Renewed Minds Counseling Center, LLC

05/09/2025

English: Thought Swap 2:
How to stop bullying yourself in your own head

Instead of:
"Everything affects me too much. I'm too sensitive."

Try:
"My sensitivity isn’t a weakness. It’s a sign that I’m deeply connected to myself."

Feeling deeply isn’t a flaw or weakness. It’s a part of you that learned to notice what others overlook.

🌱 This month, instead of judging yourself for feeling, try listening with more compassion.

Spanish: Cambio de Pensamiento 2:
Cómo dejar de ser tu propia crítica interna

En lugar de:
"Todo me afecta demasiado. Soy muy sensible."

Prueba con:
"Mi sensibilidad no es una debilidad. Es una señal de que estoy conectada conmigo misma."

Sentir mucho no es un defecto y no te hace frágil. Es una parte de ti que aprendió a percibir lo que otros ignoran.

🌱 Este mes, en lugar de juzgarte por sentir, intenta escucharte con más compasión.

05/02/2025

🌱 May is Mental Health Awareness Month!
This month, I’m starting a series of Therapist-Approved Mindset Shifts to help you break free from the negative self-talk that often holds you back. It's time to stop bullying yourself in your own head.

Each week, we’ll swap out those harsh, critical thoughts with empowering ones...because you deserve to be kind to yourself, every day.

Swap 1:
Instead of:
"I should be further by now."

Try:
"I'm building at the pace that honors my journey."

That first thought? It’s shame and makes you measure yourself against timelines that were never meant for you.

The second thought makes space for reality and growth. Because rushing your healing, your growth, or your goals doesn’t get you “there” faster...it just makes the process heavier.

🌱 ¡Mayo es el Mes de Concientización sobre la Salud Mental!
Este mes, comienzo una serie de Cambio de Pensamientos Aprobados por Terapeutas para ayudarte a liberarte del diálogo interno negativo que a menudo te limita. Es hora de dejar de ser tu propia crítica interna.

Cada semana, intercambiaremos esos pensamientos negativos y críticos por pensamientos que empoderan... porque te mereces ser amable contigo mismo, todos los días.

Cambio #1:
En lugar de:
"Debería estar más avanzado a estas alturas."

Prueba con:
"Estoy construyendo a un ritmo que respeta mi proceso."

¿Ese primer pensamiento? Es vergüenza, y te hace compararte con expectativas que nunca fueron hechas para ti.

El segundo pensamiento abre espacio para la realidad y el crecimiento. Porque apresurar tu sanación, tu crecimiento o tus metas no te lleva más rápido al “resultado”… solo hace que el proceso sea más pesado.

04/04/2025

🌱ENGLISH: Some wounds might not show up as bruises. They show up as people-pleasing. As over-explaining. As guilt for taking space. As struggling to say “no” without feeling like you owe someone an explanation.

They show up in the way you second-guess and doubt yourself. In the way you feel responsible for how others feel. In the way you make yourself small so no one else feels uncomfortable.

That’s what happens when your nervous system learns survival instead of safety.

Healing involves unlearning the patterns that once protected you but now keep you stuck. If you’ve been carrying this for so long that it feels like a part of you remember it's not. You get to choose differently now.

🌱ESPAÑOL: Algunas heridas no dejan moretones. Se convierten en complacer a los demás. En explicar de más. En sentir culpa por ocupar espacio. En la dificultad de decir “no” sin sentir que debes dar una explicación.

Aparecen cuando dudas de ti misma. Cuando sientes que es tu responsabilidad manejar las emociones de los demás. Cuando te haces pequeño para que nadie más se incomode.

Esto es lo que pasa cuando tu sistema nervioso aprende a sobrevivir en lugar de sentirse seguro.

Sanar es un proceso de soltar los patrones que alguna vez te protegieron, pero que ahora te mantienen atrapado. Y si has cargado con esto tanto tiempo que ya sientes que es parte de ti, recuerda, no lo es.

Ahora puedes elegir diferente.

03/27/2025

🌱ENGLISH
Are You Silencing Yourself to Keep the Peace?

Swallowing your feelings to avoid conflict feels easier… but is it? When you keep quiet, resentment won't just disappear, it will grow.

