Kusinski & Associates Counseling, LLC.

01/15/2026

❤️

01/15/2026

01/15/2026

Fight, flight, freeze, fawn aren’t choices, they’re survival responses.
These instincts are automatic and wired into our brains.
If you’ve been stuck in that cycle, it’s because your body still thinks it has to keep you safe.
Healing means slowly teaching your nervous system that it can breathe again.
Learn more about your symptoms and paths to recovery with the PTSD recovery book series: https://bit.ly/PTSDRecovery

01/14/2026

Not everything that leaves, was meant to stay.

01/14/2026

4. Synchrony matters more than similarity.

01/14/2026

Anxiety looks different for everyone. 💛

There are many types of anxiety, and each one is valid. Understanding them helps reduce stigma and reminds us that no one is “overreacting” or “too sensitive.”

You are not alone—and support is always available.

01/07/2026

A Child’s Voice is about helping adults see beyond behaviour and understand what’s really happening underneath.

This one shares the voice of a child with ADHD – Combined Presentation — where attention can drift, energy can spill over, and effort often goes unseen.

These words reflect what many children wish adults knew:
That forgetting isn’t defiance.
That movement is often regulation.
That impulsivity isn’t a lack of care.
That trying hard doesn’t always look calm or compliant.

When we understand how a child’s brain works, we can respond with support instead of pressure, and connection instead of control.

This visual is designed to be used by parents, educators, and professionals to build empathy, open conversations, and reduce shame — especially for children who are often misunderstood.

Understanding changes everything.

01/05/2026

Great little suggestions on how to make sure you’re taking care of yourself. 

01/05/2026

What a great analogy!

Ever noticed how a child can “hold it together” all day… then explode at home? It is also relevant for us as adults.

This is one of my favourite ways to explain why that happens — and it’s simple enough to do with a real Coke bottle.

Sit with your child and pass the bottle back and forth.
As you talk about their day, gently shake it each time a stress or trigger comes up. Share your own triggers also.
Noise. Work pressure. Friendship stuff. Trying to behave. Trying not to cry.

Then pause and ask:
“What do you think will happen if I take the top off now?”

That moment matters.

It helps children see that the explosion isn’t about being naughty or out of control — it’s about pressure building with nowhere to go.

From there, you can explore the real question:
How do we take the lid off without an explosion?

We talk about letting the bottle settle first.
Deep breathing.
Quiet time.
Food.
Movement.
Connection.
Time to decompress.

Regulation isn’t about forcing calm.
It’s about releasing pressure safely — a little at a time.

👉 You can find The Coke Bottle Activity linked in the comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

I’d love to know — what “shakes the bottle” most for your child after school?