Peace and Perspective Counseling, LLC

08/29/2025

Hello! Please note that this is an out of office alert. Peace and Perspective Counseling will be closed 9/2/25 through 9/10/25. We will reopen on 9/11/25.

In my absence, please refer to your intake paperwork for reminders regarding emergencies and additional supports. Additionally, you may call 988 for mental health support and assistance, and 911 for immediate emergencies. If you live in Allegheny county, you can also call RESOLVE at 1-888-796-8226 for assistance.

My colleague Elana Chilzer (724) 395-2233 is covering for any emergent needs that cannot await my return as I will not have 24/7 access internationally. However, please note that Elana is not triage for emergency situations in which 911 would be expedient, so please always outreach the most appropriate source for immediate assistance. If you cannot keep yourself safe, have means, plan or intent, or are being harmed by another person, please call 911 immediately.

As always, encouraging you to take the best care of yourselves 🤗 use the skills, supports and resources you have worked so hard to build, and remember to prioritize your self-care! 💜💜 I look forward to seeing you again in a few weeks! guma slàn dhut! 😁

2.6 ★ · Mental health clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

08/23/2025

07/18/2025

The strange thing is, when we are repeating childhood trauma in our relationships we often remain unaware we're doing so. In fact, we can often think what we're doing is healing ourselves when in fact we may be setting ourselves up for more misery.

For example, an abandonment wound formed early in life may show up as people pleasing (trying to repair) or as narcissism (trying to deny). Neither one is healthy. And once an empath meets a narcissist, the outcome is rarely a good one. The drive in these relationship is often to change the other person, not ourselves. It's not the right goal and it never works out well.

The work here is to learn how to experience that which we repeat with deliberate conscious awareness of it, and to accept it so that we can learn how differentiate it from our other feelings so that we no longer have to keep carrying it. By attending to what is otherwise ignored we can learn how to tolerate the inherent imperfection of relationships.
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If you're a recovering survivor complex trauma and you’re struggling with emotional neglect and the wounds of abandonment in childhood, our Daily Recovery Support program provides the resources and guidance you need to build safe, fulfilling relationships.

Learn more at cptsdfoundation.org/dailyrecoverysupport

07/18/2025

To anyone experiencing deep loneliness around a lack of romantic connection, know this: not having a romantic relationship does not mean you are “not in a relationship.”

You are likely in many relationships.

One of the most important connections in life is the connection we have with our friends, and not just when dating is hard or after a big breakup. The beauty of having friendships lies in the quiet, everyday miracle of being known—and still loved.

This summer, my podcast Where Should We Begin? shifts the spotlight to the powerful platonic love stories between friends. From long-held bonds to brand-new connections, these episodes reveal the intimacy, loyalty, and reflection that only friendship can offer.

Subscribe to Where Should We Begin? via Apple Podcasts and you'll get access to "Office Hours," extra episodes featuring behind-the-scenes stories, ad-free listening, and exclusive content—including a recent conversation with Couples Therapy’s Orna Guralnik.

Join now http://apple.co/wswb and you'll get 20% off your annual subscription. Discount applied at checkout. Offer valid through July 31, 2025.

07/03/2025

If you are searching for closure ❤️‍🩹 Find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/This-Meant-Find-When-Needed/dp/1949759644/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

06/29/2025

05/31/2025

https://www.facebook.com/reel/727982239890633/?

05/11/2025

This is a perspective shift for many people, and it's also a sign of improving emotional maturity when we can begin to hold space for these complex and often conflicting feelings and truths.

People aren't simply "good" or "bad."
We're all complex, multi-layered, with complicated histories, deeply ingrained patterns, and, for the most part, I believe we're all trying to do the best we can.

Which means good people can do bad things sometimes.
But seeing the good in someone doesn't mean you have to stay in harmful patterns or unsafe dynamics.
It means that we can still see and love them and understand how they came to a behavior, AND not be willing to tolerate that behavior.

Learning to separate out the person from the behavior is a sign of your own growth and maturity.
It means growing to trust yourself to maintain boundaries without needing hate, anger, or judgment.
You're allowed to have boundaries simply because what you need is what you need.

Remember, boundaries ARE kind.
Boundaries are letting people see you; boundaries are part of how we co-create relationships together, through sharing our limits and needs with one another.
They're how we build real trust because we can see how people respond when we show them parts of ourselves in naming what we need.

If you're new to creating the types of boundaries that welcome people in, there is a lot of emotion in this process. The Let It Go (emotional self management) Workshop begins June 3rd. Come practice and learn new ways to sit gently with your own discomfort as you begin to change how you show up in relationship.
https://theeqschool.co/let-it-go-workshop