Dustin Shultz, MFT

07/22/2025

Gaslighting: When Doubt Becomes the WeaponDustin Shultz

You’re not sure when it started, maybe it was the way they’d brush off your feelings, or how their version of events never quite matched yours. You began to question yourself, replaying conversations in your head, wondering if you were the one who got it wrong. That slow erosion of trust in your...

07/22/2025

🛑Did you know trauma comes in all forms, shapes and sizes? Sometimes it’s the consistent criticism from loved one, a parent too caught up in their own emotions to consistently notices yours, or having to hide parts of yourself to “fit the mold.” Whatever it may be, you aren’t alone. ✨Head to our website to read more about trauma, how to spot it, and what to do with it.

https://preparetochangecounseling.org/blog/

07/18/2025

07/16/2025

When Love Gets Tough, Liking Each Other Matters MostDustin Shultz

Love is often painted as the glue that holds a couple together. And it is. But love can also be elusive in hard moments, when trust is frayed, when exhaustion outweighs affection, when the past barges into the present, uninvited. In those moments, it isn’t always love that carries you through. It....

07/03/2025

Beyond Us and Them: Finding the Third in a Divided AmericaDustin Shultz

In the therapy room, one of the most challenging dynamics a couple can face is polarization. Each partner becomes entrenched in their perspective, convinced the other is wrong, or worse, that the other is dangerous. They stop seeing each other and start seeing symbols. Battles over dishes or discipl

07/02/2025

The Illusion of Fireworks: A MFT's Take on the Meaning of IndependenceDustin Shultz

There’s a strange hollowness that can accompany holidays, especially the ones draped in symbols of triumph. Every year on July 4th, we gather under exploding skies to celebrate our country’s independence. The rituals are familiar: red-white-and-blue paper plates, the smoky scent of barbecue, kid...

06/25/2025

The Ache to Be Alike: When the Threat of Differences Show Up in a Couple's Therapy RoomDustin Shultz

They sat on opposite ends of the couch, barely looking at each other. He crossed his arms. She looked out the window. I had asked a simple question, something about what made them feel safe with each other when things were good. She didn’t answer right away. He spoke first. “I just want us to be

06/12/2025

Why We Push Away the People We LoveDustin Shultz

If you’ve ever caught yourself shutting down, picking a fight, or pulling away from someone you deeply care about, you’re not alone. And you’re not broken. In fact, I see this all the time in couples therapy: People come in frustrated, confused, and hurt. One says: “I just want to feel close...

06/05/2025

The Myth of the Perfect Fit: Why Healthy Relationships Need FrictionDustin Shultz

Struggling with conflicting your relationships? Discover why friction is normal and even necessary in healthy relationships. Let go of the "perfect fit" fantasy and learn love grows through emotional challenges.

05/27/2025

I’ve seen a lot of things in my hears of being a therapist, but this was a first.

05/16/2025

We’re committed to making mental health care more accessible. That’s why we’re opening two low-fee psychotherapy spots for individuals seeking weekly support.

05/14/2025

How do I know if I have Trauma? Part 1 What is Trauma?Dustin Shultz

Trauma.What came to mind when you read that word? Was it war? Violence? A major accident? Abuse? If it was, you wouldn’t be alone. The more I talk with people, it’s the major events that seem to be most associated with the word trauma. And for good reason. War, Abuse, Violence, Racism, Poverty