Awakenings Whole Life Counseling and Resource Center

05/19/2024

Kindness is Intelligence

Message of the year:“How do you spot an idiot? Look for the person who is cruel. The kindest person in the room is often the smartest.” — Gov Pritzker

01/10/2024

It is with a most heavy and broken heart that we share the unexpected passing of Pavlov on Tuesday, January 9th. He came to work with Kirsten as usual that morning and died from a possible seizure or heart attack in her arms hours later in their home.
We are infinitely grateful to the countless clients and occupants of 118 South Cherry Street who received Pavlov with such warmth and affection over the years. Coming to work was his most favorite thing in life and he adored every one of you. Thank you for embracing his presence so generously.
Accepting everyone he met, Pavlov defined Love. May we all carry forth his beautiful memory by being kind to everyone we encounter.

12/12/2023

12/01/2021

Ready to distribute a little care to our homeless community.

03/24/2020

In an effort to minimize exposure and reduce the risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19, Awakenings will be offering counseling sessions strictly by Zoom and TeleHealth for the forseeable future. We will be in our private office spaces during sessions to maintain privacy and the familiarity of the office setting.

We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we all navigate how to best support one another through this unfamiliar territory. Please be safe and healthy!

03/11/2020

03/11/2020

12/03/2019

AWAKENINGS is honored to provide care packages to our Homeless Community

09/20/2019

For those of you wishing to have a real relationship. This.

I’ve had the honor of officiating many weddings over the past two decades. They’ve all been beautiful in their way, but more often than not the vows exchanged have been—naive, to say the least. I know mine were. That’s because for most couples these usually aren’t really marriage vows, the...

07/23/2019

Encouraging, supporting and caring for others benefits us as much as it does the recipients of kind words and acts. It is virtually impossible to not feel good within ourselves when we are loving towards others.
~ Kirsten’s Theory Number Eleven

07/21/2019

People have different sized (as Gary Chapman calls them) “love tanks.” Just as cars vary on how far they can travel on a tank of gas, the same applies for how much attention, affirmation and nurturing a person requires to feel loved.
It can be challenging in relationships when each person’s love tank is vastly different. Imagine one person’s being the size of a solo cup while the other’s is the size of a 10 gallon bucket. The solo cup can offer up all it contains and barely cover the bottom of the bucket while the bucket will drown the solo cup if it gives even a fraction of it’s contents.
~ Kirsten Theory Number Ten

07/19/2019

Holding onto past experiences that have no present value is a lot like hoarding. The more we accumulate, the more difficult it is for us to spot, appreciate and enjoy the things that enrich our lives.

~ Kirsten’s Theory Number Nine

07/18/2019

If no two fingerprints are the same, essentially giving every person their own, unique blueprint, how can there possibly be just one, correct way for every human to live their life?
~ Kirsten’s Theory Number Eight

07/17/2019

Being in a relationship with someone on the Narcissism Spectrum is like trying to engage with a person who is suffering with extreme physical pain. It is all they can do to cope with their own discomfort so they have nothing to contribute to those around them. Occasionally, the Narcissist’s (emotional) pain lets up for brief periods. And when it does, their interaction with others is so rich, powerful and magical that it’s like putting drops of food coloring in a ten gallon bucket of water, coloring all the non-sense and deprivation people experienced in the space in between.
Those droplets of magic can become highly addictive keeping us trapped in a cycle of abuse.
~ Kirsten’s Theory Number Seven

07/15/2019

Relationships, much like homes, must have a solid foundation and be structurally sound to withstand harsh weather and time.
When examining one’s relationship, ask “What is this primarily built upon? What are our shared core values? Is the framework firm, balanced, aligned and comprised of quality material?”
When a home has what my husband calls “good bones,” it is worth the investment to renovate spaces that have worn, rotted or are no longer used. Sometimes walls need to go up, or walls need to come down. Some spaces are ready to be enlarged while others inclosed. Perhaps windows should be installed for light to come in, or locks added to keep out unwanted guests.
Home is where we most want and need to feel safe - to be our rawest, truest selves; to breathe the easiest, cry the hardest, laugh the loudest, hurt the deepest, and be held the closest.
And just like when we enter a person’s home and feel a certain energy, relationships too say “This is who we are. This is how we live.”
~ Kirsten’s Theory Number Three

07/15/2019

While security is only an illusion (credits to Hellen Keller), there must be some degree of certainty in order to feel safe in a relationship. This safety stems from the unspoken agreement between individuals that they continue to choose each other through times of disappointment, disgust and disagreement. It’s basically trusting that the other person accepts the whole mess of us.

~ Kirsten’s Theory Number Five

07/15/2019

“Relationsh*ts” - Those necessary interactions with people placed in our lives to help us learn lessons about and shed light on the parts of ourselves we choose to deny, ignore and/or hide.
Relationsh*ts stink but we typically come away feeling lighter once they’ve passed.

~ Kirsten’s Theory Number Four