July 2024
6 Principles of Sexual Health
By: Tim White, MA, LMFT, LSOTP, ASAT, APTT, CST Student Preface I have found the concept of sexual health principles fascinating and helpful in practice over the last few months. As many of my clients know, I am a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist. This certification has given me the insight and ability to help many clients struggling with their sexual behavior. While I am grateful for this training, I have resolved to go further than just helping people with problematic sexual behavior and operate in the realm of more generalized sexual health. This has led me to seek out training
June 2024
Let’s Address the Elephant in the Room
Have you ever asked yourself if it is ok to talk about sex with your therapist? The answer to that question is absolutely yes. Therapists have their own realm of expertise; every therapist knows their limits and boundaries regarding those topics. However, sex is a healthy and common thing that most humans have in common. Now, you may ask yourself why this is important. Why should I investigate this part of my life? There is no simple answer to the complexity of sex. However, sex cannot only boost your self-esteem and confidence, but it can also increase your physical health.
You Can’t “Snap Out of It” and That’s Okay
By: Kayli Beaty, LMFT Associate Supervised by Dr. Mark White “I just need to snap out of it.” “I don’t know why I can’t get over myself.” “Will I ever get out of this funk?” If the human heart were capable of “just snapping out of it,” you would have done it by now. We were not designed to switch our brains on and off, as circumstances and emotions are far more complex than that. Many are familiar with the term “fight or flight,” which describes an emotional state where an individual is often overwhelmed and anxious, blood pressure is
December 2023
You Are Someone You Need To Love, Too.
By: Kayli Beaty, LMFT Associate, Supervised By Dr. Mark White, LMFT-S Has the hand you’ve been dealt in life started to feel heavy? Have you found yourself working to please those around you even if it means constantly keeping your emotions and thoughts harbored? Here is a gentle reminder: You are someone you need to love, too. Deriving from Mark 12:31, people are called to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” What would it look like if you truly loved those around you as you loved yourself? Would they feel safe, connected, and satisfied, or would they feel ridiculed, judged, and
June 2023
Motherhood is hard
By Adrienne Rains LMFT - Associate (TX) and AMFT (NM) Supervised by Dr. Mark White I’m going to say what we are all thinking, motherhood is hard. You go into motherhood thinking about all of the sweet things that a baby will bring into your life. Like love, joy, cute outfits, setting up the nursery just so, etc. But once your little one is in your arms you learn about the sleepless nights, the crying, the spit up (or in some cases projectile vomit), the poop, being peed on, but mostly you learn that you as the mother can lose
December 2021
The Ever-Present Calculator: A Message on Eating Disorders
By: Kayli Spears, MFT-Intern A 2020 research article on body shape ideals in the United States yielded that women “reported conflicting pressures to be thin while also having the desire to have curvier and fuller bodies” (Hunter et al., 2020, pp. 240). There has been yet another shift in the perception of the “perfect body” in the United States over the last couple of years. Similar to the changing of the seasons and the trends that come and go, society’s ideal body fluctuates as well. How can anyone win with what is “in” or “popular” when standards are constantly shifting?
October 2021
The Reality of Chronic Illness: An Invitation to Leave the Mask at Home
By: Kayli Spears, MFT-Intern “You look normal.” “Why don’t you ever want to do anything?” “You are so flakey.” “Why are you always tired?” “Can’t you just take some medicine?” If you are an individual with autoimmune conditions or chronic pain, you will likely find the first few statements all too familiar. God has designed our minds and bodies to have open and intricate lines of communication with one another. When an individual experiences chronic stress, fear, anxiety, or depression, those emotions have the potential to manifest into physical ailments in the body. When autoimmune conditions are present, the mind
September 2021
Caring For the Caretaker: Pouring from an Empty Cup
By: Kayli Spears, LMFT Associate When was the last time you checked in on yourself? Being in the position of taking care of a loved one with an illness, dementia, and other memory-loss diseases, in particular, is a unique space accompanied by responsibility, loss, frustration, setbacks, and victories. The caretaker tends to their loved one hand and foot, but who is there to tend to them? An individual's caretaker position allows them to walk alongside a loved one, receiving the privilege of peering through the darkest corners of their journey along with the cracks of light and progress that make its
