Do you ever wonder why you feel stuck or overwhelmed by patterns you don’t fully understand? Anxiety, shame, and relational struggles often have roots in our personal stories. Keep reading as ALCS therapist Catherine Cain, MSW, LMSW shares why reflecting on your past isn’t about blame or dwelling - it’s about healing and becoming.  Read More

As our parents age, many of us feel unprepared to be a caregiver. One day, they are the ones guiding and supporting us; the next, we find ourselves in the role of caretaker—navigating medical decisions, financial concerns, and emotional challenges we never anticipated. This shift can feel overwhelming, especially when we’re also balancing careers, raising children, or simply trying to maintain our own well-being. In this post, Julie O’Brien, MA, LPC-Associate, Supervised by Kerry Williamson, MA, LPC-S, LMFT-S, CST offers helpful tips on how to navigate the demands of caregiving while maintaining our own mental health.  Read More

ALCS is excited to welcome Hannah Parks, MA, in the very near future. Hannah will be working with children, teens, and adults at our Kyle and North Austin locations. Are you considering therapy for your child for the first time? In this post, Hannah shares practical suggestions for parents as they help their child take this important step.  Read More

Conflict in relationships is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be destructive. Whether you’re navigating a disagreement in a serious dating or married relationship, learning how to handle conflicts well can strengthen your bond and foster emotional growth. In this post, Nicole Parker, MA, LPC suggests small changes that can make a big difference next time you and your loved one feel the tensions ...  Read More

During October, Kerry and Rachel have been sharing blogs about their personal experience with breast cancer this past year. In his last blog, Kerry wrote to husbands about how to love their wives well during breast cancer, and this week he offers help for cultivating sexual intimacy after breast cancer. Sexual intimacy after breast cancer can be hard. I guess that sounds obvious as I write it, but...  Read More

During October, Kerry and Rachel have been sharing blogs about their personal experience with breast cancer this past year. This week, Kerry speaks to husbands about how to love their wives well during breast cancer. We hope you'll return for his final post later this month as he offers wisdom for sexual intimacy after breast cancer.  Read More

During October, Kerry and Rachel are sharing about their personal experience with breast cancer this past year. This week, Rachel shares about her faith journey and her experience of being hidden and held during suffering. She hopes to bring comfort and encouragement to others who are hurting as she recounts how God can birth new life from our sorrows.  Read More

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this month, Kerry and Rachel will be sharing a series of blogs about their personal experience with breast cancer this past year. Read on to be introduced to their story, and then return later this month to read Rachel's blog about faith during cancer, and Kerry's blogs about loving a wife well through breast cancer, and sexual intimacy after breast cancer.  Read More

This time of year can bring a lot of jitters for kiddos heading back to school. And sometimes, these jitters may come out in ways that are not so fun for parents. Over my 29 years of experience working with children and adolescents (and raising four adult boys), there are tools and strategies that I have found to be helpful in navigating this transition smoothly. Read on for ways to help your child approach back-to-school with a more positive mindset that will help them experience success.  Read More

Sometimes life can get so chaotic that it begins to take a toll on us before we recognize what is happening. In this blog, Julie O’Brien, MA, LPC-Associate, Supervised by: Kerry Williamson, MA, LPC-S, LMFT-S, CST shares a helpful framework for evaluating how we are doing in order to make adjustments. Be sure to download the infographic that she created and uses with clients at the end of the post.  Read More

Communicating effectively can be challenging for many of us—even in everyday situations, but especially in more emotional contexts that can require vulnerability or involve criticism. Here are some recommendations from Rachelle Honohan, LCSW, for becoming better communicators.  Read More

For those who have never been to therapy, the thought of bringing pain into the open may seem a bit intimidating or even scary. While reluctance to share our past or our vulnerabilities is understandable, Julie O’Brien, MA, LPC-Associate, Supervised by: Kerry Williamson, MA, LPC-S, LMFT-S, CST shares a helpful framework for thinking about the process of therapy, along with reassurance for taking the next step.  Read More

For clients struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, chronic physical pain, athletic performance anxiety, and behavioral problems who feel "stuck" and unable to make progress with traditional talk therapy, Brainspotting Therapy may be an intervention that can break through frustrating barriers. Nicole Parker, MA, LPC is trained in Brainspotting Therapy and describes it in easy-to-understand- l...  Read More

“Remember that it’s not always the circumstance, but how you react to the circumstance that matters. Take a deep breath and let your heart feel compassion for your hurting teen.”  Read More

" I believe in the power of INTIMACY (into-me-you-see), which involves identifying and labeling your emotions as a way to self-regulate your nervous system but also as a way to connect with others."  Read More

Michelle Johnson-MA, LPC | But what happens if what happens isn’t what was supposed to happen? Due to an increasing number of difficulties surrounding infertility, poor health or complications in pregnancy, a history of PTSD, a negative subjective birth experience, having an operative birth (i.e., assisted vaginal or caesarean section), and lack of support during birth (Ayers, 2017), to name a few, some women find themselves tangled in a web of emotions that they neither understand nor can communicate.  Read More

Nicole Parker, MA, LPC-Associate | Without warning, you suddenly feel it come over your body and the familiar dread drapes down upon you. Your chest feels like someone is sitting on it – or worse yet, squeezing it. You notice that you’re not breathing normally; your breaths become quick, and they feel impossible to slow.  Read More

Hannah Pitman-MA, LPC| When adding in structure or nurture, start small! A goal could be to pick one connecting activity, noticing one match a day, or setting aside connecting time once per week. Pick one structure thing you want to add in, start with one ritual every day at bedtime or pizza night once a week. If you start too big it is easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged and not do any of it. Have grace for yourself and use your strengths to help you build in the areas that are more difficult. Also, press into those strengths! Keep doing the things you are already doing well and good luck!  Read More

Regina Gray-MS, LPC-Associate| Social media has de-stigmatized therapy in recent years, leading to many productive conversations about mental health. However, I have noticed the word “process” frequently thrown around with little or no context. Many of my clients come in asking to process different areas of their life, and I always start with the same question: “What does processing mean to yo...  Read More

Hannah Pitman, MA, LPC | The start of the new year is an opportunity for reflection and goal-setting, and perhaps the most transformative action we can take this year is learning how to connect more meaningfully with our partners and children.  Read More

Hannah Pitman, MA, LPC | Hannah offers us a spiritual perspective on purpose and hope during this pandemic, reflecting on a quote from C.S. Lewis in "The Weight of Glory."  Read More

Carolyn Dixon, MSW, LCSW | In her second "My Favorite Things" post, Carolyn offers her thoughts on keeping your marriage healthy in the midst of COVID-19 and too much time at home with your spouse.  Read More

Carolyn Dixon, MSW, LCSW | Life is about RUPTURES AND REPAIRS. The bottom line is that the goal is not to never have a conflict. The goal is to know how to repair conflict. Trying to dissolve all of our relational problems is not a realistic option.  Read More

Rachelle Honohan, MSW, LCSW-S & Hannah Pitman, MA, LPC | While increased time at home for your family may feel overwhelming, it can also be an opportunity to slow down and focus on your relationships with your spouse and children. Read on for some tips to help this challenging time become smoother and even enjoyable!  Read More