Hidden and Held: Reflections on Faith, Hope, and Peace through Suffering
on October 7th, 2024
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
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Breast Cancer: Two Words No One Wants to Hear
on October 1st, 2024
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
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Bye Bye Summer. How to Get Back to School
on August 6th, 2024
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
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Regaining Balance with Self-Reflection
on April 22nd, 2024
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
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Communication in our Everyday Life
on March 21st, 2024
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
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Therapy: A Clean Sweep of our Story
on October 17th, 2023
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
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Internal Family Systems: When You Can’t Agree with Yourself
on October 16th, 2023
When we can’t agree with ourselves, the distress we face gets real: decision fatigue, shame, anxiety, guilt, uncertainty, burn out… these are common symptoms of a person lacking Self Leadership. This blog overviews how Internal Family Systems or IFS (an evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment approach) can facilitate more internal harmony through access to the core “Self.”  Read More
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Brainspotting: Where You Look Affects How You Feel
on August 24th, 2023
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
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Help! I Don't Know How to Help My Hurting Teen
on June 20th, 2023
“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
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My Favorite Things: Embracing ALL of your Feelings
on June 5th, 2023
" 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
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Processing Postpartum PTSD: Making Sense of Your Story When it Wasn't Supposed to Happen This Way...
on August 17th, 2022
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
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Anxiety: My Foe, My Friend
on July 11th, 2022
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
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Parenting with Head and Heart
on July 7th, 2022
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
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The Process of Processing
on July 1st, 2022
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
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The Aftermath of Betrayal: How to Clean up the Glitter
on May 9th, 2022
Mary Kate Sowell, MS, LMFT-Associate| “I’ve already forgiven him,” Riley shared, “so why can’t I get past this?” Riley and Alex came to therapy a few months after Riley learned of Alex’s infidelity. They had become exhausted by a conversation that seemed to repeat itself on a never-ending loop. Riley would find herself overwhelmed with anger and sadness after something reminded her of husband’s betrayal. She would pull away from him o...  Read More
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Quality Family Time in 2021
on January 11th, 2021
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
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C.S. Lewis and Christian Hope in Crisis
on May 5th, 2020
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
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My Favorite Things: COVID-19 and Taking Care of Your Marriage
on April 21st, 2020
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
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My Favorite Things: Find the Cycle, Connect after Conflict
on March 23rd, 2020
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
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Finding the Fun in Family Quarantine
on March 23rd, 2020
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
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COVID-19: Managing Fear and Finding Rest in Uncertain Days
on March 23rd, 2020
Kerry Williamson, MA, LPC-S, LMFT-S, CST | The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has rapidly changed our daily lives, and for many of us, it stirs up fear. Kerry shares about fear and the brain and offers a biblical understanding of finding release from the cycle of worry and embracing abundant life in the present moment.  Read More
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What Can I Expect from Sex Therapy?
on February 10th, 2020
Kerry Williamson, MA, LPC-S, LMFT-S, CST | Sexual struggles are some of the most painful and loneliest problems that couples will face. Sex therapy can offer powerful opportunities for healing, connecting, and rediscovering pleasure.  Read More
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New Year Reflections and Hopes from ALCS
on December 31st, 2019
ALCS Team | Happy New Year! Hear from each of us at ALCS as we reflect on 2019 and offer our thoughts on beginning the new decade with awareness, gratitude, peace, and intention.  Read More
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Thanksgiving ABC's: Reflections on God's Faithfulness at ALCS
on November 19th, 2019
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to look inward and reflect on God's many blessings. On a more personal note, Rachel Williamson opens up about a Williamson family Thanksgiving tradition and shares about her gratitude for her family, the ALCS staff, and ALCS clients and community.   Read More
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Welcome to the Abundant Life Blog, where we answer common questions about counseling and support you and your family on the journey to deeper relationships and a joyful life.

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