FALL RESOURCES

Fall teaches us about change. Trees let their leaves go, the leaves that they grew so carefully through the year. Times are changing for us too, and all we want is peace and freedom. There is a lot happening in our lives, sometimes painful circumstances, that can bring the forceful letting go of what is obsolete. It might be a job, a habit, a relationship, a way of thinking. Something that you were aligned with before, a part of you that you’re very attached to, but that doesn’t resonate with what you truly desire, in your heart, anymore. This inevitable letting go might come as a forced change, a painful decision, a loss, or it might come as a happy new beginning that feels just right. Trees must let their leaves go in order to gather life force for a new cycle in the spring. We can resist the changes, out of fear, or need for control. Or we can connect with trust, even if we don’t understand why things are happening, and let life guide us into a new cycle.

Give yourself a little time, and ask yourself: "What in my life has to die, either because I don’t want it anymore, or because life is forcing it out? It can be scary. But how far am I willing to go, to hold on, before I transform or leave something behind?” Take that old mindset, that old habit, that old self, that old relationship, and thank it for coming this far with you, and get ready for transformation. And trust that what is happening, painful or not, is for evolution and potential, for a new you. Just like a tree sheds a leaf, sometimes peacefully, sometimes forced by the wind or the storm. But it does so in trust and knowing that it will have a new beginning. We have access to that trust too, if we choose to not resist. We are in this together. Walking each other home.

Miriam is currently accepting new clients. Learn more here.

Contact Brian at briancvega@me.com for more info!

Change is inevitable in relationships, but it can feel threatening if it's not partnered with communication and understanding. As individuals, our needs change, boundaries shift, interests expand, and expectations for our primary relationship evolve. According to Esther Perel, "we want our chosen one to offer stability, safety, predictability, and dependability... and we want that very same person to supply awe, mystery, adventure, and risk." We want to rely on our partner to meet our safety needs, attachment needs, friendship needs, co-parenting needs, social needs, financial needs, sex needs, and esteem needs, to name a few. It's a tall order, filled with deep contradictions. Pair that with behaviors that erode trust, limited communication skills, and unproductive ways to manage conflict, and you have the perfect recipe for an unsatisfying relationship. Oftentimes couples wait until things get pretty uncomfortable before seeking help, which is like taking your car into the garage after weeks/months/years of noticing a rattling noise or smoke coming from the engine. Couples therapy can proactively help by offering communication skills and conflict tools that are necessary for navigating healthy relationships. Contact Brian Vega, LPC, NCC to learn more about couples therapy here.

While telehealth may have had its beginnings as a short term solution to a worldwide problem, it has a regular place in the mental health field with the potential to provide long term solutions. Whether you’re a busy stay-at-home parent, an individual living in a remote location, or a young adult just starting a new job or college with an intense schedule, telehealth can offer many benefits:

• your visit is done from the comfort and safety of your own home/car/backyard. This is helpful to individuals who live in remote areas who don’t have local access to mental health care and those who have limited mobility or other disabilities that may prevent them from traveling to and from appointments.

• evening and weekend appointments can ensure mental health services fit into busy schedules

• uninterrupted care: clients who have already established care with their counselor can continue that relationship throughout changes in life like moving, work travel, attending school in a different city, or health challenges.

By exploring virtual therapy, you can take a step towards bettering your mental health, no matter who you are or how busy your schedule may be.

Learn more about virtual therapy services by contacting Amber Brasier, MS, PSC, PLPC here.

Counseling Solutions has 3 counseling interns from Missouri State University. The interns are graduate level counseling students who are supervised by Missouri State University and by a licensed professional counselor in our office. They are able to offer therapy starting at $20 per session. To learn more about scheduling a session, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/K25YGqMvpDvyXa2d7

Pet owners instinctively know that pets make us feel better. Studies show that pets:

• increase levels of serotonin and dopamine (pleasure and happiness chemicals)
• decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone)
• lower blood pressure
• reduce loneliness
• increase feelings of social support
• boost mood
• help us co-regulate, release muscle tension, and slow down breathing
• combat depression by giving us a sense of purpose; providing structure and routine to our day; and invoking responsibilities that foster healthy living
• encourage physical activity and increase our time spent in nature
• provide us opportunities to play
• help us stay in the present and engage in mindfulness

Emotional Support Animals can help with depression, anxiety, and other mental health diagnoses. ESAs can live in no-pet housing and pet fees are not allowed. Learn more at www.emotionalsupportanimalsmissouri.com

Anger is a complicated emotion that can be problematic if not managed effectively, and domestic violence creates a cycle of shame that most people wish to escape. This course is an affordable and convenient way to learn new skills to help manage our most problematic emotions.

The Anger Management 101 course focuses on understanding:

• the brain-based biology behind anger
• thoughts and awareness
• feelings, triggers, and reactions
• communication and conflict styles
• domestic violence and shame
• 20+ healthy coping mechanisms

Our class is VIRTUAL, LIVE, and takes place in the evening. Learn more about it here.

Brian Vega, MS, LPC, NCC, started Counseling Solutions in 2005. Since then, it has grown to partner with over 30 providers and to include: individual, couples, family, adolescent, play, group, EMDR, brainspotting, virtual, and sex therapy; life coaching, ESA letters, anger management classes, and supervision for PLPCs and counseling interns.

Email: briancvega@me.com
Website: www.counselingsolutionsoftheozarks.com
Location: 1531 East Sunshine Street, Springfield, MO, USA
Phone: 417-849-6679