To mark National Eating Disorders Awareness Week last month (Feb 21-27), I was a guest lecturer at Stetson University. I spoke to a group of graduate students in mental health counseling about our work with clients with eating disorders. I enjoyed the opportunity to give them a good footing in their future work in our […]

A journal is a place to write down your thoughts and experiences. In doing so, you are using a healthy form of self-expression. I encourage clients to use it in this way as a coping strategy, enabling them to unload onto the page. Journaling is also an opportunity to gain insight into the thoughts and […]

My most important relationship is with me, and I need to take good care of myself so I have abundant energy to spend on my relationships with colleagues, family and friends. How am I taking care of myself? Fueled by the Spirit of Change theme we have launched here at the office, I've committed to work […]

When Relationships End… What about when relationships end? This can feel very painful and unsettling. These emotions provide useful information and this pain indicates that something within needs healing. Acknowledging and grieving the lost relationship remain important steps in that process. By allowing space and time to feel the sadness and mourn the emotional loss, […]

When February rolls around each year, clients often begin to talk about relationships, whether past or present. Valentine’s Day tends to serve as a benchmark, leading people to take stock of where their relationship stands. I hear a lot about feeling misunderstood, miscommunication, and wanting to change what seem to be dysfunctional patterns that have […]

From the movie Up… My family and I recently watched the Disney movie Up and had fun for days mimicking the talking dogs who were so easily distracted when one would call out, “Squirrel!” The best joke came on Christmas Day when instead of Santa Claus, a squirrel dropped down our own chimney! Besides the […]

I believe that life has a continuous flow, and that the most important day we have is today. That being said, the year-end is a natural opportunity to pause and reflect. For many years now I have had the tradition of closing one year and opening the next by starting a new type of journal. […]

This is a photo of Tara and Joe welcoming visitors to our exhibit table at a recent Florida School Counselors Association event. We do a lot of work with local schools, shedding light on the challenging subject of eating disorders and giving teachers and families somewhere to turn when they see a young person struggling. […]

  Today's article explores a topic that most people don't like to think about – relapse. As you'll read below, feedback from an objective person can sometimes provide important clues that you are on the slippery slope to relapse.   Feedback is just as crucial to our efforts at the White Picket Fence Counseling Center, […]

At this time of year, many people are getting ready for new starts. Some have a new job, some are settling into a new home, while others are going back to school. Typically, colleges have a few days – or even weeks – of orientation before the school year begins, to help students adjust to […]