Compass Counseling

08/17/2025

💯💯💯 Yeap

06/22/2025

This - therapists offices are safe spaces!!!

Your story matters. 🦋
Your voice deserves to be heard.
In safe spaces, healing happens and shame loses its power. 💛

May we continue creating circles of trust, love, and understanding — where vulnerability is honored, and stories become bridges of hope. ✨

Together, we break cycles. Together, we rise. 🌿

05/19/2025

A good little nugget - could still
Feel scary, but it could be a start to a positive shift! Honest, open communication is key-

04/19/2025

Ahhhh yes, mental wellbeing is a much higher priority!!! The discussion of what to do & why is a good lesson in talking/thinking it through for what’s best for each individual-

My freshman daughter came home from school yesterday and let me know that her teacher pulled her aside. “She wants me to move up to honors next year,” she told me. “She said she didn’t think I was challenging myself enough.”

“Well, that’s a compliment,” I responded. “But, what do you think?”

She looked crestfallen. “I just don’t know how I can fit it in because everyone complains about how much extra work honors is. Taking it as a regular class this year gave me some breathing room and it was the one class I didn’t have to stress about. And next year I have driving school and cross country and all my other advanced classes. I have to volunteer for Key Club and I want to babysit to have spending money and . . .” She went on and on for a few minutes.

“I guess we have our answer then,” I told her. “You are pretty busy already, so you don’t have to add to your schedule.”

“But what about challenging myself?” she asked. “Like, are colleges going to be down on me because I didn’t take all honors classes?”

I looked at my young daughter and for the first time in a long while she appeared small to me instead of the young woman she is becoming—more like when she was a scared toddler about to get in trouble.

And I thought, how much more challenged does she have to be?
She is challenged to get enough sleep every night after long school days full of advanced classes.

She is challenged to find downtime because she chose to participate in a high school sport.

She is challenged to find balance in a stress-filled trek to get into a college.

She is challenged by peer pressure and social media and the dangers of simply walking into her school each day.

While the teacher wanted to encourage my daughter, all she felt was pressure from the world around her. Do more. Work harder. Take the challenge.

It’s not this teacher’s fault. It’s her job to see the potential in kids, and she has taught my child well this year. She is supportive and encouraging.

But my teenager’s response underscored what I think is a pervasive problem.

I think we have to start looking at our kids in a more holistic manner and choosing our words a little differently.

Last year, my daughter (with our input) made a conscious choice not to take all honors classes in her first year of high school. As parents, we told her she should challenge herself in the subjects that she cared about the most, which in her case is math and science, and then decide one-off in the other areas.

But I saw her anxiety first-hand when discussing her schedule for next year, and with her first round of finals coming up, she was a pressure cooker.

Not everything our tweens and teens do needs to be challenging or rigorous or competitive.

Most of us don’t thrive in that kind of environment, and for sure our kids don’t.

So, I told my daughter I thought she should take the grade-level course again for the next year. She challenged herself in other areas, and I thought she found a good balance this year in her course selection.

It’s the educators’ and coaches’ and activity leaders’ jobs to build our kids up and push them to their limits, but it’s our job as parents to also let them know that they don’t have to do this with everything. At the end of the day, it’s our job as parents to look at the big picture, but I think as a whole we should be changing the conversations we have with our teens.

I’m glad that my child has teachers that believe in her potential, but I’m also glad my daughter recognizes she has limits.

It’s tough to find the balance in teaching our kids to push themselves to reach their potential without burning out or breaking down.

We need to start putting our kids’ mental health first, and then teach them how to decide what they can handle. Because if your kid can’t sleep because of stress or starts hurting themselves to cope with anxiety or something worse yet, that “challenging” course they felt they should take or team we pushed them to join or added responsibility they weren’t ready for may not be worth it.

I absolutely want my kids to challenge themselves, but I hope they learn to care about their well-being more than anything else.

Written by Whitney Fleming

01/24/2025

It’s worth the work -

11/22/2024

Self-Care … we don’t need permission but if you feel you do …. Here it is!

11/04/2024

The beauty of living authentically- beautiful things come out of the shards of brokenness

09/20/2024

Divorce is not easy- coparenting can be challenging- when done healthily, children learn how self care, boundaries & good communication can impact relationships in a positive way. It’s important for open communication to be established, not passive techniques of unstated expectations. All parties need a voice, adults & children in these cases- the adults are modeling how to have either authentic discussions (that can be hard but are rich in life lessons) or passive manipulative behavior. Choose wisely, the skills modeled can foster a positive growing relationship with maturing children. It’s difficult if what’s modeled is unspoken, but is clear w attitude, body language, & tone.

Divorce is not a failure.

Sometimes it's a courageous decision to reclaim your worth, find your voice, and choose your path that aligns with your authentic self. This empowering perspective sheds light on the transformative power of divorce.
Ending a marriage takes immense courage, especially when societal expectations and personal fears urge you to stay in a unhappy and unfulfilling relationship. However, divorce offers a chance to:
- Break free from toxic dynamics and emotional suffocation
- Rediscover your identity, interests, and passions
- Develop a stronger sense of self and personal growth
- Cultivate healthier boundaries and relationships
- Embrace a new chapter of life, filled with promise and possibility
Divorce is not a defeat, but a victory over the fear of change and the courage to pursue happiness. It's a declaration of self-love, a celebration of personal evolution, and a testament to the human spirit's capacity for resilience and growth.
Remember, your worth is not defined by your relationship status. You are worthy of love, happiness, and fulfilment, and divorce can be a powerful step towards reclaiming your true self. Embrace this new beginning and rise stronger, wiser, and more radiant than ever.

08/28/2024

Together if really building a future…

04/25/2024

Nice article

These simple but powerful statements could pave the way for a stronger, healthier relationship.

04/18/2024

If you are looking for a good tool to talk to your children about their body- here you go! (I do not work with children)

Speaking to children on their own terms, this critically acclaimed book sensitively establishes boundaries for youngsters. In a non-threatening, engaging manner, this guide teaches kids that when it comes to their body, there are some parts that are for �no one else to see” and empowers them to ...

02/24/2024

Often in therapy it is very common for clients of all ages, to hear the unintended/intended hurtful words of a parent, from years past, creating self doubt. Admitting that an old wound/memory is holding us hostage is difficult sometimes. The segment I took a photo of is such a simple & powerful example to prevent/heal - this happens in marriages as well… words matter!