Summer Bell Counseling

09/06/2026

Sunday Series

Big feelings don’t always look like “big feelings.”

Sometimes anxiety looks like avoiding.
Sometimes anger looks like shutting down.
Sometimes sadness looks like irritability.
Sometimes overwhelm sounds like, “I don’t know.”

Kids do not always have the words for what is happening inside, so giving them a simple tool can make a big difference.

That’s where BRAVE comes in:

B — Breathe
R — Rate that feeling
A — Ask what is true
V — Choose the next step
E — Express what you need

The goal is not to make the feeling disappear.

The goal is to help kids notice it, understand it, and learn what they can do next.

That is a skill they can carry with them at home, at school, and as they grow. Is you want this in a pdf to share just message or comment !

09/02/2026

Our space is growing !!

As Houston Therapy Services moves into this next season, I’m very excited to share some good news and introduce the newest member of our team, Kristen Millay, LPCA.

Kristen joins Houston Therapy Services as an experienced therapist who brings warmth, professionalism, and a thoughtful, grounded approach to her work with clients. She works with teens and adults and enjoys helping individuals navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, relationship concerns, life transitions, self-esteem, and other emotional and behavioral challenges.

Kristen’s approach is supportive, compassionate, and individualized, with an emphasis on creating a space where clients feel comfortable, understood, and able to work toward meaningful change.

I am very intentional about the clinicians I bring into Houston Therapy Services, and I am excited for Kristen to become part of our practice and to begin serving individuals and families in our community.

Kristen is currently accepting new clients in our Owensboro office.

To learn more about Kristen or inquire about scheduling, visit her Psychology Today profile:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/kristen-m-millay-owensboro-ky/1521975

Please join me in welcoming Kristen to Houston Therapy Services!

08/30/2026

Sunday Series

I forgot to post last last week. I was traveling, watching soccer, spending time with family, and honestly just being in the moment.

This picture was taken last weekend in Gatlinburg, and it felt like the perfect reminder to focus on your own path

And maybe that fits this week’s reminder better than I planned:

Focus on your own path.

It is so easy to look around and feel like someone else is ahead.

Their life looks easier.
Their house looks better.
Their kids seem happier.
Their relationship looks stronger.
Their career looks more successful.

But we are usually comparing our full reality to someone else’s highlight reel.

The grass is not always greener on the other side.

And what you see on social media is not always the full picture.

A photo can look peaceful while life behind the scenes feels anything but.
A family can look perfect and still be struggling.
Someone can look confident and still feel completely unsure.

Perception can be powerful.

So instead of measuring your life against what someone else is showing you, come back to your own path.

What matters to you?
What is going well that you may be overlooking?
What step is actually yours to take next?

Not everyone is walking the same road.
Not everyone is carrying the same things.
And not everyone is starting from the same place.

You do not have to move at someone else’s pace to still be moving forward.

Try this quick comparison reset when you notice yourself getting pulled into someone else’s path:

What am I assuming about their life?
What do I actually know?
What in my own life deserves my attention right now?

Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop looking over the fence and pay attention to the path right in front of you.

And yes…sometimes that also means forgetting a Sunday Series post because you were actually living your life. 😅

If this resonates with you and you’re ready to start your own counseling journey, reach out. Sometimes the first step is simply deciding you don’t have to figure everything out on your own.

08/29/2026

Happy Birthday to Haley!

Haley brings such a fun and creative energy to our office, but what stands out even more is the passion she has for the work she does.

I love hearing the giggles coming from the office when she is working with some of our littles, but I also love seeing the messages and updates from her adult clients about the progress they are making in their own journeys. It is so rewarding to watch Haley connect with her clients, advocate for them, support them through difficult moments, and celebrate their growth along the way.

She genuinely cares about the people she works with, and that shows in the relationships she builds and the encouragement she brings into the therapy room.

We are so glad to have Haley as part of Summer Bell Counseling and hope she has the best birthday!

08/20/2026

Grief can be hard to put into words. Our Expressive Arts Grief Group offers a creative way to remember and honor someone you love. No art experience needed. 💙

08/19/2026

Owensboro Parent Family Favorites voting is open!

We would be honored to have your vote for #40 — Favorite Mental Health Care Office: Summer Bell Counseling.

We are grateful for the continued support of our practice and for the opportunity to serve children, teens, adults, and families in our community.

Voting is open August 17–21. Thank you for supporting local mental health care and Summer Bell Counseling!

Vote here:

2026 Owensboro Parent Family Favorites.

08/16/2026

Sunday Series

Reassurance feels good.

That’s exactly why we keep going back for it.

“Are you sure I’m okay?”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Do you think they’re mad at me?”
“Does this look normal?”
“Can you promise nothing bad will happen?”

Sometimes we ask someone. Sometimes we Google. Sometimes we check. And sometimes we replay something in our head over and over trying to finally feel certain.

We get the answer we were looking for…and for a little while, we feel better.

Then the doubt comes back.

This is something I talk about often in my work with anxiety and especially in my OCD work.

One thing I encourage clients to practice is what I call a “window of reassurance.”

Instead of immediately trying to get rid of the uncertainty, we practice waiting.

Maybe we start with 5 minutes.

During those 5 minutes, notice the urge to ask, check, Google, replay, or figure it out.

And then…don’t.

Let the question sit there.

You don’t have to make the anxiety go away. The practice is learning that you can feel uncomfortable or uncertain without immediately doing something to make yourself feel better.

Five minutes might eventually become ten. Ten might become twenty.

Over time, we’re teaching the brain:

“I can handle not knowing right now.”

This doesn’t mean reassurance is bad or that we should never ask someone for support. We’re human. We all need that sometimes.

The difference is when reassurance becomes something we repeatedly need in order to feel okay.

Sometimes the work isn’t finding a better answer.

It’s getting more comfortable with not having the answer right now.

08/09/2026

Sunday Series

Back to school is an adjustment for everyone — students, parents, teachers and school staff.

For parents, instead of asking “How was your day?” and getting the classic…

“Fine.”
“Good.”
“I don’t know.” 😅

Try giving them a little time to decompress and asking something more specific:

• What was the best part of your day?
• What class did you enjoy the most?
• What made you laugh today?
• Was anything hard today?
• What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Sometimes the best conversation happens after the snack, the shoes come off, and they’ve had a minute to just be home.

And teachers and school staff — this transition is yours too.

New students, new routines, new expectations, schedules, paperwork… it’s a lot. Give yourself some of the same patience you give your students.

Summer Bell Counseling proudly provides EAP counseling services for OPS employees. EAP sessions are cost-free counseling sessions provided as a benefit by your employer.

OPS employees can contact HR for information about their EAP benefits or reach out to our office.

Here’s to a new school year!!

08/06/2026