Cherry Hill Counseling

03/11/2026

Step 3 gets you out of win/lose.
Try: “Do you have any ideas?” and “Can I share mine?”
Pick something realistic, that meets both concerns, and you can test this week.

Repair line: “I didn’t handle that well. Reset?”
CTA: Save this series + share with a co-parent.

Disclaimer: Educational only.

03/09/2026

Step 2: One-sentence concern. Short beats long.

Starter: “My concern is…”
Share with a co-parent for consistency.

Disclaimer: Educational only.

03/04/2026

Step 1 is empathy: two lines to keep in your notes…
“Help me understand what’s up.” & “What’s the hard part?”

If they can’t answer: “Okay. We can try again later. I’m here.”

Copy/paste into your notes.

Disclaimer: Educational only.

03/03/2026

If behavior is loud lately, it’s easy to feel like you’re failing. Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) reframes this as skills + unsolved problems.

Try: “What’s making today hard?” You’re not approving the behavior, you’re gathering information.

Share with a co-parent/caregiver.

Disclaimer: Educational only; not therapy or crisis support.

02/25/2026

Step 1 is empathy: two lines to keep in your notes…
“Help me understand what’s up.”
“What’s the hard part?”

If they can’t answer: “Okay. We can try again later. I’m here.”
Copy/paste into notes.

Disclaimer: Educational only.

02/23/2026

If behavior is loud lately, it’s easy to feel like you’re failing. CPS reframes this as skills + unsolved problems.

Try: “What’s making today hard?” You’re not approving the behavior—you’re gathering information.

Share with a co-parent/caregiver. —

Disclaimer: Educational only; not therapy or crisis support.

02/18/2026

ADHD progress isn’t linear. The win is building a system that survives real life.
Try a Minimum Baseline Day (your “bare minimum that keeps me okay”):

- 1 meal + water
- 5-minute tidy zone
- One message replied to
- One “future me” action (set clothes out/open laptop/prep meds)

And when you fall off? Use a relapse plan:

“Return gently. Restart small. No punishment required.”

What’s on your minimum baseline list? Let us know in the comments below!

02/16/2026

A lot of adults with ADHD became experts at coping alone. But going solo is exhausting.

Build a Support Menu (choose 1–2):

- Body double (work beside someone or over zoom)
- Accountability check-in (tiny + kind)
- Calendar reminders + alarms that tell you what to do
- “If it’s not scheduled, it doesn’t exist” weekly reset
- Professional support (coach/therapist/clinician)

Tag a safe person or send this to them asking, “Can you be my 15-minute body double this week?” 💛

02/13/2026

Sometimes couples come in and say, “We don’t even know why we’re fighting anymore.”
Not because they don’t love each other, but because the days got heavy…and the relationship became the place where stress landed.

A lot of the work Karen Robbins (MSW, LCSW) does starts right there: not with blame, not with “who’s the problem,” but with curiosity about the pattern that keeps taking over, especially when anxiety, depression, or trust wounds are part of the picture.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is one way she helps people slow the cycle down and find the softer, truer thing underneath it:

“I miss you.”
“I’m scared.”
“I don’t know how to reach you anymore.”

If you’ve been feeling stuck, alone in your thoughts, overwhelmed, or disconnected in a relationship, you don’t have to muscle through it.

Karen sees adolescents, individuals, couples, and families via Zoom in Illinois and South Carolina.

💬 If you feel like sharing: what’s one “moment” that tends to spark the cycle for you, silence, a tone of voice, feeling criticized, feeling dismissed, feeling pressured?
🔗 Learn more/connect through the link in bio or the website.

Educational content only. Not medical advice.

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02/11/2026

When ADHD meets a task with too many steps, the brain reads it as danger and hits “avoid.” Instead of forcing willpower, try a Friction Audit:

Ask: “What’s making this hard—time, steps, boredom, uncertainty, emotion?”
Then match a support:
- Too many steps → write the first 3 only
- Boring → add music/podcast
- Unclear → ask 1 clarifying question
- Big → reduce the “definition of done” by 50%

Which friction shows up most for you: too big, too boring, too unclear, too emotional?

02/09/2026

Ever had a day where you wanted to do the thing… and your brain said “nope”?

If you grew up hearing “lazy,” “careless,” or “not trying,” ADHD can feel like a character flaw. It’s not. ADHD often shows up as differences in attention regulation, motivation, and executive functioning—especially under stress.

Try this 60-second reset today:
1. Say: “This is an ADHD moment, not a moral failing.”

2. Pick the tiniest next step: “Open the doc” / “Put one dish away” / “Reply with ‘Got it—will confirm by 3’.”

3. Set a 2-minute timer and stop when it ends. (Stopping is part of the plan.)

Question: What’s one task you’ve been avoiding that you’d be willing to shrink to a 2-minute step?

Note: This is educational, not medical advice. If you’re struggling, consider talking with a qualified professional.

01/30/2026

Welcome to Featured Therapist Friday! This week, we're highlighting Chloe Hurckes, an intern therapist working in the Grayslake and McHenry offices. Chloe specializes in guiding clients through various challenges, including family therapy, emotional regulation, identity, self-esteem, body image, multicultural concerns, racial identity, and life transitions. Her compassionate approach and dedication make her a valuable support for those seeking to navigate these complex areas of life.