The Journey Through Psychological Services, LLC

09/19/2026

💙 It’s okay to have the talk.

During Su***de Prevention Month, we’re resharing this important resource for parents and caregivers.

Talking with a child or teen about su***de can feel overwhelming, and it can be hard to know where to begin. Having open, direct, and compassionate conversations about mental health and su***de can create opportunities for young people to share what they’re experiencing and know that support is available.

Take a few minutes to review these tips, save them for later, or share them with another parent or caregiver who may find them helpful.

Conversations matter. Connection matters. 💙

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As we celebrate Chalk the Walk, Have the Talk Awareness Week, remember that the conversations we have with children and teens don’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, drawing together, asking a simple question, or simply listening can create an opening for them to share what’s on their mind.

Our Parent & Caregiver Tip Sheet offers ideas to help you:
🖍️ Start conversations about feelings and mental health
💬 Encourage kind, hopeful messages
❤️ Validate feelings and normalize asking for help
👂 Listen without judgment or rushing to “fix” things
🌈 Turn chalking into a fun opportunity for connection

Most importantly, let the young people in your life know: their feelings matter, their voices matter, and they matter.

🌟 The World is Brighter with You In It. 🌟

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09/18/2026

A little mystery just landed in our Little Free Library… 👀📚

We’re adding two Blind Date with a Book picks today! No judging a book by its cover this time, you’ll have to choose based on a few clues and see where the story takes you 💙

Stop by and see if one of them is meant to go home with you!

09/18/2026

Two things can be true at the same time 💙

We sometimes feel pressure to decide which feeling is the “right” one but our experiences don’t always fit neatly into one category.

Making space for both emotions can help us approach our emotions with a little more curiosity and a little less judgment.

What two things are you holding at the same time?

09/17/2026

📚 Our Little Free Library always welcomes visitors!

Stop by and see if a book catches your eye. Take a book, leave a book, or simply browse because you never know what you might find! 💙

And while you’re here, don’t forget to sign our guestbook! We’d love to see who has stopped by and watch our little library community grow ✍️📖

09/16/2026

🍂 September check-in: How are you, really?

A new season can bring changes in routines, responsibilities, energy, and even how we’re feeling day to day.

So before rushing into everything that comes next, take a minute to notice where you are right now.

💭 What’s been feeling good lately?
💭 What’s been feeling heavy?
💭 What’s taking up most of your energy?
💭 What do you need more of right now?

You don’t need to immediately change, solve, or make sense of your answers. Sometimes simply noticing how we’re doing is a good place to start 💙

09/15/2026

💭 Thoughts aren’t facts.

Our team is currently reading Ikigai, and some of our book club conversations have centered around meaning: how we find it, what happens when we feel like something is missing, and how our thoughts can influence the way we understand our experiences.

One question that came up in our discussion was:

“Whose voice is it that you’re listening to?”

Sometimes the expectations, beliefs, and stories running through our minds have been with us for so long that we stop questioning where they came from or whether we still believe them.

Instead of automatically accepting a thought as truth, we can get curious about it. What was actually said? Where did this belief come from? Does it align with what matters to me now? What meaning am I giving this experience?

Sometimes the work isn’t immediately finding the answer. It’s becoming comfortable enough with the stillness to explore the question 💙

Our clinicians are still making their way through Ikigai, and we’re looking forward to seeing where the conversation takes us next!

09/14/2026

You may have heard someone say, “Try grounding yourself but what does that actually mean?

💭 Grounding is a technique used to bring your attention back to the present moment when your thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations begin to feel overwhelming.

It can be as simple as noticing your feet against the floor, taking a slow breath, naming what you see around you, or focusing on something you can physically touch.

Grounding doesn’t necessarily make a difficult feeling disappear. Instead, it can help create a little space between you and what you’re experiencing so you can reconnect with what’s happening right here, right now.

And like most coping skills, different grounding techniques work for different people. Finding what works for you is part of building your own mental health toolkit 💙

Welcome to Therapy Words, Explained! We’ll break down some of the words and phrases you might hear in therapy and make them a little easier to understand.

09/13/2026

Ever notice how thinking about Monday can sometimes feel worse than Monday itself? 😬

Anticipatory anxiety can have us experiencing a stressful situation before it has even happened. Without all the facts, our minds may fill in the blanks with worst-case scenarios, and an endless list of “what ifs”

When you notice the Sunday Scaries creeping in, try coming back to what’s actually happening right now. Identify what you’re worried about, take care of what you can control, and give yourself permission to leave tomorrow’s problems for tomorrow.

You don’t have to live Monday twice 💙

09/12/2026

Consider this your September permission slip: you are allowed to change your mind 💙

Something that felt right six months ago might not feel right today. A goal can change. A boundary can shift. You can reconsider a decision, choose a different direction, or realize that something simply doesn’t fit anymore.

Changing your mind doesn’t erase the thought, effort, or growth that came before it. Sometimes, it just means you have new information, a different perspective, or a better understanding of what you need now.

Permission granted ✏️

09/11/2026

🌈 The chalk is out and the messages are already spreading!

Our team has been adding a little color, kindness, and hope to the community as part of the 7th Annual Chalk the Walk: Have the Talk campaign 💙

And we’re just getting started! Chalk the Walk continues through September 20, so there’s still plenty of time to grab some chalk and add your own message of encouragement, connection, or hope.

Let’s keep making Broome County colorful one message at a time 🌈✏️

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