The Good Neuron

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The Good Neuron Evidence-based mental wellness for real people with real lives. Mindset shifts & psychoeducation so you can feel more grounded, kind to yourself, and connected.

(Oh, and NCMHCE tips and tricks for counselors because even helpers need help sometimes) My name is Hannah Salazar, the owner and founder of The Good Neuron. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida and a Certified K-12 School Counselor as well as Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Ohio. I specialize in neurodevelopmental disorders and pediatric mental health. I am also a mom and a military spouse. I have a passion for helping others succeed as well as advocating for the mental health space. Follow along for tips & tricks for the NCMHCE and my random babblings about the mental health field with everyday mom things thrown in. Looking forward to meeting you!

10/06/2026

Hi! We are in Okinawa Japan now and have been for about a week. Things have been so crazy and fast paced I feel like I haven't had time to even think. Not to mention the jet lag?!! Lol. I think we're all accustomed to the time now (I hope haha).

Anyway, what're you studying? What are some questions you have about NCMHCE 2027?

Let me know in the comments and I can't wait to put up some new stuff! 🫶🏻

08/28/2026

*not your supervisor or therapist, for educational purposes only*

So here's an example (kind of long sorry 😭) of what a couple of objectives for the client and the parent. I also have school objectives too but , this video was already so long. lol.

the gist:
1. focus on connection. enter their world through play therapy.
2. self awareness- help them gain insight into their behaviors
3. caregivers on board!!- you gotta bring in and create behavioral management strategies for home. parent-child interaction therapy is highly recommended and regarded as best practice.

what questions do you have?? what would you add?

let me know!

08/28/2026

Please go report!! Do not give this person ANY money!
I hate that they reappeared and are back at their game. Would appreciate it if you could go report the photos as that's the only way I got them removed last time.
Happy friday 🥴

08/25/2026

that's right! we're getting a new exam in the summer of 2027. what does that mean? new domain, new score breakdown, new narratives, and new questions!

you can find the new handbook here (screen shot and copy/paste) : https://nbcc.org/exams/ncmhce

-click on NCMHCE Content outline and 2027 Exam Specifications.
💬 what questions do you have?!

08/12/2026

Reflection of feeling vs. paraphrasing they sound similar, but they’re doing two different jobs.

🧠 Paraphrasing = the CONTENT
You’re reflecting back what the client said in your own words.

💭 Reflection of feeling = the EMOTION
You’re identifying and reflecting what the client feels.

Quick NCMHCE tip:
If the answer focuses on the story, situation, or meaning → think paraphrase.
If it focuses on the emotion underneath the words → think reflection of feeling.

Save this one for your next study session ✨

07/23/2026

A coping strategy is not automatically healthy just because it lowers distress in the moment. The useful question is: what does it make possible next?

Taking a walk so you can return to a hard conversation may be coping. Taking a walk every time conflict appears so the conversation never happens may be avoidance.

Watching a comfort show can be restorative. Using it to postpone every uncomfortable task can keep the anxiety cycle going.

The behavior may look identical from the outside. But, the function of it matters.

Try asking yourself: “Is this helping me recover, or helping me disappear?”

If you're studying for the NCMHCE, it's important to notice when the client is ✨coping✨ or simply
🫟avoiding🫟 their emotions. There's a big distinction between the two. In the narratives, pay attention to the details of how the person may be coping. The smallest of details matter.

(Educational content only, not therapy or diagnosis.)

If your studying feels like collecting more and more facts, lettssss take a pause. The NCMHCE is less about proving you ...
07/21/2026

If your studying feels like collecting more and more facts, lettssss take a pause. The NCMHCE is less about proving you memorized every counseling term from the textbook and more about showing that you can make a sound clinical decision with the information in front of you. (Disclaimer: you ✨do✨ need to memorize some stuff but that's not what this post is about). On the exam, the "right" intervention can still be the wrong answer if you skipped an important assessment, safety concern, or ethical step.

Before every question, run through this checklist:

✔️ Is anyone unsafe?
✔️ Do I have enough information?
✔️ Is this intervention relevant for the stage of counseling we're in?
✔️ Is this the most appropriate next step?

Save this as your decision filter for your next practice set! Let me know in the comments what helps you! 💬

(Original educational practice content; not copied from the exam).



NCMHCE , counselor, mental health counseling , national counselor exam, study tips, study tutor, psychology, psychology exam

742 narratives deep and if there is one thing I’ve learned about the NCMHCE as a tutor (and former test taker!), it’s th...
06/16/2026

742 narratives deep and if there is one thing I’ve learned about the NCMHCE as a tutor (and former test taker!), it’s that details matter.

Spotting the timeline, filtering out the noise, and sticking strictly to the theoretical interventions are absolute game-changers when the practice scores start dipping.

To everyone else currently living in the DSM-5-TR: we’ve got this. What are you studying today? 👇

Every week I talk to counselors who are intelligent, clinically skilled, and incredibly dedicated... yet they're still s...
06/09/2026

Every week I talk to counselors who are intelligent, clinically skilled, and incredibly dedicated... yet they're still struggling to pass. Most of the time, it isn't because they don't know enough. I talk a lot about knowledge + application + strategy being the sweet combo.

However, it's often because counselors are doing some or all of these things:

• Focusing only on content and not test-taking strategy

• Constantly changing study methods before giving them time to work

• Taking practice tests without reviewing WHY they missed questions

The NCMHCE is as much a strategy exam as it is a knowledge exam.

If you're preparing for the exam right now, take an honest look at your study habits.

Which one is holding you back?
👇 Tell me in the comments:
1️⃣ Content over strategy
2️⃣ Changing study methods
3️⃣ Not reviewing mistakes

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Dayton, OH

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 12pm

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