Restoration Counseling PLLC

02/28/2026

My new therapy client wasn’t too excited about talk therapy. So, he decided to leave. Maybe next time we’ll try play therapy💕 (posted with my sister’s permission).

02/23/2026

Over the weekend, my husband and I had the privilege of leading a 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work workshop from the Gottman Institute.

As I watched couples move toward one another, laugh together, and engage in meaningful conversation, I was reminded why I deeply enjoy working with couples.

So often, beneath conflict is a genuine desire to feel understood, valued, and emotionally safe. When partners shift from defensiveness to vulnerability — from “You never listen” to “I feel hurt” — everything begins to change.

I love witnessing those moments of reconnection. The softened expressions. The deeper listening. The choice to turn toward instead of away.

Couples therapy isn’t about taking sides. It’s about strengthening the relationship so both people feel seen, respected, and connected.

There’s something incredibly powerful about watching two people find their way back to each other.

02/17/2026

I'm a big believer in supporting our first responders.

The graphic below highlights the very real impact that repeated exposure to traumatic situations can have on mental health. When you’re constantly showing up for others in crisis, it can take a toll — emotionally, mentally, and even physically.

At Restoration Counseling, we recognize the weight you carry. We’re here to support you, provide a safe space to process what you’ve experienced, and offer the care you deserve.

You take care of our community — let us help take care of you.

2 in 6 First Responders experience a diagnosed mental health condition.

Let that sink in.

In our profession, we train hard for physical injury.
We wear protective gear.
We drill worst-case scenarios.

But mental health injuries are just as real and far more common than most people realize.

Research consistently shows that a significant number of public safety professionals report symptoms related to:

• PTSD
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Substance use
• Suicidal ideation

This is not because first responders are weak.
It is because repeated exposure to trauma, critical incidents, suffering, and high operational stress changes the nervous system over time.

You are human beings doing inhuman levels of stress exposure.

If you are struggling:

You are not broken.
You are not alone.
You are not the only one on your shift feeling this way.

We have to normalize conversations about mental health in firehouses, stations, cruisers, and dispatch centers. Silence is what isolates people. Connection is what protects them.

Check on your people.
Pay attention to changes in sleep, mood, irritability, isolation, or risk behaviors.
Encourage support early.

Mental health care is not a career killer.
Untreated mental health injuries are.

Serving the community should not cost you your own well-being.

If you need support, reach out. If someone trusts you enough to tell you they are struggling, take it seriously.

We take care of others for a living.
It is time we take care of ourselves too.

02/14/2026

Valentine’s Day can bring a mix of emotions. For some, it’s joy, connection, and celebration. For others, it highlights loneliness, grief, or relationship stress.

However today feels for you, it’s valid. You are not “too much” if it’s hard, and you are not wrong if it’s really sweet. Hold space for your own experience — and maybe a little extra gentleness for someone else’s too. 💛

02/09/2026

My husband and I took our yearly extended weekend getaway this past weekend — a tradition we’ve come to cherish. We like to plan it in February, giving us something to look forward to during the long, dark weeks of January.

This trip wasn’t about a packed schedule or big adventures. Instead, we focused on rest. We lingered over delicious meals at local restaurants, soaked in the beauty of the Ozark Hills, and made space to truly connect. We listened to music, used the Gottman Card Deck app for meaningful conversations, and simply enjoyed being together without distractions.

While we were away, I was reminded of two of the Gottmans’ teachings: small things often and the magic six hours. These ideas emphasize that strong marriages are built in everyday moments, not just milestone events.

Sometimes improving our relationships doesn't take a large overhaul, but rather consistent moments of connection throughout our weekly routines.

Today is a perfect day to choose a small way to show fondness and appreciation for your partner, and to begin building the Magic Six Hours into your routines. Success doesn't just happen. Success has to be planned for.

02/09/2026

Lately, I’ve been holding a lot of space in my office as the Epstein files continue to be released. With each new disclosure, many survivors are re-confronted with familiar wounds: the pain of not being believed, the absence of justice, and the feeling of having nowhere safe to turn.

For many, the grief, anger, and heartbreak that live in these spaces can rise suddenly, overwhelming and disorienting. If this is happening for you, please know this: I see you. I still believe you.

Dr. Courtney Stivers has shared a beautiful and thoughtful article that helps explain why these reactions can surface for survivors, and provides guidance for how loved ones and communities can offer meaningful support during this time. I’m grateful for her words and the care behind them.

If you need support, reach out. Holding space is part of the work—and it’s an honor to do so. 💙

The public release of the Epstein files has reopened a painful conversation about sexual exploitation, systemic failure, and the countless survivors who have endured these harms in silence. But alongside public outrage and political scrutiny, there’s a quieter, more intimate story unfolding—one ...

