Courage Counseling LLC

10/11/2026

09/07/2026

Stable is underrated.

⸙࿔*:・༄˖°

09/02/2026

☀️If you are prone to winter❄️ blues or seasonal affective disorder now might be a great time to get your sun lamp/happy light 💡 set up. Talk to you mental health provider if light therapy may be helpful to you. It is more effective if you start it early, and it’s never to late to start. I often recommend people set up their light with an automatic timer in a space that they spend time in the morning, like where they eat breakfast or drink their coffee. ☕️ Putting the light at a workstation is an option for some people. Just make sure not to use it too late in the day because that might interfere with your sleep.😴

07/29/2026

There is no benefit to judging people’s stuff. Being able to be kind and compassionate is a huge asset when working with people with hoarding disorder and other issues of clutter.

Myth: people who hoard don't realise there's a problem.

Many people who hoard are acutely aware of the impact it's having on their lives. They often carry deep shame or distress about their home and how it affects their relationships and daily life.

Truth: recognising the problem doesn't automatically make it easier to change. The emotional attachment to items, and the anxiety around letting go, can be incredibly powerful, even when someone desperately wants things to be different.

This is why judgement rarely helps. Compassion and the right support do.

06/27/2026

Today is National PTSD Awareness Day. One in 11 people experience PTSD. I think CPTSD should be included in this awareness.

06/19/2026

☀️I often hear people say that they just need to try harder. When I ask “Have you not been trying?” the usual response is that they have been trying. What if you are already trying as hard as you can? Maybe there needs to be acceptance of limitations. Maybe there needs to be help from other people. Maybe there needs to be accommodations. Maybe it’s time to try something completely different. Try being open to other possibilities besides you trying harder.

05/28/2026

The Giving Tree never sat well with me. Having a boundary does not mean you don’t have love. Your love can be unconditional and you can have boundaries at the same time.

This version of the story is waaaay better 🌳

05/07/2026

This is your annual reminder to be gentle with yourself and others this weekend. Mother’s Day is a complicated holiday.
For some folks it a day of joy and love and celebration.
So many people have a mother or are a mother it is hard to make it special for all the moms.
It can be a sensitive day with Big emotions.
Not everybody gets to have a loving and compassionate Mom.
Please be kind. I have too many friends who have mothers who died, friends who want to get to be a parent and they are childless, friends who had awful mothers, friends who are astranged from parents or children, and friends who accepted the duty of parenthood with no joy. Some people have too great of a physical distance to celebrate together and it makes them feel alone. There are many factors that can make Mother’s Day rough. Be thoughtful and offer love where you can. If you can make an extra phone call to tell someone you love them, do it.
Thank you to all the people who do some thoughtful mothering. 💖

05/05/2026

Hantavirus has been making the news. It can spread through rodent urine and f***s that can dry and become dust that can be inhaled. If you are cleaning or decluttering a space that has had rodents wear gloves and a mask. You matter. Always safety first.