Cottonwood Counseling, LLC

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Cottonwood Counseling, LLC Counseling for adults, children, adolescents, and families. We help PTSD, trauma, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and grief.

Modalities: Telehealth, EMDR, Play Therapy, Sand Tray Therapy, CBT, & MST. Spanish speaking therapists available.

Stress and anxiety can both show up in your body before you even realize what’s happening.Maybe your shoulders are const...
10/16/2026

Stress and anxiety can both show up in your body before you even realize what’s happening.

Maybe your shoulders are constantly tense. Your stomach feels unsettled. You’re having trouble sleeping. You’re distracted, restless, irritable, or finding it difficult to concentrate.

So how do you tell the difference?

Stress is often connected to a specific situation or demand, something you can point to and say, “That’s what’s stressing me out.”

Anxiety can continue even when there isn't an immediate problem to solve. Worry may stick around, jump from one concern to another, or make you feel like something bad is about to happen.

They can overlap, and neither one is a personal failure.

Paying attention to what you’re experiencing can help you figure out whether you need rest, a change in circumstances, new coping strategies, or additional support.

If you or someone you love is ready for support, Cottonwood Counseling is here for you. Call (505) 226-2839.

Love doesn’t mean having unlimited access to you.You can love your family. You can care deeply about a friend. You can h...
10/14/2026

Love doesn’t mean having unlimited access to you.

You can love your family. You can care deeply about a friend. You can have compassion for someone’s struggles.

And you can still decide what you are and aren’t willing to accept in your relationship with them.

Boundaries aren’t necessarily about punishment or pushing someone away. Sometimes they’re about protecting your time, energy, emotional well-being, or sense of safety.

You can say, “I love you, but I can’t have this conversation right now.”

You can care about someone and still say no. You can understand where someone is coming from without allowing their behavior to hurt you.

Healthy relationships have room for both connection and limits.

If you or someone you love is ready for support, Cottonwood Counseling is here for you. Call (505) 226-2839.

Going to therapy doesn’t mean you’re broken.You don’t need to become a completely different person or somehow “fix” ever...
10/12/2026

Going to therapy doesn’t mean you’re broken.

You don’t need to become a completely different person or somehow “fix” everything about yourself.

Therapy can be a place to better understand why you think, feel, and respond the way you do. It can give you space to process experiences, recognize patterns, build new skills, and figure out what you actually need.

Sometimes growth means changing something. Sometimes it means learning to accept parts of yourself that you've spent years criticizing.

And sometimes, therapy is simply a place where you don’t have to carry everything by yourself.

You are not a problem that needs to be solved.

You’re a person with experiences, relationships, emotions, strengths, and challenges. You deserve support as you navigate them.

Before you ask yourself, “Why can’t I handle this better?” try asking a different question:“How long have I been running...
10/09/2026

Before you ask yourself, “Why can’t I handle this better?” try asking a different question:

“How long have I been running without enough support?”

When you’re constantly taking care of everyone else, it can be easy to overlook your own warning signs. You may stop checking in with yourself because there simply isn’t time.

Are you constantly exhausted? More emotional or irritable than usual? Having trouble enjoying things you normally enjoy? Feeling like you need a break but don’t know how to take one?

These aren’t signs that you’re failing.

They’re invitations to pause and notice what you need.

Parents need support, too. Sometimes that means asking someone to help with the kids. Sometimes it means creating a little space for yourself. And sometimes it means talking with a therapist about the things you’ve been carrying for a long time.

You don’t have to wait until you completely run out of yourself to ask for help.

Parenting can ask a lot from you.There are meals to make, schedules to manage, emotions to navigate, work to balance, an...
10/07/2026

Parenting can ask a lot from you.

There are meals to make, schedules to manage, emotions to navigate, work to balance, and about a thousand little things that somehow become your responsibility.

Eventually, you may realize you’re giving from a place that feels completely depleted.

You might be more impatient than usual. Small things feel huge. You’re tired even after sleeping. You want everyone to leave you alone for five minutes, but then feel guilty for needing the break.

None of that makes you a bad parent.

Sometimes exhaustion is a signal that you need support, not proof that you aren’t doing enough.

You deserve care, too. Taking care of yourself doesn’t take away from the people you love. It helps make it possible for you to keep showing up for them.