Psychologically, ignoring your needs can lead to anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and distance in your relationships. Sometimes we think we are protecting the relationship by staying silent but in reality you’re creating a disconnect between who you are and how you show up.

So ask yourself:

Am I keeping quiet to avoid making others uncomfortable?
Is my silence costing me my peace?

Being open might feel uncomfortable at first, but pretending everything’s fine takes a much bigger toll.

🌱🌱🌱

🌱ESPAÑOL
¿Te Estás Callando Para Mantener La Paz?

Tragarte lo que sientes para evitar conflictos parece más fácil… pero lo es? Cuando te callas, el resentimiento no desaparece...crece.

Psicológicamente, ignorar tus necesidades puede aumentar la ansiedad, agotar emocionalmente y crear distancia en tus relaciones. A veces creemos que estamos protegiendo la relación al quedarnos callados, pero en realidad creamos una desconexión entre quiénes somos y cómo nos mostramos.

Pregúntate:

¿Estoy guardando silencio para no incomodar a otros?
¿Mi silencio me está costando mi paz?
Ser honesto puede incomodar al principio, pero fingir que todo está bien afecta mucho más.

03/26/2025

Hi everyone! I’m Erica Martinez, LPC, and I’m proud to lead Renewed Minds Counseling Center, LLC, where our team is dedicated to supporting your emotional growth and well-being. We are a group of compassionate clinicians who work together to create a safe, healing space for all who seek support.

Follow us for valuable insights into mental and emotional health!

🌱🌱🌱

¡Hola a todos! Soy Erica Martinez, LPC, y estoy orgullosa de liderar Renewed Minds Counseling Center, LLC, donde nuestro equipo está dedicado a apoyar tu crecimiento emocional y bienestar. Somos un grupo de terapeutas que trabajamos juntos para crear un espacio seguro y sanador para quienes buscan apoyo.

¡Síguenos para obtener contenido valioso sobre salud mental y emocional!

03/24/2025

03/16/2025

*Peace can feel uncomfortable when you’ve spent years in survival mode.*

You’ve spent so much time trying to navigate chaos that it’s become second nature. The constant stress, the overthinking, that feeling that you always have to be on guard can be exhausting, but at least it’s familiar.

So when life finally slows down, you would expect relief to follow. But instead, you feel unsettled. Like something is missing.

Peace can feel uncomfortable when you’ve spent years in survival mode. Your nervous system has been wired to expect stress, so when things get quiet, it can feel like waiting for the next problem. But that doesn’t mean peace is wrong for you. It just means you haven’t had enough of it yet.

Healing involves realizing that discomfort in calm moments isn’t a sign that something’s off. It’s a sign that you’re stepping into something new.

So, if peace feels unsettling right now, don’t run back to what’s familiar. Stay with it. Let yourself adjust. Over time, stillness won’t feel so foreign. It will start to feel like home.

01/08/2025

The start of a new year can feel like the perfect time to set goals, but how many resolutions have fallen off by February? This time, let’s do it differently.

Here are some strategies to set yourself up for success.

1. Be Specific
Vague goals like “I want to get healthier” or “I want to save money” are easy to lose track of because there’s no real plan. Instead, zoom in on the 'what' and 'how'. Think:
- “I’ll walk 30 minutes, three times a week.”
- “I’ll save $50 from each paycheck.”

Clarity and specificity makes sticking to your goals way easier.

2. Write It Down.
There’s actual science behind this one. A *Dominican University* study found you’re 42% more likely to achieve a goal if you write it down. Why? It shifts your focus from a fleeting thought to something tangible and actionable. So grab a journal, a sticky note, or even your phone and write it out.

3. Be Realistic
The purpose is not to set goals that sound impressive. We want to set goals you can actually work toward without burning out. Break big dreams into small, doable steps that will build momentum over time.

4. Give Yourself Grace for Bad Days
No one is consistent 100% of the time, and that’s OK! Flexibility is your friend. If today didn’t go as planned, adjust and move forward. Maybe tomorrow’s walk is a little longer, or next week’s budget gets a tweak. Being flexible is part of the process, it's not failure.

This year, let's forget about perfection and focus on 'progress'.