Mel Strunk Therapy

10/23/2026

Halloween candy therapist edition 🎃👻🍂

The thought of buckets of candy can be anxiety provoking for many of us for different reasons.
Fear of binging, terrified of gaining weight, trying to “be good,” having some can mean “messing up for the day” so screw it mentality can be triggered, how much do we control what we give the kids. Lots of swirling thoughts. What can we do? Come up with a plan based on what your specific anxiety is around.

Fear of gaining weight-challenge yourself by allowing yourself to enjoy the holiday and challenging feelings of guilt, lots of reframing and positive self-talk. 🎃🍬

Worried kids will have too much-let them enjoy candy on Halloween! They’re kids, it’s a fun day, don’t teach them to demonize the treats. 👻🍫

Worried about binging-name the feeling, pause, remind yourself this isn’t the only time the candy is available; this is not the last chance, eat it slowly, don’t reach for it when you’re starving, and no matter what happens, practice compassion and resume regular meals as the day goes on. 🍭🍬

09/28/2026

Sometimes anxiety can make small decisions feel like they need to be figured out immediately.

If you find yourself:
• Overthinking conversations
• Replaying something you said over and over
• Worrying about what might happen next
• Feeling like you need to solve every problem right now
• Finding it hard to relax

Therapy can help you slow down, understand what is driving the anxiety, and find ways to manage it.

If anxiety and overthinking has been taking up space in your life, therapy can be a place to start to unravel it.

Mel Strunk Therapy in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware can be a good place to start.

09/03/2026

It’s September again! Everyone is back to school! But for many, this season can feel very different when your children have grown and left home. If excitement, grief, loneliness, anxiety, or uncertainty about what this next chapter looks like for you, this read is for you. And if you’re not there this year, it’s coming for you.

An empty nest can be an opportunity to create a new routine, reconnect with yourself, and make space for the things that bring meaning to your life, all while acknowledging that this is really hard and scary.

Check out my new blog about navigating the empty nest during back to school season and creating a routine that is about you. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

Back to school season has always had a certain type of feel to it. New schedules, activities, homework, sports, and hectic mornings. Fall has felt this way for so many years, you can hardly remember a time before. For many parents, particularly mothers, back to school season can bring unexpected fee...

07/15/2026

Mel Strunk Therapy is grateful and excited to partner with DelDOT to spread Eating Disorder Awareness in Delaware! The iconic Indian River Inlet Bridge will be illuminated lavender to acknowledge Eating Disorder Awareness Week (February 22-28, 2027). Stay tuned! 💜

07/01/2026

Talking about what’s bothering you can be healthy. It helps you process emotions and helps you feel supported.

But sometimes venting crosses the line into rumination, which is replaying the same conversations and worries over and over without any movement. We’ve all been there, (they must hate me, why did I say that, they are angry with me, why can’t I get over this, what if I made the wrong decision), but this pattern isn’t helping you actually feel better.

A few questions to ask yourself if you catch yourself engaging in this behavior:

Am I gaining new insight, or just repeating the same story?
Do I feel lighter after talking, or more upset?
Is this conversation helping me move forward?

Therapy can help you learn the difference between healthy emotional processing and rumination. Finding ways to quiet the mental loop and challenge unhelpful thought patterns is key in breaking the cycle. So, next time you catch yourself venting to a friend, check in with yourself to make sure you’re not making it worse by ruminating.

05/25/2026

Hey sweet summer 😎 👋 Let’s not let negative self talk about our bodies and rules about food keep us from enjoying ourselves this year. Let’s create some boundaries around our inner dialogue this season.

Stop the diet talk. 🛑
Stop the body shaming. 🛑
Stop the negative self talk. 🛑

Thinner doesn’t mean happier. If your brain keeps telling you it does, try to remember:

Meeting friends at the pool 🏊 💦
Gathering at the beach 🌊 🏖️
Connecting with family and friends 👯‍♀️ 👭
Summer picnics 🧺 🍉
Grilling a delicious meal to share 🍔🥗
Moving your body for fun 🏃‍♀️🧘‍♀️💃

This is what matters. We only get so many summers. ⏳ Don’t waste it trying to be perfect 🌞

05/05/2026

Did you know that only about half of my practice is seeing clients with eating disorders?

I also work with clients who are navigating:
•Perfectionism
•Anxiety
•Grief after the loss of a spouse or partner
•The emotional transition of becoming an empty nester
•High functioning women who feel like they’re holding it all together on the outside, but feeling overwhelmed on the inside.

My work focuses on helping you understand your patterns, redefine what self-care actually looks like for you, and create space to slow down and reconnect with the version of yourself you want to be.

If this sounds like you, I currently have a few openings if you’ve been thinking about starting therapy. You don’t have to wait until things feel worse to ask for support 💜

05/04/2026

05/01/2026

I really love the work I do and am excited to be a finalist in Coastal Style Magazine’s Best of Coastal 2026. This year I’ve been nominated for both Counseling Center and Mental Health Professional (under the Health and Wellness category). You can start voting today for all of your local favorites!

https://coastalstylemag.com/best-of-2026-sussex/ #//

04/22/2026

As we prepare to face the summer sunshine, we’re also faced with body insecurities. Here’s my latest blog on choosing joy over body shaming.

As the weather warms up in Delaware and we start trading our sweaters for tank tops, conversations quickly turn towards body dissatisfaction. “Not enough” starts creeping in. Not tan enough, not thin enough, not fit enough. We find ourselves hyper fixating on imperfections and spiraling thoughts...