Dr. Courtney Stivers

04/24/2026

A very dangerous trend for teens! Please talk to your children about this. 😔

If you parent a teen or young adult, you’ve probably seen countless social media trends come and go. But there’s one gaining attention right now—not because it’s harmless or funny, but because of the very real mental health risks it carries. It’s called looksmaxxing .

04/24/2026

I want to talk about something many of us struggle with—but rarely notice in the moment: how quickly we become harsh with ourselves when things feel hard.

In my newest blog article, “Self-Compassion: Learning to Be on Your Own Side,” I explore what it looks like to respond to ourselves with the same empathy, grace, and understanding we so freely offer others—especially during moments of shame, self‑doubt, or struggle.
Self‑compassion isn’t about letting ourselves off the hook.

It’s about recognizing our shared humanity and choosing gentleness over judgment.

💛 If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking “I should be handling this better” or “Why am I like this?”—this one’s for you.

👉 Read the full article here:
https://summitfamilytherapy.com/summit-family-therapy-peoria-illinois-blog/2026/4/23/self-compassion-learning-to-be-on-your-own-side?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

You don’t have to earn compassion. You’re already worthy of it. 💛

Many of us move through life with an internal rulebook that says: Do better. Be better. Don’t mess up. When we fall short—as all humans do—that inner voice can quickly turn harsh, critical, and shaming. Self‑compassion invites a different way of relating to ourselves. It does not lower stand...

04/22/2026

Funny story. During the storms Friday night, I sprinted from our van to get inside, holding my daughter’s hand like my life depended on it. At some point in my heroic escape, I apparently slammed my leg into my own car door. I didn’t think much of it… then I saw my APN this week for an unrelated checkup and she asked, “Were you in a car accident?” And I mean—technically? Yes. 🤣

Parked Car: 1
Dr. Courtney: 0 🚗💥

Fear + adrenaline can make you ignore a lot. Including injuries caused by stationary objects. Whoops! 🤦‍♀️

04/22/2026

Hannah, I am so proud of you and honored to have walked alongside you for part of your journey. Congratulations—this milestone is well earned, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for your growth! 💫

We’re thrilled to share that Hannah Dobson, MA LMFT has officially earned her independent credential as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist! This is a HUGE professional milestone and a testament to her dedication, growth, and commitment to ethical, high-quality care.

Hannah brings a thoughtful, holistic, and collaborative approach to therapy, supporting adolescents, adults, couples, and families as they navigate trauma, transitions, relationships, anxiety, and more. We are so proud of the work she does and the heart she brings to our team

Please join us in congratulating Hannah on this well-deserved achievement! 👏

👉 Learn more about Hannah and her work here:
https://summitfamilytherapy.com/hannah-dobson?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

04/22/2026

Yes!

Community is medicine.

Research consistently shows that strong social connections are one of the most powerful predictors of health, resilience, and longevity. Not the size of your network, but the depth of your relationships. A few people who make you feel safe, seen, and supported can profoundly shape your biology.

Loneliness activates the same stress pathways as chronic disease. It drives inflammation, dysregulates hormones, weakens immune function, and accelerates aging. Connection does the opposite. It calms the nervous system, lowers cortisol, improves metabolic health, and even influences gene expression linked to longevity.

This is why community is a core pillar of functional medicine. Food, movement, sleep, and supplements matter, but without meaningful human connection, healing is incomplete.

Invest in your people. Nurture a small, trusted circle. Shared meals, honest conversations, laughter, and belonging are not soft interventions, they are some of the most powerful tools we have to extend healthspan and quality of life.

Love this post by

04/21/2026

Loneliness doesn’t always look dramatic.

Sometimes it looks like being surrounded by people…and still feeling untethered.

While watching Project Hail Mary and revisiting Cast Away, I was struck by how clearly both stories capture something deeply human: our nervous systems are not built to survive in isolation. We are wired for connection—not just socially, but emotionally, relationally, existentially.

I wrote this piece to explore how these stories mirror real-life loneliness, grief, and the quiet ache so many people carry—and why connection isn’t a luxury or a weakness, but a biological and emotional need.

If you’ve ever felt “lost in space” or stranded on your own emotional island, this one’s for you.

Read the full post here:
👉 https://summitfamilytherapy.com/summit-family-therapy-peoria-illinois-blog/2026/4/17/lost-in-space-and-lost-on-an-island-how-project-hail-mary-and-cast-away-explore-loneliness-and-the-need-for-connection?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

— Dr. Courtney Stivers, PhD, LMFT

⚠️ Movie Spoiler Alert This article contains spoilers for Project Hail Mary (2026) and Cast Away (2000). Introduction: Two Very Different Stories, One Shared Human Need Project Hail Mary and Cast Away take place in drastically different environments. One is set light‑years from Earth aboard a ...

