Walters Counseling, LLC

07/16/2025

Cuts to school mental health budgets impact everyone, from students to teachers to parents to coaches and afterschool programs. Factor in the long-term consequences of not properly caring for our children, and we are looking at a future where society falters. When we don't support our children and their unique mental health needs, we set all of us up for failure.

School districts around the country are cutting back plans to expand their staffing of mental health specialists because of Trump administration cuts to federal grants.

07/10/2025

If you listen very carefully you might be able to hear it: the sound of laptops closed and contented sighs as people end their last day of work before vacation. We often talk about how much we need a vacation (even if we don't actually take one), but do we really plan out how to make that into a truly relaxing and rejuvenating experience? My number 1 tip to my clients is always to completely disconnect from work: leave all work technology at home, remove emails from your phone, and set up out-of-office replies so no one expects an answer. If for some reason you can't do this, minimize the time you spend on work, and set concrete days and times where you will check in. Setting these boundaries ahead of time will help you to fully engage in your vacation experience, giving your brain and body the much-needed break they deserve.

You’re taking vacations wrong. Research shows it’s not length but how you detach, rest, and play that recharges you. Learn to design a vacation that actually works.

06/30/2025

Today is the last day of Men's Mental Health Month. This month is a reminder to all men that mental health is an important topic. Men are typically less likely to go to counseling, or to ask for any type of help for mental health than women. It is not weak to ask for help, to cry, or to talk about your mental health. Unfortunately, particularly for me, our society still tends to minimize or even belittle these needs. If you or someone you know is struggling, ask for support.

Mental health affects men - stress, burnout, depression, anxiety, even postnatal depression are all things that men face. However, attitudes and stigma around seeking assistance (also known as The Man Box), a lack of knowledge as to how to help themselves, and delays in taking action are literally k

06/25/2025

I think we can all agree that connection is one of, or possible the, bedrock of a good relationship. But what about physical connection, of any time, and intimacy specifically. S*x seems to often be a point of discontent, misunderstanding, or difference within relationships, particularly long-term ones. The myth is that, if you are not always thinking about and wanting s*x, you are not interested. The truth is not just much more complicated than that, but possibly completely different from that. For some people, this is true. For others, they may never think about it, but once pleasurable talk and touch is initiated, they are completely engaged. Do you know how your partner thinks about s*x? When is the last time you talked about it, outside of "the moment"? If you can't remember, it's definitely time to bring up that conversation again.

It turns out every part of the narrative we’re taught about desire is not merely wrong, but wrongheaded

06/18/2025

How often do you lay awake in the middle of the night? Maybe a noise, dream, or upset child wakes you, perhaps it was a particularly upsetting or vivid dreams that abruptly wrests your from sleep, or perhaps you don't know why, but you wake suddenly and find your brain spinning on any number of topics. Regardless of the reason, the inability to return to sleep is frustrating and anxiety-provoking. There are things you can do, however, to help return to slumber. Before turning off the lights at night, jot down the thoughts that seem to have the biggest hold on you that day. It could be the items you need to grab at the store tomorrow, the fight you had with your partner two weeks ago that you're still thinking about (and probably should discuss sooner than later, btw), a task you need to complete, or random worries that pop into your head. Writing these down allows our brains to let go of the worry that we'll forget about them, and so we can let go of the thought. Techniques such as this elevator "trick" (ie meditation) can also be highly successful at gaining control of our brains and bodies, and returning to dreamland. Wishing you a restful night's sleep!

If you’ve ever felt alone with your thoughts in the dark, this quiet trick is a way to feel held, not haunted.

06/11/2025

Pride Month is a time to celebrate people and positive change, and to reflect on how continued efforts can affect everyone. Change that is good for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community is good for everyone. In the current political environment, it is important to remember that rights for one are rights for all. If we let any one community down, we let everyone down. Take time this month to let your voice be heard, whether to support an individual person, or to work toward change in your town, state, or country.

Pride is power. Joining us in raising our flag high and making it clear - These Colors Don’t Run.

06/04/2025

Welcome to Pride Month! Whether you know it or not, I can almost guarantee that someone in your life is LGBTQ+. Maybe it’s you! Maybe it’s a family member, friend, co-worker, neighbor, mailperson, your kid’s best friend… This might be a good time to stop and consider what makes them a uniquely wonderful person. Not because of their s*xual and/ or gender identity, but because they are an individual with their own personal way of being. Perhaps even consider telling them what you appreciate. After all, this is a time to celebrate them!

05/28/2025

Are you a fixer or a listener? Many of us see a loved one in pain, and immediately step in to solve the problem. While understandable (who wants to see someone they care about in pain?), it is rarely the most helpful first step. When we are operating in an emotional space, what we really need from others is kindness and understanding (empathy). Feeling heard and validated is much more effective at assisting to reduce the emotional weight of a situation than trying to remedy the situation. In addition, giving the solution to someone suggests, even if inadvertently, that we do not think they are capable of solving the problem independently. Start by listening calmly, reflecting back the emotions you see and hear, and just staying in the emotional space with your person. Once the emotions have been coped with, you can ask if they would like assistance with resolving the problem. But until someone says they want your help, don't step in to fix it. While we often talk about these skills in terms of parenting, they work equally well, and are just as important, with people of every age.

When your child is hurting, the urge to fix is natural, but that might actually hurt them more.

05/21/2025

We often put up boundaries around work relationships, telling ourselves it is "inappropriate" to become too involved in a co-worker's personal life. Sometimes, however, people need help. There may be a fine line between when you do or do not step in and do so, but perhaps it is best, and kindest, to err on the side of caution. You never know what checking in on someone can change their day, if not their life.

A few years ago, "A" experienced a psychotic episode. His boss made a decision that saved his life.

05/07/2025

The way we talk to ourselves directly impacts the way we feel and the choices we make. As I often say to clients, semantics matter. All-or-nothing words are particularly dangerous. These are words or phrases that do not allow for any change or error. Words such as must, have to, and should fall into this category. I find that they are often used when someone has a set of rules (whether assigned by self or others) that they are trying, unsuccessfully, to follow. In addition to the obvious feeling of failure, this also tends to lead to guilt, whether due to not meeting these expectations, or not actually wanting to meet them. When you find yourself dropping an all-or-nothing word into your conversations with yourself or others, try to rephrase. Simply using "could" instead can lead to a significant difference in how you respond to the situation.

04/30/2025

Bullying is one of those situations that breaks the heart of any parent of a child experiencing it (not to mention the heart of the child!). As adults, we all know that the bully is trying to get a reaction, and responding in certain ways increases (or decreases) the likelihood of repeated occurrences. Most of us have tried to explain this, but it can be a very difficult concept for a child to truly accept, and to be able to use in the moment. This video explains it a little differently, and has some helpful roleplaying that may help children handle the situations a little differently in the moment.

http://BrooksGibbs.com Author/Speaker Brooks Gibbs explains bullying in the most simplistic terms: Dominance behavior.He provides a simple solution to bullyi...

04/23/2025