Buxton Counseling Services

07/18/2026

😮
I hope this is true! It’s worth a shot!

I wish I had known this when I lost my son... ❤️‍🩹

Maybe it can help someone else now.

"This idea was presented in the article “Can playing Tetris help prevent PTSD if you’ve witnessed something traumatic?”(Bressington & Mitchell, 2024). It seems to have first been proposed in 2009 by Oxford University psychologists. They suggest that playing a visuospatial game like “Tetris”, within 30 minutes after a traumatic event may disrupt the formation of sight and sound memories related to the traumatic event. This is because trauma flashbacks are sensory-perceptual, visuospatial mental images. Therefore, when a visuospatial game like “Tetris” is played within the time usually reserved for memory consolidation, it fights for the brain’s resources and leads to reduced flashbacks (Holmes et al., 2009).

While this research was done over a decade ago, more recent research has also shown success in using “Tetris” to prevent PTSD flashbacks as well as potentially reducing depression and anxiety in combat veterans (Butler et al., 2020). Additionally, in a randomized controlled trial, “Tetris” was found to be an effective intervention to reduce intrusive memories overall and lead to declined intrusive memories for emergency department patients who had experienced motor vehicle crashes. Patients found this intervention easy, helpful, and minimally distressing (Iyadurai et al., 2018). Another study suggested the use of “Tetris” and other verbal word games to reduce intrusive memories (Hagenaars et al., 2017)."

07/13/2026

06/08/2026

One of the hardest things a first responder can go through is not a bad call.

It is loving the job…

and being broken by the environment around it.

It is knowing you were built to serve.

Built to help.

Built to show up when people are hurting.

And still reaching a point where the calls are not what push you out…

the culture is.

The gossip.

The favoritism.

The disrespect.

The burnout.

The leadership that doesn’t lead.

The coworkers who make the shift heavier instead of lighter.

The feeling of walking into a place you once loved and realizing it no longer feels safe, healthy, or worth what it is costing you.

That kind of heartbreak is hard to explain.

Because people on the outside think you just left a job.

But first responders know better.

Sometimes you did not just leave a job.

You left a dream.

A purpose.

A version of yourself you were proud of.

And the worst part is, some of the best people in this field do not leave because they stopped caring.

They leave because they cared so deeply that staying in a toxic environment started destroying them.

So if you ever had to walk away from a place you were passionate about because the environment became too heavy, too unhealthy, or too draining, you are not weak.

You are not a quitter.

You are not the problem for refusing to let a broken culture break you too.

Sometimes leaving is not giving up.

Sometimes leaving is survival.

And sometimes protecting your peace is the bravest call you ever make.

~ Medic Humor

05/22/2026

Stay tuned Decatur Counseling is growing!

Welcome Robin Stapf to our counseling team. She is scheduling now so give us a call.
And there is more coming soon so stay tuned.

05/12/2026

Woohoo!

We are so happy to add Lee to our crew. He is no stranger to our practice, as he has always been an involved and supporting member from the sidelines. Now, we are grateful to add him to the team. He will be interning with us these next several months until he graduates this coming winter, with the plan to onboard as a full-time therapist with Kendrick Counseling. Welcome Lee!!

Lee Buxton is a husband and father of an adult son who lives out of state with his active military wife. He and his family moved to the area from Decatur when he was hired by the Urbana Fire Department. Lee spent nearly 25 years with the department and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Fire Administration and Management from Western Illinois University. He has other family members who are former members of the military, law enforcement, and the fire service. Lee is currently finishing his Master of Social Work at the University of Illinois, where he is completing his internship with Kendrick Counseling. He is looking forward to working with first responders, veterans, and their families, utilizing a combination of trauma-informed approaches to create a safe environment for exploration and growth. He is currently accepting new clients.

05/02/2026

💚🧠

04/03/2026

And honest!

Permission to be human, friends. 🩷

03/04/2026

They forgot to say - exhausted! 🤣

Happy Social Work Month to the advocates, allies, problem solvers and change makers in our community.

This month, we celebrate the social workers who uplift individuals and families, defend dignity and justice, and transform systems through compassion and collaboration.

Thank you for the ways you lead, listen and stand alongside others. We are proud to celebrate you today and all year long!

Stay tuned throughout the month for special messages from our alumni and students.