The Heart of Counseling

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The Heart of Counseling

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02/27/2026

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Rest day for me and curling up with a good book.

These are always good reminders if you’re someone like me who has a lot going on.

“Time off won’t heal you when the problem is how you spend your time on” 💣

Enjoying the read and ready for a discussion with the clinical team at next month.

02/26/2026

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Practicing attunement to couples by watching tv show and movie clips with no sound.

SO MUCH of what is said by people in couples therapy is done so without any words at all.

Good therapy listens to the words AND the body cues.

02/24/2026

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The prompt: I will show up tomorrow (for all day role plays) because…

“We grow in community not isolation”
“It will make me a better therapist”
“I’m worth the effort”
“Everyone deserves to have someone to show up for them”
“Someone once showed up for me”

These student counselors are pretty remarkable humans doing pretty remarkable work.

02/23/2026

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Sometimes at the end of a long teaching weekend it can feel a little bit like a circus.

🤡 🎪 🎈

Celebrations. Authentic selves. Laughter. Learning.

It’s all part of class with me 🤣🫣🤣

02/22/2026

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First time ever bringing toaster ovens to class!

Shrinky d***s for the win!!

When I teach my couples therapy course I have volunteer mentors who come and help me coach and encourage the students in their role plays. They play a major part in helping students be brave as they learn new skills.

The students create meaningful mentor gifts and this time we spent time in class making little keychain shrinky d**k appreciation gifts. Such sweet words of affirmation exchanged.

Thank you for the brilliant idea Vivian!

02/18/2026

Creating family maps in class yesterday.

Family maps = a structural family therapy technique to show family boundaries and hierarchy.

12/10/2025

These are the days…

of classroom celebrations
games that become tradition (since 2017!)
silliness and laughter in the classroom
endings, closure, and see ya next years

And now endless grading

12/05/2025

What is this a picture of? Grown ass therapists having a snowball fight in the office with crumpled up pieces of paper.

I have crazy ideas. All the time. And sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, and sometimes they turn into something greater than I could have imagined.

Here is your invitation to have fun. To play. To seek joy and throw it around. You never know what might happen.

12/03/2025

Escape room for my ethics class this week! Solve the ethical dilemmas and stay off the counselor disciplinary list!

Comments from the online chat:

“Dr. Michelle is an evil genius”
“Oh nooooo!!!! We’re never getting out of heeeeere”
“If we can’t escape, I get the couch”
“I learned a lot this semester, but one thing is that I need to learn how to play D&D”
“I’m gonna just stick to wordle”

”

11/16/2025

The last and final weekend of family therapy class for this semester. The prep, the exhaustion, the organizing and reorganizing has been worth it. Students grew beyond their own expectations and hopes. I love being able to bring my crazy creative ideas into the classroom. Students, thank you for always teaching me.

11/13/2025

I’m not sure who in the counseling office stocked up our “emergency comfort kit” drawer with a hundred bags of gummy bears but you are my people.

Address

Portland, OR

Website

http://michelleengblom.com/

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