Quill Counseling

03/30/2022

I am totally over the moon that Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling featured a write up about Luna, The Letter Bus on their website.

Lewis & Clark was central in my journey to become a therapist. I remember moving to Portland from small town Appalachia and feeling as if I was in a dream when I walked onto their historic, blooming, pine-lined campus. The atmosphere was captivating and felt full of possibility.

Then I began classes. Never before had I been challenged to truly investigate my worldview, biases and barriers in order to provide equitable, social justice based therapy. And never before had my professors been so welcoming and invested. The courses were meaningful and person-centered, and they prepared me well for launching into this profession.

So, thank you, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling for your support then and now. 💫 🌙

Luna, The Letter Bus, developed by Holly Roland ’12, is on a mission to hit the road this summer!

03/22/2022

Weekend highlights: I collected some sweet cards at a yard sale, including these maritime themed beauties. They are my first bundle for Luna, the Letter Bus.

And!! I so enjoyed my continuing education class on writing for clinical practice from . I can’t wait to bring new letter writing exercises to clients.

So, yep, that’s my dreamy weekend combo.

03/21/2022

I dusted off the ole' website tinkering skills and created a proper page for Luna, The Letter Bus. It's exciting that the project has a new online home base!

My goal is to raise Luna's first $500 dollars over the next 48 hours. If you can contribute even $5 to this therapeutic letter writing cause (via the snazzy new "Send Support Here" button on the page), I'd be aflutter with gratitude.

More than kisses letters mingle souls.-John Donne Dear friends, Meet Luna Luna, The Letter Bus, is on a mission to hit the road this summer as a mobile space where underserved populations—in particular, women, children, the elderly, people of color, indigenous people, and those who struggle with h...

03/18/2022

“Waiting on Clients to Log Into Session: A Montage”

Sometimes clients are late. Or they forget about our meeting. Or they don’t show. It happens.

There are plenty of good, legitimate reasons why. Life is busy. We’ve all got stuff. Dogs. Kids. Dentist appointments. Work.

But sometimes we just don’t feel like it. We are tired. We stayed up binge watching “Killing Eve” (maybe that’s just me). It’s nice outside or a friend asked us to lunch, and let’s just face it, sunshine and sushi is way more appealing than therapy.

This post is to say: I 👏 hear 👏 you. Therapy is tough. It digs stuff up. It can be awkward and uncomfortable. We may be annoyed with our therapist or just don’t feel like being asked a zillion questions about our mood, thoughts and childhood.

Plus, depression and anxiety, the two most common mental health challenges, don’t exactly cheerlead us into session.

My challenge to you is—whether you are in therapy or not, to pause (are you pausing?) and reflect on why you might be avoiding certain commitments, activities, relationships, or conversations. Free write about those “whys” for 10 minutes today if you’d like to go deeper.

Avoidance can be a protective mechanism, but it can also carry a cost.

We all avoid things. It’s becoming more aware of the reasons behind this behavior that is a solid step toward changing it, so you can show up for yourself and for your day as fully as possible.

We are in the forest of life together, friends, and I for one don’t mind waiting ‘round if you ever feel up to talking.

03/17/2022

It is so seemingly simple, social media. Post a picture. Write some words. Get in a few (hundred) hashtags, and keep my tiny handful of followers up to date.

Well, here’s a not-secret trait about me: I am pathetically horrible with social media. Truth be told, I don’t prioritize web presence because I struggle with the toxic elements of technology, and often, I feel the urge not to be a part of social constellations. So, I avoid updating my pages and focus on other business tasks: taxes 🙄, client preparation, reading and research.

But I’ve been trying to find a balance and shifting my thinking. It’s true that I don’t want to spend hours each week obsessively curating content, but it’s also true that I want to connect with others and build community while sharing what I’m excited about in my counseling world.

So, I am resolved to do better while honoring my screen time boundaries: I intend to post a few times a week and find joy in the element of linked humanness that electronic sharing makes possible, and otherwise I aim to stay present in my here and now, smile and sky day-to-day.

But where have I been? When not working remotely—outside—breathing in the buds and waves and forest air. Traveling to visit family and friends. Walking my dog, Sable. Writing poetry.

I realize that I am overdue in showing my face again and saying hello. Quill Counseling is still here, emerging from hibernation. Thanks for being patient with me, and thanks for being here too. 👋 🌸