Be Well Therapy Center

02/12/2026

We love a good recovery story! If anyone is struggling with addiction, please reach out!

Nice work Mason County Recovers Together!!

02/08/2026

🏈 ITS SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!! 🏈

The Super Bowl is more than just a game — it’s one of the rare cultural moments that brings millions of people together, sparking conversations and shared experiences. It’s an opportunity to engage in inclusive storytelling that challenges stereotypes and fosters empathy.

These moments show how shared cultural experiences can open space for understanding rather than judgment.

🐝 Our work at Be Well Therapy is rooted in the belief that mental and emotional health flourish when people are heard rather than divided. By fostering empathy at the individual level, we contribute to healthier communities, a stronger nation, and a more connected world.

Regardless of the team you’re rooting for, enjoy the game, the commercials, the half-time show…and even that opening act!

🗣️ Here are some conversation starters you could use with your kids, friends, family…or they’re even good to ask yourself!

🙌 We hope you have a great day with family and friends!! 🏈

02/08/2026

🚀 SCHUYLER COUNTY EMPLOYEES 🚀

⛅️ HOPE TRUST HEALTH OPTIONS offers their employees mental health benefits. As a Schuyler county employee, you can utilize this program that covers the cost of six therapy sessions.

ALL Schuyler County employees can utilize this service to receive mental health therapy.

🍁 Additionally, all PIKE County employees qualify for this resource as well!

If you are employed by Schuyler or Pike county, please reach out to us to learn more about this special mental health benefit that your employer provides for you free of charge.

Rochelle Briney, LCSW
Jeri Howell, LCPC

217-830-8077

02/06/2026

02/05/2026

👋 ATTENTION 👋 AG👋 PRODUCERS 👋

🐝 Be Well Therapy continues to accept Mental Health Vouchers for Ag Producers.

🌽 Basically, anyone in Illinois who is connected to the agricultural field qualifies to utilize these Mental Health Vouchers as payment for mental health therapy services! This includes everyone identifying as living within the home as well.

🚜 This Department of Agriculture grant won’t last much longer, so if you or someone you know, are in need of mental health therapy, please take advantage of this program! It’s worth it and so are you!!

‼️ I’ve attached a link to the U of I’s page where you can request vouchers.

https://publish.illinois.edu/farmstress/vouchers-for-ag-producers/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR59_IFUvekQbcbsq_9jyCggfyYQZ1ZAQY2ZHkK2YVmX-qFLwkZRFsdy4_KCgA_aem_PWK0Xqeue13sNvbvj92hOAao

👌🏻 Check out the screenshots below and you can see how SIMPLE the application process is! ⬇️w

02/05/2026

Farmers are facing increasingly higher amounts of stress and depression these days.

Factors that impact them directly include the volatility of current market prices, rising cost of equipment, economic instability and increased rates of health insurance.

They often work in isolation. They carry the stress of maintaining multi-generational family farms that their ancestors built.

Statistics show that the su***de rates of farmers increases every year. That’s heavy.

Be Well Therapy participates in the U of I Agricultural Mental Health Voucher program that provides therapy to individuals connected to the agricultural field at no cost to them. Anyone identifying as living in the home of someone connected to agriculture is also eligible to receive the benefits of this program as well.

If you have questions about how to access this program and are ready to make the decision to begin therapy, please reach out to Jeri or Rochelle at 217-830-8077 and we can provide more information about this amazing program that benefits anyone connected to agriculture.

Farmers face a number of challenges these days, from higher input costs to fewer available resources. The stress of it all can take a toll, not only on their livelihood, but on their mental well-being.

02/03/2026

In our local community we have many individuals that are employed by IDOC. To say the least, WICC, among other correctional centers, is a high stress environment. Regardless of if you want to admit it or not.

I’ve attached an article written by William Young. He has taken his years of experience working within the correctional setting and has began sharing how staff are impacted by that environment.

Not long ago I shared a post from the VA regarding PTSD and Moral Injury and statistics show that correctional staff are exposed to potentially dangerous experiences on a daily basis. Their rates of PTSD are nearly the same as Combat Veterans. Some might find this difficult to believe, unless you’ve worked inside those walls.

The correctional environment impacts most staff in one way or another. Irritability, hyper-vigilance, less empathy, witnessing a death, being assaulted, witnessing an assault, being exposed to inappropriate behaviors from those who are incarcerated, responding to medical emergencies, stabbing, su***des, receiving threats, manipulation, and retaliation from inmates…and dare I mention staff who are retaliated against by other staff.

It’s an entirely different world inside those walls. Every time you enter the facility and hear all those metal doors clanging closed behind you, it’s a reminder that you may or may not leave that day. Not to mention the dangers that staff are exposed to when an inmates family or friend’s attempt to mail in deadly substances through the mail.