04/20/2026

When a marriage ends, the loss is real—but so is the noise that follows. Judgment. Opinions. Pressure to “pick a side.”

As a therapist, and as a human, I see how unhelpful (and hurtful) that can be for someone already navigating grief, change, and uncertainty.
I wrote this piece to offer a different approach—one rooted in compassion, boundaries, and emotional safety. If someone you care about is going through a divorce and you’re unsure how to show up without adding to the harm, this is for you.

You don’t have to fix it.
You don’t have to take sides.
You just have to stay human.

Read the full post here:
👉 https://summitfamilytherapy.com/summit-family-therapy-peoria-illinois-blog/2026/4/17/when-a-marriage-ends-the-judgment-begins-how-to-support-someone-through-divorce-without-taking-sides?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

- Dr. Courtney Stivers, PhD, LMFT

A few weeks ago, a client said something that lingered with me long after our session ended: “I’m not just grieving my marriage. I’m grieving how differently people are treating me now.” They asked if I’d write about divorce—not the logistics, not the legal pieces, but the social and rel...

04/16/2026

This month at Central Illinois NAWBO, we swapped notebooks and polite head nods for something a little more… hands‑on 💪😄

We hosted a women’s self‑defense class, and let me tell you—nothing bonds a group of women business owners quite like learning how to block a punch, use your voice, and confidently say absolutely not to nonsense.

Can you spot your favorite therapists?!

There was laughing (because of course), some “wait—I can actually do this?” moments, and a collective realization that we are far more powerful than we sometimes remember.
Entrepreneurs ✔️
Strong women ✔️
Prepared to protect our boundaries—in business and in life ✔️

So grateful to be part of a group that supports women not just professionally, but personally…and might also survive longer in a true‑crime scenario. 😉

—Dr. Courtney Stivers

04/14/2026

📘 Currently reading Why Does Everybody Hate Me?: Living and Loving with Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria. And by “reading,” I mean I’m about halfway through and already feeling deeply seen—as someone with ADHD. 😅

If you love an ADHD person, want to love an ADHD person, are raising one, married to one, or are one (It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me)… I think I am going to make it part of my vetting process for new friends. Like, “welcome to loving an ADHD brain, here’s your syllabus” energy.

So far it’s one of those books that makes you laugh, nod aggressively, and occasionally say, “OH. That explains… a lot.”

Highly recommend—especially if rejection hits extra hard or social dynamics have always felt confusing in ways you couldn’t quite explain. More thoughts once I finish, but wow. 🧠💥

04/14/2026

🚨 Let’s Talk About a Pattern I See All the Time 🚨
When a woman gets divorced, something often happens very quickly:
The messages start rolling in.
“Just checking on you.”
“You deserve better.”
“I’ve always admired you…”
As a therapist—and as a woman—I see this so often that I had to wite about it.
Therapists call it Post‑Divorce Pouncing.

In my newest blog, I talk about why immediately hitting on women the moment they divorce is not supportive, not healthy, and often deeply misaligned with what that season actually requires.
Divorce isn’t a dating announcement.
It’s a nervous‑system reset.
A grief process.
A rebuilding of identity.
And vulnerability is not the same thing as availability.
✨ If you’re newly divorced
✨ If you’ve experienced this and felt uncomfortable but couldn’t quite name why
✨ Or if you genuinely want to show up better for people in transition
This one’s for you.

👉 Read the full blog here: https://summitfamilytherapy.com/summit-family-therapy-peoria-illinois-blog/2026/4/13/post-divorce-pouncing?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

— Dr. Courtney Stivers, PhD, LMFT

💬 I’d love to hear your thoughts (and yes—this happens more than people realize).

When a woman gets divorced, something predictable—and exhausting—often happens. Before the paperwork is finalized, before the dust settles, sometimes before the ink is even dry, the messages start coming in. “Just checking on you.” “You deserve to be treated better.” “I’ve always adm...

04/13/2026

❤️

04/12/2026

🎨 Playroom Makeover: Part 1 🎨
What happens when I decide my daughter and I can totally paint a playroom ourselves?

✅ Paint on the walls
✅ Paint in our hair
✅ Paint in places paint should absolutely not be

All work done by my daughter and I—no contractors, just confidence, chaos, and sore shoulders.

Part one: Painting the playroom
Part two: Recovery 😂
Part three: Final finished reveal coming in a few weeks!!