Crossroads Professional Counseling

07/16/2026

There are moments in therapy when something finally shifts, and you can almost feel the whole room change.

For weeks, one spouse had been the dreamer while the other played the practical one. One hit the gas. The other hit the brakes. But this time, the practical spouse stayed curious instead of immediately pointing out the problems.

And something surprising happened. The dreamer started pumping the brakes.

When one person steps out of an old role, the whole relationship has to adjust. Could changing your response be the first step toward changing the pattern?

Read the full article below.

Recently I saw a couple who gave me one of those moments therapists live for: when something finally changes. We’ve been working for weeks towards getting

07/14/2026

At work, I can focus, listen and stay productive. By the time I get home, I may walk into the pantry with no idea why I am there, leave the water running and forget dinner while looking for a pen.

I used to tell myself I just did not like chores. My family might describe it differently.

In this blog, I share what made me finally consider whether ADD has been affecting more of my life than I realized. Read the full story below.

“ADD doesn’t necessarily impact the person that has it, they are fine, but it definitely affects what the rest of us that have to live with them,” my son-in-law said, blaming my daughter’s ADD for how long it was taking them to get out the door and back to Birmingham. I sit there listening t...

07/02/2026

After years together, you think you know your spouse.

And then you overhear him talking about something he's genuinely interested in. Something you've never heard about. And your first thought is: "Who is this person?"

Your second thought: "I want to know more."

That's curiosity. And it might be the most underrated ingredient in long-term love.

When we stop wondering about our partners, we stop updating what we know. We start arguing with versions of them that don't exist anymore. We create distance without even trying.

But when we stay curious? When we ask real questions and notice how they're changing and give them space to evolve?

Love doesn't get stale. It gets deeper. More interesting. More romantic.

Read our article on staying curious in long-term relationships—and why it's not just healthy, it's the thing that keeps love alive.

Link below.

06/26/2026

I overheard my husband talking to a friend about something he's interested in. Something he has a strong opinion on.
I'd never heard of it.

And here's what surprised me: instead of feeling annoyed, I felt attracted to him all over again. There was still new territory to explore. Still corners of him I hadn't found yet.

That's when it hit me—my husband is still becoming. And I get a front row seat if I stay curious enough to pay attention.

But here's what happens when we stop being curious. We collect data. We assume we know. We think we have the map. And then we start arguing with versions of our spouse that don't exist anymore. We miss the connection. We create distance without even meaning to.

Long-term love doesn't have to be static. It's only as stale as you let it be.

New post: "Staying Curious: The Secret to Long-Term Love" — about updating your love map and why curiosity might be the most romantic thing you can do in a marriage.

The other day, I overheard my husband talking to one of his friends. They were discussing something he was genuinely interested in, something he was thinking about, something he had a strong opinion on.News to me! I had never heard any of it. And in that moment, my reaction caught me off guard. At f...

06/26/2026

I thought God's next step for me would probably look like something I already knew how to do.

That would have been comfortable, at least in a familiar kind of way.

But I was burned out. Tired. Still wanting to do something meaningful, but not at peace with stepping right back into the same world.

Then counseling started showing up in my prayers, my conversations, and my coffee meetings.

At first, it felt like the opposite of me. But sometimes God's direction does not come dressed as certainty. Sometimes it comes as a quiet pull you cannot shake.

If you are in a season where the next step does not match the old version of you, I hope this story encourages you.

Link below to read the full story.

06/19/2026

Sometimes the hardest part of following God is realizing He may not choose the path where we feel strongest.

I had the degrees. I had the business experience. I knew how to lead, achieve, and hit the goal.

Counseling? That felt like the opposite direction.

But what if God is not asking, "Are you qualified enough?" What if He is asking, "Will you trust Me enough?"

Read the full story: https://crossroadcounselor.com/career/trusting-god-in-uncertainty-career/

06/18/2026

Summer is officially here, which means the battle for my kid's brain has begun.

Every year we run what we call the Schoonmaker Summer Challenge — a list of goals ambitious enough to make him groan and meaningful enough to make me feel like a good mom. This year I wrote it all out for you.

Whether you have a 7-year-old or a 17-year-old, there's something in here you can steal.

06/17/2026

What if the goal of summer isn't just keeping kids busy?

What if it's helping them practice discipline, build confidence, learn service, and remember that rest feels better after effort?

Allison has developed a summer challenge that her family uses to help keep screens from taking over the day. It's ambitious, flexible, and rooted in the belief that kids are capable of more than they think.

Take heart, parents. Summer can still be purposeful.

06/11/2026

Sometimes we do not lose ourselves all at once.

It happens slowly, in the middle of raising children, caring for family, working hard, supporting a spouse, and meeting everyone else's needs. These are good and meaningful things. But somewhere along the way, you may stop asking, "What brings me life?"

God gave you gifts, passions, and longings for a reason.

Read the full blog if you are ready to reconnect with those parts of yourself.

There are seasons in life when everything appears fine on the outside, yet something feels off on the inside.You may be functioning well. You are taking care of responsibilities, showing up for your family, going to work, attending church, and doing all the things you have always done. Yet underneat...

06/11/2026

What if the greatest romance in marriage is… staying?

Not staying in silence. Not staying without growth. But staying in the holy, steady way that says, "I am still here. I am still choosing you. I am not reaching for the exit door every time this gets hard."

Covenant marriage reminds us of God's presence: faithful, steady, and near.