be done in the therapy session though. We can make small shifts to help our brain begin to rewire and start thinking about the "good" instead of just all of the "danger" and the "bad".

⁉️Consider this:

What if you started celebrating the small things or counted the "neutral" events as "wins" instead.

🟢Example:

Do a tiny little happy dance after that first sip of your morning coffee. And if you already do a little dance, maybe dance a little longer tomorrow morning.

OR

Turn the fact that you got dressed today into a celebration that you got to wear a comfy shirt or your favorite color. Take a moment to appreciate that win.

Even a small dose of joy can help reframe our day. Our brains are constantly rewiring-- and it grows where we fuel it. If we teach it more joy and peace and calm, it will start to reinforce that idea more naturally.

Have a small win of the day? Something you normally wouldn't take the time to celebrate or enjoy, but maybe now you're considering it a joy or a happy moment?

Share below! I'd love to know!!⬇️⬇️

03/13/2026

03/11/2026

It helps to have a therapist you know and trust…

So allow me to introduce myself so you can know a bit about me!

Hi! I’m Reagan Duenckel, PLPC (pronounced Deen-kel).

I’m provisionally licensed— this just means I’m newer to my license and that I have a supervisor to lean on and learn from.
Her name is Katie and she’s wonderful. She’s also sworn to client secrecy (HIPAA Complince) and I consult with her on cases weekly. 😎 I work virtually, but I’m based out of her office in Boonville, MO.

I have 2 dogs- both Goldendoodles. Their names are Daisy and Daffodil “Daffy”. Sometimes you’ll hear them bark in the background- I like to think they’re just offering their support 😆.

I LOVE to bake. I've recently gotten more into decorating cakes and have been having a blast making cakes for friends/family.

I graduated from CMU- a smaller college based in Fayette, MO. I grew up in a small town and have always loved the small town values. I live in Jefferson City now, but the same values still apply for me.

I’m a Christian. I believe in the power of prayer, and I also believe in utilizing resources and people with expertise for support. I believe community is important and that humans were meant to rely on each other. I’m not here to impose my own beliefs on you, but I’m happy to talk to you about your beliefs if you want to bring them into session.

I went to therapy- a lot of it. I’ve been a client. I know what it feels like to go even when you don’t want to, to leave session feeling exhausted but proud, and to have a breakthrough that feels like it changes everything. I know how important it is to feel like your therapist is someone relatable and human, because otherwise, it’s really uncomfortable to open up.

I’m a therapist because I believe in healing. I believe in neuroplasticity (a fancy word that essentially means old dogs can learn new tricks) and that if we want to, we all really can get better. I love seeing people heal from their past, reclaim their emotions and their life, and move forward from a place they thought they’d never be able to get out of mentally.

I also love talking to people about how the brain and body are connected. And letting people know that they’re not crazy- the nervous system is just hardwired to protect us and sometimes it shuts down the emotional and social sides of us when it wants to keep us safe from perceived threats.

I love empowering people and helping them find the beauty in who they are and in the possibilities that lie ahead. Therapy is my happy place and I truly love every second of my job.

I hope that learning a little bit about me reminds you that therapists are humans too, and that connection and understanding should remain central to the therapeutic process.

If I sound like someone you could vibe with, please please reach out. You are deserving of help and healing, and I’d love to walk this journey with you.

03/09/2026

Sending love out to all you beautiful souls tonight. This is just a little reminder that I feel many of us need sometimes. Just because there are others who may have it "worse" than you does not mean your struggles, your pain, your feelings aren't just as valid and important.

So whether you've been told to basically suck it up because others have it worse, or you do it to yourself, please stop dismissing what you're experiencing because of some idea that you don't have a right to feel what you are feeling. You Always have a right to what you feel!

Saying or thinking that you don't would be like saying/thinking that you can't be happy because there are others that are happier, or grateful because others have more to be grateful for. Does that make any sense at all? No? Good! So honor your feelings because it's not a competition and each of our experiences are unique to ourselves.

If you're struggling tonight we want to remind you that you are not alone, you are so very loved and if you need a hand just reach out—we got you!

🩵Leila

03/09/2026

If you are a part of the Black or African ancestry community and are looking to join conversations about Black mental health, NAMI Sharing Hope is just for you🌅

For those in Black/African Ancestry communities, being open about how you're really doing can be a struggle. There are stereotypes to overcome; pressures to be excellent; fears of being perceived as vulnerable or spiritually weak.

NAMI Sharing Hope is a free safe space to have conversations on mental health and wellness— because people of Black and African Ancestry around the country deserve supportive and healing spaces by and for us to help our communities thrive🧡

JOIN US for community conversation #2 and hear from a Black/African ancestry Provider!

-Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026
--7pm
-Building Community Bridges, 213 E. Ashley St., Jefferson City, MO

We'd love to see you there!👋🏿

03/09/2026

🚨 If anxiety, stress, or overwhelm have been running your life lately… read this.

I have a few rare openings this week for therapy consultations. 📅
And if you’ve even briefly thought about starting therapy, this might be the easiest way to explore it.

These virtual consultations are:
✅ Free
🔒 Confidential
🤝 Zero pressure or commitment

Sometimes people reach out because they’re…

😰 Struggling with anxiety or high stress
💔 Feeling overwhelmed by grief or loss
🙏 A Christian who knows they need more than “just prayer”
🎯 A perfectionist who feels like they’re constantly missing the mark
⚡ Exhausted from living in constant fight-or-flight
🧠 Or simply wanting their mental health to improve

You don’t have to have everything figured out to start a conversation. 🌱

Requirements to work with me:
📍 Live in Missouri
💻 Be open to virtual sessions
🌱 Have a desire for things to get better (even if you’re not sure how yet)

📩 Send me a message if you'd like one of the consultation spots.

⏰ Consultations must be scheduled/confirmed at least 2 hours in advance to reserve the time.

Don’t see a time that works for you?
Message me anyway — we can likely find something that fits your schedule. 🙂

03/09/2026

Here’s some quick ideas to help boost your mood on this Monday!

Take care of your body, connect with others, and ground yourself to help your brain feel better!

You’ve got this!

03/09/2026

Let go of what drains your energy, and focus on the little things that make you love your life. Small things, small moments at different times of the day. You have the freedom to choose what they will be…

Drop a 🤎 if you’re in!