Olivia Fadul, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor

06/18/2026

With age you learn it’s not about time, it’s about the people who truly see, hear, and love you. 💛👯‍♀️

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

🧭 Belonging Compass™ | North
What remains true about me?
When life changes, it is easy to focus on what has been lost.
The role.
The relationship.
The plan.
The version of ourselves we thought we would become.
But growth is not only about letting go.
It is also about remembering.
Remembering our values.
Remembering our strengths.
Remembering the parts of ourselves that remain steady even when circumstances change.
Perhaps that is why roots matter.
Even when the landscape changes, not everything has been lost.
Some parts of us continue to grow beneath the surface.
Some parts of us continue to guide us forward.
And sometimes healing begins by remembering what was never lost.

🧭 Pause & Reflect
⬆️ What strengths have helped me navigate challenges before?
⬆️ What values continue to guide me?
⬆️ Who or what helps me feel grounded?
⬆️ What have my experiences taught me about myself?
⬆️ What remains true about me today?

🌱 This Week's Reflection
Identify one strength, value, relationship, or lesson you are carrying with you.
Write it down.
Carry it with you this week.
💜 You are not lost. You are becoming.
🌳 Rooted in Belonging.
🧭 Guided by Purpose.
— Olivia Fadul, MS, LPCC, CPC, NCC

Part of the Belonging Compass™ series developed through the Olive Tree Counseling Approach™.

06/15/2026

In 2020, my 9th year as a counselor, I launched Olive Tree Counseling during a global pandemic, a season when the world felt uncertain & disconnected.
As a counselor, I found myself working with individuals navigating grief & loss, neurodivergence, disability identity, chronic and health conditions, life transitions, relationships, & questions of belonging

Across these experiences, I noticed:
People were not simply trying to solve problems.
They were trying to understand who they were, what mattered to them, & who they were becoming.
Beneath many of these conversations was a deeper question:
Where do I belong now & were do I go now?
As someone who has lived with hearing loss since childhood, I understand what it means to navigate a world that is not always built with access in mind.
Disability taught me that healing is not always about returning to life as it was before. Often, it is about adaptation, self-discovery, & finding meaning in the midst of change.

As I continued to grow as a counselor, I found myself drawn to Existential-Humanistic counseling, an approach that emphasizes meaning, purpose, freedom, responsibility, & the courage to live authentically.
The olive tree became a symbol for that journey.
Over time, I realized that healing often looks like an olive tree.
We deepen our roots
We adapt
We grow through changing seasons
We continue becoming

As I reflected on my work as a counselor & disabled individual, I saw a common thread: people were searching for meaning, belonging, & direction.
I realized that healing requires both roots & direction

Over time, Olive Tree Counseling evolved into something larger.
Today, Olive Tree Counseling remains the foundation of my philosophy, while Olivia Counseling serves as the umbrella for my counseling, advocacy, scholarship, & consultation work

Across each role, I continue returning to the same question:
How do we help people navigate life's transitions without losing themselves?
🧭 A compass became a natural companion to the olive tree
While roots ground us, a compass helps us navigate uncertainty & reconnect with what matters most

Together, they became the foundation for the Olive Tree Counseling Approach™ & a reflection tool I call the Belonging Compass™

At the center of the compass is one word:

✨ PURPOSE ✨
The Belonging Compass™ is not about finding the right answer
It is about creating space to reflect & move forward with intention

Philosophy
As a counselor, I see myself as a fellow traveler, walking alongside people as they deepen their roots, discover direction, & move toward a life aligned with their values
And at the heart of my work is one belief:
💜 You belong here
You are not lost. You are becoming
Healing is not returning to who you were
Healing is growing into who you are becoming

In future posts, I'll share reflections & exercises from the Belonging Compass™.
See comments for instructions on how to use the exercise

05/25/2026

✨ More than a drawing — this piece reflects the values and insight that continue to guide my work: empathy, growth, connection, healing, and creating space where people feel seen, heard, and supported. 🤍🌿☕

✨ A creative reflection of the heart behind my work as a counselor and educator — grounded in compassion, authenticity, connection, and hope. 🤍

☕🌿 Sometimes artwork captures what words cannot. This piece reflects the importance of empathy, healing, humor, growth, and showing up fully human in the work we do.

✨ Counseling is more than a profession to me — it is about creating spaces where people feel safe enough to heal, grow, and rediscover their strengths. This artwork beautifully reflects that journey. 🤍

🤍 A little creativity, a lot of heart. This illustration captures pieces of the energy, care, and humanity I hope to bring into counseling, advocacy, and education every day.

✨ This sketchbook-inspired piece reflects both the professional and human side of counseling — curiosity, compassion, reflection, humor, growth, and connection. 🌿

🌿 Healing, boundaries, laughter, growth, advocacy, coffee, and connection — all parts of the journey. This artwork captures the spirit behind the work I care deeply about. 🤍☕

✨ I love how this artwork reflects the balance between professionalism and humanity. Counseling is not about perfection — it is about presence, empathy, and connection.

🤍 A visual reminder that counselors are human too — learning, growing, reflecting, supporting others, and continuing to evolve along the way.

04/26/2026

Start Here: When Life Feels Unclear
Counseling with Olivia

Tip: Start your week with this daily reflection prompt.

Sometimes things don’t make sense right away.
You don’t have to rush clarity.
Writing can be one place to begin.
Not to fix it. Not to force positivity.
Just to understand what’s there.
If you’re not sure where to start, you might try one of these prompts.
You don’t need to be perfect. This is just for you.
Just start somewhere.

✨ Which day would you start with—Sun, Wed, or Fri?
You can come back to this whenever you need.
Save this for later.

03/26/2026

Sharing this as a reminder 💙

Self-validation is not just a mindset—it’s a practice, especially for disabled and neurodivergent individuals navigating systems that often prioritize productivity over well-being.

Ableism can shape how we see ourselves. When worth becomes tied to output or independence, self-esteem can start to feel conditional—like something we have to earn.

Over time, this can sound like:
• “I’m not doing enough”
• “I should be further along”
• “My needs are too much”

Self-validation offers a different path—one that helps us unlearn these messages and reconnect with our inherent worth.

A few reminders:
• Your pace is valid
• Your access needs are valid
• Your worth is not defined by productivity
• Your lived experience brings value
• Naming your needs matters

It shifts the question from
“Am I doing enough?”
to
“Am I honoring myself?”

Take a moment to reflect:
👉 What would it feel like to define your worth outside of productivity—and who taught you what “enough” looks like?

Inspired by the work of Tiffany A. Yu and The Anti-Ableist Manifesto

ALT MEME

Things I’m learning:

• I can move through this. It will take time, and I am worth that investment.
• This matters to me. I can be honest with myself while also being compassionate.
• My disability is a source of strength. My voice and lived experience add value.
• My access needs are valid. I can grow with them.
• My worth is not defined by productivity, accomplishments, or setbacks.
• I am proud of myself for naming my needs.

Self-validation is a practice.

🔹 CAPTION

Sometimes self-validation isn’t about adding something new—
it’s about unlearning what we were taught.

👉 What would it feel like to define your worth outside of productivity—and who taught you what “enough” looks like?

03/02/2026

04/20/2025

Planning ahead:
Instructions: Print this out and put on your refrigerator to remind yourself to journal each day.

Journaling is a great way to feel seen, heard, and validated. Below is a calendar of journal prompts on how find purpose this May.

Tip:
1. Journaling can be a tool to find clarity.
2. Share your journal with your counselor.
3. Journaling can be a self-discovery tool to gain insight about yourself and purpose in life.
4. You may write in a paper journal, on the computer, or use the the apple app called "Honestly" to record your thoughts.

Alt text: Journal Prompts for finding purpose this May.

May 1- Things you'd do if you knew your couldn't fail.
May 2- Times you've most felt like yourself.
May 3- Activities that make you lose track of time.
May 4- Hobbies and activities you enjoyed when you were younger.
May 5- A time you were most proud.
May 6- People who inspire you and why.
May 7- A past success or achievement that gave you a deep sense of fulfillment.
May 8- A purposeful action you could do today.
May 9- Questions you are afraid to ask yourself.
May 10- Three examples of success outside of your career.
May 11- Something you could do differently if you could go back and why.
May 12- What motivates you to make a decisions
May 13- If a friend asked you to help them find purpose, what questions would you ask.
May 14- A time you helped or supported someone and how you felt.
May 15- Way you can free up some times in your day.
May 16- What would you do if you knew you didn't have to work?
May 17- The one thing you are proud of this year.
May 18- What makes today purposeful for you?
May 19- Times in the last 12 months you have been the happiest
May 20- What would you want to learn if you knew time wasn't an issue?
May 21- Something you can do today to take a step forward in anything.
May 22- Places you could go to find new people.
May 23- Places you could go to find new opportunities
May 24- What would your dream day look like?
May 25- Activities that you can do for free that bring you joy.
May 26- The people you care most about and why.
May 27- Things you regret doing when looking back
May 28- Five simple joys worth getting up for.
May 29- What you enjoyed about May.
May 30- Things you wish you done in May that you can do in June.
May 31- How do you want to be remembered?

04/18/2025

Weekly Counselor Wisdom:

A cosmic truth bomb:

That glowing beast?
The Sun.
A fiery star 1.3 million times bigger than Earth.

That speck?
That’s you.
With your deadlines.
Your heartbreaks.
Your overthinking.
Your need to win that argument.
Be liked. Be right. Be seen.

But the universe?
It’s not watching.
It’s not judging.
It’s just expanding.

So here’s the real flex:
Emotional intelligence is not about being calm.
It’s about context.

You weren’t invited? Okay.

They misunderstood you? Breathe.

Things didn’t go your way? Zoom out.

Because in this grand celestial playground...
Every fight, every fear, every fame—
is a flicker.

And yet—
your empathy can ripple.
Your forgiveness can echo.
Your presence can shift someone’s orbit.

So ask yourself:
Am I shrinking into the noise?
Or expanding into the space?

Because the Sun never screams for attention.
It just shines.
So can you.
-Author Unknown