Full Focus Counseling- Scott Thode, LPC

08/06/2025

Confidence is a confusing word, so I should first be clear about what I mean. It seems to me that most people use the term confidence to refer to some kind of elevated feeling state. Whether it’s a little extra spark or something more grandiose, the popular use of confidence implies that we need a heightened mood in order to perform well, succeed in life, or even to just be ourselves....

Confidence is a confusing word, so I should first be clear about what I mean. It seems to me that most people use the term confidence to refer to some kind of elevated feeling state. Whether it’s a…

06/11/2025

When we’re little, we start learning about our body parts. We even sing songs about them—"Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” “The Hokey Pokey,” and others. Very early in life, we physically locate ourselves in the world by naming what’s part of us, and our social environment reinforces this curiosity. But what about the parts of the mind? We might get vague hints that the mind has something like parts....

When we’re little, we start learning about our body parts. We even sing songs about them—”Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” “The Hokey Pokey,” and others. Very early in life, we physically l…

04/22/2025

Problems can seem like a dark landscape, and the way we think about them is like a flashlight. Shift the beam even slightly, and what once felt overwhelming becomes navigable. As a therapist, I think a lot about how people approach problems. I’m always keeping in mind whether a change in perspective can reduce the stress response— which, in turn, opens the door to calmer, clearer, and more adaptive thinking....

Problems can seem like a dark landscape, and the way we think about them is like a flashlight. Shift the beam even slightly, and what once felt overwhelming becomes navigable. As a therapist, I thi…

03/13/2025

I wrote a poem about an ocean wave. It’s a true story. I was in the ocean once Floating on my back Minding my business The waters were quite calm I was at peace Unexpectedly A wave caught me Rolled…

01/24/2025

Marcus Aurelius is an inspiration to me. If you're not familiar, he was the Roman Emperor from the years 161 to 180. His personal diary was found a long time ago and published in a book called "Meditations." I highly recommend it. His style of journaling is something that I've stolen from him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Basically, his diary is full of personal insights and advice to himself. ...

Marcus Aurelius is an inspiration to me. If you’re not familiar, he was the Roman Emperor from the years 161 to 180. His personal diary was found a long time ago and published in a book calle…

12/18/2024

https://scottthode.com/2024/12/18/dealing-with-difficult-feelings/

Difficult feelings are a rather regular and normal aspect of human nature. To some extent, I have them just about every day. Do you? The challenge is that we are often using a subconscious framewor…

07/25/2024

The late great philosopher Ram Das once said something to the effect of, “Every day I wake up, and I go to school.” He must’ve been in his 50’s or 60’s at the time. Ram Das was a smart man. Ph.D. level education. Harvard professor. Studied under some of the greatest spiritual teachers of his time. Wrote many books. Gave many lectures....

The late great philosopher Ram Das once said something to the effect of, “Every day I wake up, and I go to school.” He must’ve been in his 50’s or 60’s at the time. Ram Das was a smart man. Ph.D. l…