Don’t let fear, panic, and worry define you.

Halloween is that time of year that is meant to be scary. Horror movies play constantly on certain channels, haunted houses are in the business of terrifying customers for the title of “scariest attraction,” and trick-or-treaters and Halloween enthusiasts search for the perfect costume to transform their appearance into something out of this world for the season of All Hallow’s Eve.

For those Halloween enthusiasts who are always seeking out the next best scare, fear and panic can be thrills of excitement — here for the moment and gone in the next…

Working through negative cues while in treatment

I’ve been working in substance abuse counseling for the past two years. I never intended to go into substance abuse counseling — I just jumped into an opportunity that came up as I was preparing to leave my time-limited job at the university where I was completing my second master’s degree in Human Development Counseling.

One of the patterns that I’ve picked up in my two years working in the field is that an individual’s story and life experiences will come back to haunt them and will often lead them back to relapse…

A Short Story

Jake and I sat together on the bench almost every day in the park. He was reading a novel he had become deeply engrossed in, and I was his “couch” so-to-speak. He leaned against me as he read, and I peacefully soaked in his closeness while people-watching others as they strolled through the park.

This was a common activity for both of us during our trips to the park; Jake read, I watched. Sometimes I’d bring along my music, but on most days I left it at home, not wanting to take away from the experience of…

I usually try to have a writing craft book in my “currently reading” pile or bookshelf, and right now I’m reading DIY MFA by Gabriela Pereira. I’m really enjoying her writing style, and she presents her tips, tricks, and knowledge to her readers in an easy-to-follow way that allows readers to move back and forth within her material and play with the different techniques and exercises that she writes about.

What I really enjoy about this particular piece is that she places a heavy emphasis on the importance of actually writing. It’s easy to love the idea of writing —…

“I’m a counselor. I have to have it all together. Not just some of the time. All of the time.”

“I’m a counselor. I need to be a role model for what it means to have stability in my mental health.”

“I’m a counselor. It’s not ok to not be ok.”

These are the lies that I used to tell myself. Truth be told, I was critical of myself (and still can be sometimes) when it comes to my anxiety, and that served no purpose other than to worsen my anxiety even more. …

Valuable writing tips from my favorite author.

There was a time in my life where I took a hiatus from writing, and after I reconnected with that part of myself that fell in love with writing in the first place, it was like I had to sweet-talk my muse into opening up to me again. …

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” -Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

One of the worst feelings in the world for a writer is sitting at the desk with pen and paper ready or with the computer booted up only to stare blankly at the paper or screen in fear of how to start writing down all of the great ideas racing through your mind. …

It’s easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of daily living, and it’s even easier to lose sight of the important self-care practices that keep us motivated to tackle our next time-crunched day. The thought of adding one more daily routine to what seems like an unending stream of to-dos often seems like asking for the impossible.

On average, I work about 40–45 hours per week. My job is rewarding but also stressful, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. I often find myself getting stuck in my head as I think about everything that I know is waiting…