It’s a career that most of the population doesn’t even think about, unless they drive by a prison or have a loved one who is incarcerated. I would venture to say that most correctional staff’s family and friends don’t hear much about what their loved one experiences inside. That’s probably for the best. However, I would venture to say that they notice a change in their loved one’s behavior and the toll it’s taking on them.

The article I’ve attached is a short read and discusses “Emotional Suppression VS Emotional Intelligence” among other various ways correctional staff are impacted by their daily work. What we know as clinicians is that you may be able to “control or suppress” your emotions, but that stress will manifest into physical ailments, because your body holds that stress…until it cant.

It’s worth the time to read.

If you or someone you know are struggling from working in corrections, please reach out and share that with someone. It’s not a burden you have to carry alone. Please reach out.

In corrections, “control yourself” or “remain professional” is often code for one thing: suppress your emotions. Full stop. Don’t react…

02/03/2026

A big shout out to all the School Counselors and Social Workers. We appreciate the incredible work you do for our students and the community community every day!

02/03/2026

NAMI West Central Illinois provides education and support to family and friends of loved ones struggling with mental health conditions right here in our local area!

They offer In-Person and Virtual Groups and you can find the time and location of their groups below.

Family Support Group: for family members or loved ones who are looking for support
In-Person: Mount Sterling: Meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm at the Brown County Public Library
Quincy: Meets on the first Monday of the month at 6:30 pm at the Quincy Public Library

Virtual:
Meets on the third Monday of the month at 6:30 pm

Connection Support Group: peer support group for those with a mental health condition, or anyone who might be struggling with their mental health (no diagnosis required). We currently only offer virtual Connection groups.

Virtual: Meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm

For up-to-date info or to register for a virtual group, visit namiwcil.org/calendar.

**All support groups are free and confidential. Must be 18+ to attend a support group. In-person groups do not require registration.

02/03/2026

Hey there everyone!! It’s Rochelle here and I’m about to hop up on my soapbox!

Jeri shared a clip with me earlier that was very disturbing. The clip showed Dr. Oz promoting The Rural Health Transformation Fund, which provides federal funding for each state and has special focus on those of us living in rural America who need access to mental health care. I am in agreement that we DO need more funding for rural mental health care.

However, this particular funding would be used to provide a mode of mental health care that would utilize AI chatbots or avatars over utilizing real, human therapists in rural areas. He appears to be using the guise of “if we do it right, we’ll be building a more sustainable healthcare system”.

Oz’s statement on receiving mental healthcare in rural areas:

“There's no question about it, whether you want it or not -- the best way to help some of these communities is gonna be AI-based avatars.”

✨ Let me clear my throat ✨

There will never be a chat bot, an avatar, or any other AI generated “person” better equipped to treat human mental health conditions than another human. Ever.

Can using ChatGPT be beneficial for some who are gathering info about a mental health condition and its most effective treatment? Absolutely.

While AI is useful for immediate, low-stakes psychoeducation or habit-tracking, it cannot replace the nuanced relational work of a qualified human professional therapist. Please.

Human therapists are more effective than AI because they provide genuine empathy, clinical judgment, and a therapeutic alliance built on trust, which are essential for treating deep-seated emotional issues.

While AI offers immediate, standardized, and accessible support, it lacks human understanding, cannot interpret nonverbal cues, and risks providing dangerous advice in crisis situations.

Other concerns I have include the following:

Emotional Depth vs. Simulation: Human therapists provide authentic compassion and can "hold space" for emotions, whereas AI merely simulates empathy through algorithms.

Contextual and Clinical Judgment: Therapists understand complex life contexts, can tailor treatment approaches, and know when to challenge or support a patient, a skill AI lacks.

The Therapeutic Alliance: The relationship between therapist and client—based on trust, nonverbal cues, and shared human experience—is the most critical driver of successful therapy, which AI cannot replicate.

Handling Crisis and Risk: Human professionals are trained to manage high-risk scenarios, such as suicidal ideation, whereas AI chatbots have demonstrated potential to provide harmful, dangerous, or stigmatizing responses.

Nuanced Communication: Human therapy involves reading body language, tone, and silences, allowing for a deeper exploration of trauma, unlike AI which relies on textual input.

Ethical and Regulatory Standards: Licensed therapists adhere to strict ethical guidelines regarding privacy and care, while AI operates within automated parameters.

((Did I use Google to identify the top concerns about using AI as therapy? You bet I did! However, these are legitimate concerns I would hope most therapists and clients would have!))

Please, if you are in need of mental health care, reach out to us. We can provide a consult to ensure that you are placed with a human therapist that can best suit your individual mental health needs. Don’t give up on your own autonomy and critical thinking skills.

If Jeri or I aren’t a good fit, we would love to provide you with a referral to another clinician in our area that could better serve your specific needs.

Please do not lose touch with human connection in a world that continues to divide us with rhetoric and propaganda We have to continue to show up as human to human.