Illumine Counseling

01/01/2026

12/31/2025

Let's finish 2025. ❤️ Give yourself the space to do what feels best for you. Honor your journey by acknowledging the lows and the highs. Practice compassion.

Best wishes for 2026!
~ Amy
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Happy New Year 🥳

As we say goodbye to one year and welcome the next, sometimes all we really need is a hug.

Not big promises or loud celebrations, just warmth, comfort, and a moment to breathe. Ending the year with love makes the new one feel less heavy already.

Dogs remind us how simple kindness can be. Their loyalty, affection, and calm presence support our mental health and emotional well being every day. Pet companionship brings peace, reduces stress, and turns hard moments into softer ones, especially during times of change.

Here’s to a new year that arrives gently. May it bring healing, safety, and quieter joy into our lives. Hold your loved ones close, cherish your pets, and step forward with hope and gratitude.

12/30/2025

When we open our hearts beyond those closest to us, we discover a tenderness that connects us all. Each act of care, no matter how small, nourishes our own spirit and gently heals the world around us.

12/30/2025

12/30/2025

Creating a self care kit gives you easy access to feeling better. Having ready resources helps establish good habits to build your sense of wellness.

Learn how to create a self-care kit for stressful days with our ultimate guide. Discover essentials for relaxation, mental well-being, and balance. Download our free checklist now!

11/23/2025

DEPRESSION TIPS:

Shower. Not a bath, a shower.
Use water as hot or cold as you like. You don’t even need to wash. Just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. Sit on the floor if you gotta.

Moisturize everything.
Use whatever lotion you like.
Unscented? Dollar store lotion? Fancy 48-hour lotion that makes you smell like a field of wildflowers? Use whatever you want, and use it all over your entire dermis.

Put on clean, comfortable clothes.
Put on your favorite underwear.
Those ridiculous boxers you bought last Christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? Put them on.

Drink cold water.
Use ice. If you want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost.

Clean something.
Doesn’t have to be anything big. Organize one drawer of a desk. Wash five dirty dishes. Do a load of laundry. Scrub the bathroom sink.

Blast music.
Listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. Sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.

Make food.
Don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. Take the time and make food. Even if it’s ramen. Add something special to it, like a soft-boiled egg or some veggies. Prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something.

Make something.
Write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, or anything artistic. Even if you don’t think you’re good at it. Create.

Go outside.
Take a walk. Sit in the grass. Look at the clouds. Smell flowers. Put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.

Call someone.
Call a loved one, a friend, or a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. Talk to a stranger on the street. Have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. If you can’t bring yourself to call, text, email, or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. Even if you don’t say much, listen to them. It helps.

Cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them.
Take pictures of them. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out, anything.

May seem small or silly to some, but this list keeps people alive.

*** At your absolute best you won’t be good enough for the wrong people. But at your worst, you’ll still be worth it to the right ones. Remember that. Keep holding on.

*** In case nobody has told you today I love you and you are worth your weight and then some in gold, so be kind to yourself and most of all keep pushing on!!!!

Find something to be grateful for!

11/02/2025

'Deep at the center of my being is an Infinite Well of Love. I allow this emotion to consciously flow to the surface.' 🍁

11/02/2025

"A simple thought of forgiveness toward anyone who might have angered you in the past will raise you to the level of Spirit and aid you in your individual intentions."

09/19/2025

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08/21/2025

Learn how to set boundaries with a narcissist and protect your well-being with 14 powerful strategies that help you stay firm, confident, and in control.