02/05/2026

Restoration Counseling will be closed on February 5th and 6th, for some rest and relaxation! Have a great weekend and have some fun making a caricature of yourself!

02/02/2026

I don’t like winter. The air hurts my face. The sun disappears too early, and I’m sensitive to the cold.🥶

But every year—somewhere near the end of January and the beginning of February—I step outside into the cold and hear a bird.🐦🐦

That small sound makes hope rise in me.

Those early peeps remind me that winter is coming to an end.

We’ve made it through the darkest weeks of the year, and once again, the daylight is slowly returning. In a little over one month, the sun will begin to set at 7:00 pm.

Every single year, I relearn the same powerful lesson: the dark and cold cannot stay forever. A powerful lesson to hold on to as we progress through the journey of life.

Even when it feels endless, sunlight eventually dawns. Life returns. My energy returns. And I can begin hoping again—for longer days, warm sunshine, time spent outside, and the promise of a new day.☀️

01/30/2026

Often, themes emerge week to week in the counseling office.

Lately, I’ve heard a lot of frustration about the journey not moving as quickly as hoped. When that feeling shows up, it can be helpful to pause and look at how far you’ve come—not just how far you think you still have to go.

Small, steady changes over time truly do add up to meaningful transformation. As you reflect on where you are in your journey today, hold onto that truth.

01/29/2026

You aren’t too much for having needs💛

01/28/2026

What a beautiful reminder for all of us today!

Because sometimes poetry guides the way…

And yes,
this world is shattered,
everywhere
but there is glue
and it is me
and it is you
picking up pieces
of each other
to get through.

Thank you Donna Ashworth

01/26/2026

Today I release Part 3. The final post about my journey through Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders.

If you are currently struggling, there are so many of us who see you and understand this reality. Please reach out to Restoration Counseling or another trusted provider to find the support you need. Hope and recovery are available for you

Please note: For some this could be difficult to read. Please care for yourself well if you choose to read.

Part 3: I See You, Mama

My first week home from the hospital, I was far too scared to stay home alone with Joshua. My church arranged for my friends to come stay with me while Paul worked. My friends packed up their littles, came to my apartment, and spent their days caring for me. Their support overwhelmed me.

On the 8th day, I woke up, rolled over, looked at Paul, and said, “I want to try staying home alone today.” He supported my decision while also letting me know he would be close by if I needed him.

Something shifted in me on that 8th day. While I was still quaking inside, a simultaneous fight rose up within me. I wrote on a piece of paper, “We aren’t in this alone,” indicating my God was with me. I taped that paper to the living room wall. A walking support toy with a smiling face on it had caused me deep fear—I was terrified I would think it was talking to me. On the 8th day, I took that toy, put it square in my face, and stared it down throughout the day. But the bathroom door… it had to stay closed. The fear was too much to face the bathtub.

My personal recovery plan involved daily prayer and meditation, weekly therapy, daily medication, and accessing my support systems. However, this did not all happen overnight. Currently, I have a sign in my office that reads, “Healing is not linear,” with a squiggly line all over the picture. My recovery was just like that. One day okay, the next day hard, the next day better, the next day exhausting. Up and down I went, until I began to notice that each day was getting a little better.

I would get incredibly angry with this up-and-down nature of recovery. To encourage myself, I began writing down moments of success on Post-its (see picture in comments). I placed those Post-its on the back of my bedroom door. During moments when I felt like I was going to curl up and cry, I would look at the post-its for strength.

I will never forget the moment I felt peace again.. Paul had to be out of town over the presidential election of 2004, causing me a lot of disruption. Yet, the fight from the 8th day was still present. I was determined I would stay home. During the night, Joshua awoke. I carried him from his crib to the living room for a feeding. For some reason, I turned on the news to see if the election results had been calculated. As I sat there, I noticed something vaguely familiar—something I hadn’t felt in quite some time. Quiet. My mind was quiet. My heart was calm. My body was at rest. I held my baby, fed him, and a tear slipped down my cheek. I had made it. Even though I knew there might still be moments of anxiety, I had made it. Every single presidential election night since 2004, I experience gratitude for that moment.

Most likely, I could talk for days about all the things I learned during the dark night of my soul, more commonly known as Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Each person has a different path to recovery. For me, I had to engage my faith, access therapy, take medication, and rely on my support systems. As I have sat with women over the last 20 years, each of them has had a different path to recovery.

Most of all, what I would say is: embrace what you know you need. Seek support, be honest with what you're experiencing, and know this is not the end of you. A new normal will come. The new normal may take time to arrive. Hang on. All of us mamas who have walked this road see you.

I see you, Mama. 💛