Fall can be a favorite season for a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean the transition is easy for everyone.Shorter day...
10/05/2026

Fall can be a favorite season for a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean the transition is easy for everyone.

Shorter days, less daylight, changing schedules, school demands, busier calendars, and the shift from summer routines can all affect how we feel.

Sometimes the change is subtle. You might notice you’re more tired, less motivated, more irritable, or simply having a harder time keeping up with everything.

That doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. Our routines, environments, and amount of daylight can all influence our mood and energy.

If fall tends to be a difficult transition for you, it may help to pay attention to what changes this time of year and give yourself a little more support while you adjust.

You can enjoy the pumpkin spice and still acknowledge that the season brings some challenges, too.

Stress and anxiety can feel a lot alike, which can make it hard to tell what you’re actually experiencing.Stress is usua...
10/02/2026

Stress and anxiety can feel a lot alike, which can make it hard to tell what you’re actually experiencing.

Stress is usually connected to something specific happening in your life. A busy week at work, a difficult conversation, financial pressure, or too much on your plate can all create stress. Often, as the situation changes or resolves, the stress starts to ease.

Anxiety can feel similar, but it doesn’t always have a clear or immediate cause. You may find yourself worrying about what could happen, feeling on edge, having trouble concentrating, or noticing physical symptoms like a racing heart or tense muscles.

Both are normal human responses. The important part is noticing when they start interfering with your everyday life.

Understanding what you’re experiencing can be the first step toward figuring out what kind of support might help.

"I just have high standards."Maybe you do.But sometimes perfectionism can look like being afraid to make mistakes, const...
09/30/2026

"I just have high standards."

Maybe you do.

But sometimes perfectionism can look like being afraid to make mistakes, constantly criticizing yourself, procrastinating because something doesn't feel "ready," checking and rechecking your work, or feeling like your worth depends on getting things right.

Having high standards isn't the problem. The problem is when those standards leave no room to be human. You don't have to lower every standard you have.

Sometimes the work is learning that making a mistake doesn't make you inadequate. Save this reminder for the next time "good enough" feels impossible.

If “good enough” always feels like failure, it may be worth looking at what you believe will happen if you make a mistake. Your standards can remain high without requiring perfection. If you or someone you love is ready for support, Cottonwood Counseling is here for you. Call (505) 226-2839.

Using alcohol to relax or temporarily escape anxiety is understandable.The difficulty is that while alcohol may provide ...
09/28/2026

Using alcohol to relax or temporarily escape anxiety is understandable.

The difficulty is that while alcohol may provide short-term relief, it can sometimes contribute to longer-term problems. Anxiety disorders and alcohol-use problems frequently occur together, and relying on alcohol as a primary coping strategy can make both concerns more difficult to manage.

This isn't about judgment.

It is about becoming curious about what the substance is doing for you and whether there are other forms of support that could help you manage what you're experiencing.

Compassion is often a better starting point for change than shame. If you find yourself regularly using alcohol to manage anxiety or get through difficult emotions, it may be worth looking at what you're trying to escape and what other support might be available. You deserve coping strategies that don't create another problem in the process.

A racing heart. Dizziness. Shortness of breath. Tingling. Tightness in the chest.During panic, these sensations can feel...
09/25/2026

A racing heart. Dizziness. Shortness of breath. Tingling. Tightness in the chest.

During panic, these sensations can feel like evidence that something terrible is happening. The more frightening the sensations become, the more closely you may start monitoring your body, which can make the cycle even stronger.

For some people, the fear of the sensations themselves eventually leads to avoiding certain places or situations because they're afraid of having another panic attack.

Evidence-based treatment can help people understand the panic cycle and develop a different relationship with uncomfortable physical sensations.

Panic can be intensely uncomfortable, but it is treatable. If fear of having another panic attack is beginning to change where you go, what you do, or how you live your life, it's worth getting support. You don't have to organize your life around avoiding panic.

If you or someone you love is ready for support, Cottonwood Counseling is here for you. Call (505) 226-2839.

Address

Albuquerque, NM

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 7pm
Tuesday 8am - 7pm
Wednesday 8am - 7pm
Thursday 8am - 7pm
Friday 8am - 7pm
Saturday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+15052262839

Website

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