The Blue Couch

06/02/2026

Summer can bring more sunshine, more freedom… and sometimes more emotional overwhelm for children and teens.

As routines shift, many families notice changes in behavior and emotional regulation:
• Increased anxiety or irritability
• Difficulty with less structure and predictability
• Friendship changes or social stress
• More sibling conflict and family tension at home
• Sleep schedule changes and emotional exhaustion
• Big feelings surfacing once the school year slows down

For some children, summer creates more space for emotions that were held together during the busy school year.

It can also be a meaningful time to begin support.

Therapy during the summer months can help children and adolescents strengthen emotional regulation skills, process transitions, build coping tools, and feel more supported before entering a new school year.

The Blue Couch currently has upcoming openings at our Mankato office and Sioux Falls 18th Street office.

Learn more or request an appointment: www.thebluecouchcounseling.com

05/18/2026

Busy seasons can quietly wear down a child’s nervous system. 🛋️✨

Between sports, activities, school demands, and packed family schedules, some children begin showing stress in ways we don’t always immediately recognize. Sometimes, what looks like “behavior” is actually overwhelm. Children don’t always need more pressure to perform or push through. Often, they just need spaces where they can slow down, feel understood, and reconnect.

A Small Tool for Tonight: The "Quiet Couch" Minute
If you notice your child spinning out or hitting a wall, try pausing the schedule for just five minutes.
1. Find a soft spot (like your own favorite couch) 🛋️
2. Remove the pressure: Sit together without phones, TVs, or expectations to talk about what's wrong
3. Just co-regulate: Offer a gentle touch, a deep breath together, or simply say, "We don't have to do anything right now. We can just sit here together."

Shifting a child's nervous system out of "fight or flight" doesn't require a perfect, grand gesture. It just requires a safe place to land.

White flags are okay, parents. You're doing a wonderful job navigating the rush. 💙

04/29/2026

We had to share this one! 💙 Haley brings so much intention, care, and steadiness to the kids and families she works with, and this is a reflection of that.

We’re really lucky to have her at The Blue Couch 💙

Haley M. Michel, MSW, LCSW-PIP, RPT, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

03/10/2026

Kids speak the language of play and now Haley is officially fluent!

We’re celebrating a big milestone as Haley has earned the Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™) credential! This certification reflects hundreds of hours of specialized training and supervision focused on helping children heal, grow, and express themselves through play.

We’re so proud of the dedication Haley, and all of our RPT™'s at The Blue Couch, bring to the children and families she supports every day. 💙

02/06/2026

Play therapy isn’t “just play.” It’s neuroscience, attachment, regulation, and healing - delivered through relationship. Behind every sand tray, puppet, and moment of regulation is a therapist who believes in children.

Today we honor our Play Therapy Heroes at The Blue Couch and the intentional work they do every single day. These are our Play Therapy Heroes - showing up daily with patience, creativity, and courage.

Day 6 of Play Therapy Week, and we couldn’t be more grateful for this team. 💙

02/03/2026

🎉 Happy International Play Therapy Week! 🎉

At The Blue Couch, we celebrate play as children’s natural language and connection as the pathway to healing. This week, we honor the power of play therapy to help children express what they cannot yet put into words, build emotional resilience, and experience safe, attuned relationships that foster growth.

We are proud to stand alongside children, families, and fellow clinicians who believe that play changes lives—one small moment, one shared experience, one regulated nervous system at a time.

💙 Here’s to imagination, safety, repair, and connection.
💙 Here’s to the clinicians who hold space with care and intention.
💙 Here’s to the kids who show us every day how healing unfolds through play.

Happy International Play Therapy Week from all of us at The Blue Couch 🛋💙

01/26/2026

01/26/2026

We love when occupational therapy and mental health speak the same language. 💙

Meltdowns signal dysregulation, not defiance. Before teaching, correcting, or disciplining, kids (and their caregivers!) need their nervous system brought back to baseline.

This reel offers simple, body-based ways to build connection and support regulation when it matters most.

01/22/2026

Meet Our Newest Team Member: Brittny Mueller, MSW, LCSW-PIP, QMHP

We’re so excited to welcome Brittny to The Blue Couch team! 💙

Brittny is a licensed clinical social worker with a passion for supporting children and caregivers as they navigate big emotions, life transitions, and complex trauma. With experience in residential settings and social services, she brings compassion, insight, and a strong belief that everyone deserves a safe and healthy connection - to themselves and the world around them.

Join us in giving Brittny a warm welcome!

Brittny sees clients at our 57th Street office. To schedule or connect with Brittny: [email protected] or www.thebluecouchcounseling.com

01/05/2026

Music sets the tone before words ever do. Research shows that music activates parts of the brain linked to emotion, regulation, and connection. A simple morning song can become a shared ritual—helping kids feel grounded, seen, and emotionally ready for the day. It’s not about perfect mornings; it’s about small moments of connection that say, “We’re in this together.” 💙

Our full month of January wake-up songs is a great way to start your days for the whole of January.

You can set them as your alarm, put them on during your morning routine, or listen to them on your commute. You can also make listening to them a group activity with family or friends every morning.