Toni Teixeira, LCSW

08/10/2026

There are times when understanding why you feel the way you do is not enough.

You may know that your anxiety is connected to your past. You may understand why you shut down during conflict, struggle to trust, become overwhelmed by emotion, or work hard to take care of everyone around you.

Insight matters.

But sometimes healing requires more than insight.

Sometimes we need the opportunity to have a new experience.

In this blog post, I’m sharing more about AEDP therapy — an attachment-focused, emotion-centered, and body-aware approach to psychotherapy.

AEDP pays close attention to what is happening emotionally, physically, and relationally in the present moment. It helps people safely explore emotions, understand protective responses with compassion, and experience support instead of facing painful feelings alone.

One of the reasons AEDP feels like my therapeutic home is because it honors something I believe deeply:

We heal through more than insight. We heal through connection, emotion, embodiment, compassion, and the experience of not being alone with what once felt unbearable.

Read the full post here:
https://strongatthecore.com/what-is-aedp-therapy/

Learn how AEDP therapy uses emotion, connection, attachment, and body awareness to support healing from trauma, anxiety, and relational...

08/04/2026

High-functioning anxiety can be hard to recognize because, from the outside, everything may look “fine.”

You show up.
You get things done.
You anticipate what everyone needs.
You seem calm, responsible, and capable.

But inside, there may be a constant loop of overthinking, guilt, tension, and fear of disappointing others.

This week’s guest blog by Leora Goldenberg, LCSW explores the connection between high-functioning anxiety and people-pleasing — and why these patterns are often rooted in the nervous system.

People-pleasing is not a failure of character.

It may be a survival strategy your body learned to help you stay connected, accepted, or safe.

The good news is that these patterns can begin to shift with compassion, awareness, and the right support.

Read the full guest blog on the Strong at the Core Counseling blog by clicking the link below.

High-functioning anxiety and people-pleasing can look like success while feeling exhausting inside. Learn how Brainspotting therapy and nervous...

07/20/2026

It's not easy making friendships as an adult. Not just because you are older, but because your life is probably not set up to help you make friends.

This article by Kyara Beck of WellAware Counseling talks about why it is hard and the obstacles that make it harder. Kyara also shares some great tips to help adults start and cultivate genuine friendships.

Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult? Explore how modern life, fear of rejection, social media, and limited emotional energy affect...

07/14/2026

When most people hear the word grief, they think about the death of someone they love.

But grief can follow many kinds of loss.

The end of a relationship.
A change in health.
Moving away from a place that felt like home.
A future that did not unfold the way you imagined.
The person you were before trauma, illness, or a major life transition.

Sometimes we are grieving without realizing it.

We may think we are anxious, overwhelmed, exhausted, distracted, or simply “not handling things well.”

But what if your experience actually makes sense?

In this week’s guest blog, Nikki Hirsch, LSW, LMSW of Internal Compass explores what grief really is, why it often looks different than we expect, and how naming what we have lost can open the door to compassion instead of self-criticism.

You do not have to compare your grief to anyone else’s.

If something mattered to you, your loss matters too.

Read the full article here:
https://strongatthecore.com/what-is-grief-and-loss/

Grief and loss aren't limited to death. Learn why grief can follow any meaningful change and discover compassionate ways to navigate healing after..

07/08/2026

Janina Fisher Ph.D. recently interviewed Deirdre Fay: and it was so wonderful to hear them talk about their heartfelt relationship and get to understand the shoulders I have gotten the privelege to stand on as a trauma therapist.

My favorite quote from the interview:
"We are in it together. Suffering happens. How do we mitigate that suffering? How do we make it easier, kinder and less complicated to have a better life?" -Deirdre Fay

This quote sums up why I am a trauma therapist, and a somatic therapist. We live in our bodies all the time. If the body is a scary place, it is our home, we are going to be constantly scared. Trauma-informed work includes what I have learned from both of these women that stabilization comes first, that there really is no roadmap, the relationship between therapist and client is important, understanding attachment is at the root of this work, small steps make a big impact, slow is fast, titration matters, feeling safe is key...my gosh, I could go on an on.

I am thankful for their work and wanted to share this with you. Whether you are a fellow therapist or a client, it is worth a listen. Thank you Janina & Deirdre for what you have done for this field and for all trauma survivors.

In this heartfelt episode of In Conversation with Janina Fisher, Ja...

07/07/2026

Living with chronic illness is not just a physical experience.

It can change your relationship with your body, your energy, your work, your friendships, your plans, and even your sense of self.

You may find yourself wondering:

“Why can’t I do what I used to do?”
“Am I letting people down?”
“Who am I if I can’t keep up the way I used to?”

Therapy for chronic illness is not about forcing positivity or pretending everything is okay.

It is a space to grieve what has changed, honor what your body is asking for, and begin finding a sustainable way forward.

This guest blog by Goldi Priel, LCSW, offers such a compassionate look at the emotional side of chronic illness and the identity shifts that can come with living in a body that no longer follows the plan.

See link in the comments for the post.

06/19/2026

Today we honor Juneteenth with remembrance, truth, and respect.

As a white therapist, I know that acknowledging this history also means staying committed to listening, learning, repair, and anti-racist action.

Freedom delayed is harm remembered. May we honor this day not only with words, but with continued commitment.

06/18/2026

As a therapist here's what I do...

1. With a hand on my heart I take one minute to just notice the sensations and feelings. It's about accompanying myself. The feelings are there anyway so I let myself feel them.

2. Just focus on my breath in one spot on my body, maybe noticing the sensations in my nostrils on the inhale or exhale. Bring myself back to my breath when my mind wanders.

3. Send the breath throughout my body sending myself loving kindness and compassion.

06/17/2026

The stress we carry around can be overwhelming. Somatic therapy can't change your circumstances. It can help empower you with resources to heal. I love the healing power of nature. It can help us fill up our cup when we feel empty.

Here is my latest blog post: Somatic Therapy, Women’s Stress, and the Healing Power of Nature

Somatic therapy can help women understand how stress lives in the body. Learn how nature and body-based therapy can support healing

06/15/2026

Do you speak more than one language and wonder if you need a bilingual therapist?

Language can be such an important part of how we express ourselves, especially in therapy.

Sometimes one language holds our childhood memories.

Sometimes another language feels easier for talking about emotions.

Sometimes we switch back and forth without even realizing it.

And sometimes what we really need is not only a therapist who speaks our language, but one who is culturally curious, respectful, and willing to understand the many layers of who we are.

This thoughtful guest blog by Sonia Singh, LCSW explores how language, culture, comfort, identity, and fit can all matter when choosing a therapist.

If you are bilingual or multilingual, this may help you think through what you need to feel heard, understood, and supported in therapy.

Read the full article here:

https://strongatthecore.com/do-i-need-a-bilingual-therapist/

Do you need a bilingual therapist? Learn how language, culture, code-switching, comfort, and identity can affect finding the right therapist