Rachel Zielinski LCSWR - Hopeful Counseling

05/22/2026

It was so nice to meet everyone at the first Human-Animal Bond Special Interest Group Meeting! We are already looking forward to our next quarterly meeting on Wed. August 19th 6:30-7:30 pm!

05/20/2026

Today is the first Quarterly NASW-NY Human-Animal Bond Special Interest Group held via Zoom! Please sign up via link

05/02/2026

04/30/2026

DBT Skills : Module : Emotion Regulation. Skill. Understanding Emotions.

Emotions are crucial in navigating everyday life. Many of life's problems can be resolved by better emotional awareness.

"I need a drink after that"
"The day I've had.."
"She made me so angry"
"He had such road rage .."
"It's like treading on eggshells coming home from
school/college/work''...

Emotional awareness is key to emotion regulation. Then not needing to change the way we feel with anger outbursts, unhealthy lifestyle choices :drink, drugs, feeding our feelings, overeating, spending, shopping, gambling, other forms of unhealthy ways of coping /self harm.

Most of us have a more than reasonable grasp on emotional literacy.
We know that we need the so called ' negative emotions' as much as the feel good 'positive emotions'.

If we've never experienced sadness then we wouldn't know joy.[ ie :the movie Inside Out and its sequel].

Yet still we go about our day, or many of us do - blaming external issues for rising levels of stress, overwhelm, reactivity.

DBT can really help us with this.

[Image credit : Brene Brown who adapted the seminal work of Wilcox, Plutchik & Zinker]

04/26/2026

You might relate to DBT if you:
💙 Feel emotions really deeply or quickly get overwhelmed.
💙 Struggle in relationships or with self-criticism.
💙 Need practical tools to get through tough moments.

You might relate to CBT if you:
🩵 Overthink or worry a lot.
🩵 Struggle with negative self-talk.
🩵 Want clear strategies to change your thinking patterns.

There’s no one-size-fits-all in therapy. The best approach is the one that fits you. 💫

04/25/2026

04/24/2026

Trauma-Informed Insight Series:
The Trauma-Informed Continuum

Trauma-informed practice is not a switch you flip. It’s a continuum.

We move from awareness… to understanding… to action… in the way we support children, students, families, and each other.

Every step matters. Every shift in mindset matters. And every relational, regulated response helps build safer spaces for healing and learning.

03/12/2026

03/11/2026

Please spread the word that there are Camper Spots available for this camp with therapeutic activities for grieving children available free of charge. The camp is held in Rochester area but available to children from areas outside of the Rochester area, as well. Please see details (below):

Camp Heartstrings/Camp Dreams

Help and Healing for Grieving Children
Camp Heartstrings/Camp Dreams is a three-day camp for children (entering grades 2-11 in September 2026) who are adjusting to the death of a loved one. Developed by Licensed Master Social Workers, this camp promotes understanding, acceptance, healing and hope through a comprehensive program of activities, as well as plenty of fun. It is staffed by credentialed professionals and trained volunteers and is sponsored by UR Medicine Hospice (a program of UR Medicine Home Care), Pittsford Youth Services, and Dreams from Drake.

Camp Details
Registration will begin on February 1, for the 2026 Camp Session.

Please Note: In order to attend camp in 2026, the loss of a loved one(s) must have occurred prior to January 2026.

When
June 29, June 30, and July,1
12:00–6:00 p.m. daily
Campers are required to attend all days and times.

Where
Nazareth College
4245 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618

Cost
There is no cost to campers or their families. We are happy to provide this program free of charge.

Registration
Registration closes on April 17 or when 40 campers are registered. Please email [email protected] for an application.

For questions, please contact Michele Allman, LMSW, Bereavement Coordinator for UR Medicine Hospice (a program of UR Medicine Home Care) at (585) 274-4069 or at [email protected].
You will receive confirmation that a reservation is held for your camper(s).

02/23/2026

For Seasonal Affective Disorder or Winter Blues: