Recently, I have found myself thinking about my mother, even though she died 24 years ago when I was just a seven year-old girl. However, as I’m running a new business, I wish more and more she was around. She was a business woman and I am finding myself wishing that I had her to bounce ideas off of or get support from. During these times, I find myself grieving her in a new way. So often, I’m asked the question about what is happening when people experience these moments of

From a very young age we are taught “Mind over matter.” Most people interpret this as, “if I think it I can do it.” Or people think of someone standing out in the freezing weather telling himself or herself that it is not cold, trying to convince their body that the subzero temperatures are not really that cold. So, if we can think of this phrase this way, why not bring in mental health? Because mental health and physical health have been separated, with the exception of Recr

We at Stories of Hope know that paying out of your pocket for therapy can seem like a burden. We strive to keep our rates as close to the industry standard for our area as possible. With that being said, what are some of the advantages to privately paying for therapy? PRIVACY One advantage is that you can ensure that your information is being kept confidential. There is no “middle man” who will handle your insurance claim. You do not need to go to a primary care physician to

So often, I counsel families and the number one problem is that families do not know how to constructively work through disagreements with e

As a single woman in her 30s, I’ve gone on my fair share of good and bad dates. Time after time, I have found myself trying to make conversa

Yesterday, Lindsey and I set our intentions for Stories of Hope. As we meditate on what we hope for the future of the business, I have been thinking about what it looks like to set goals for ourselves. I am a natural goal setter. I find myself always striving for something new, challenging and creative to endeavor. This is a big reason why I left my stable job in community mental health in order start a group practice. It was a goal, and now was the time. This is not to say t

As a self-pronounced “Grief Nerd,” I often have people asking me questions about how to help their friends or family members with their grief after a loss (be it death, divorce, relationship, miscarriage, etc.) Here are my top 3 tips: 1) Do something practical So often after a loss, the griever is in a “daze.” They have so much to think about such as funeral planning, legal arrangements, medical bills, etc. Grievers are taking care of so much, that it becomes difficult to tak

I built my Facebook account in January 2006. In the “About Me” section, I put “I love to hear people’s stories.” This has never changed. The concept of “Story” has followed me throughout my education, life and career thus far. It has changed meaning over the years, but has only grown in the depth of my understanding. As I sat down one evening to dream of a one day private practice name, the word “Stories” just kept coming to my head. It’s meaning conveys so much. What would I