Thoughts from Under the Cypress Tree

Learn why flexible coping works and how to build a practical toolbox of responses for different emotional situations.

Recognize common signs of college burnout and learn realistic first steps toward rest, support, and recovery.

Explore how light, layout, clutter, and other environmental details can influence mood, focus, and emotional well-being.

Understand the emotional impact of sudden college autonomy and learn practical ways to create structure, connection, and support.

This blog discussed how doing something creative can change how you feel, what happens when you are creative, and how to bring more creativity into your daily life.

Understand why the brain replays mistakes and how self-compassion can help calm the body’s stress response.

Explore ways to navigate Father's Day without a relationship with your dad, honor complicated emotions, and create meaningful traditions of your own.

Understand how sleep affects mood, focus, and resilience, and explore practical habits that support more restful nights.

Learn how nutrition and exercise can support mood, stress regulation, sleep, energy, and a more holistic approach to mental health.

Explore practical, guilt-free self-care for moms and learn why protecting your mental health supports both you and your family.

Explore how self-awareness can support emotional regulation, healthier choices, stronger relationships, and a more grounded sense of self.

Mindfulness can help you slow down, tune in, and respond to life with more clarity and calm. This post explores what mindfulness is, how it supports emotional regulation, lowers anxiety, and builds resilience, plus simple everyday practices to help you feel more grounded, present, and connected.

Mindfulness can help you slow down, tune in, and respond to life with more clarity and calm. This post explores what mindfulness is, how it supports emotional regulation, lowers anxiety, and builds resilience, plus simple everyday practices to help you feel more grounded, present, and connected.

The Science Behind Resilience explains what your brain is doing when life gets heavy. Stress flips on the alarm system, and your “thinking” brain works to settle it down. We’ll break down the key brain circuits—and share a few simple habits that help over time: better sleep, movement, mindfulness, and connection.

Rewriting Your Story doesn’t mean pretending the hard parts didn’t happen. It means getting curious about the patterns you’ve been living in—your reactions, your inner talk, and the roles you keep falling into. When you pause to reflect, you create space to choose a different response and a healthier direction. Over time, those small choices add up, and your story starts to feel less like something that happens to you and more like something you can shape with intention.

The Power of Self-Reflection starts with something simple: slowing down long enough to notice what’s happening inside you. When you take a few minutes to check in—through journaling, quiet pauses, or a few honest questions—you create space between a trigger and your response. That space is where emotional resilience grows. Over time, self-reflection helps you spot patterns, understand what you’re feeling, and respond with more clarity, calm, and intention instead of running o

Grief during the holidays can feel like living in two worlds at once—one filled with lights and laughter, the other heavy with memories and absence. This season doesn’t have to force you into choosing one emotion over another. By gently making space for both sadness and joy, you can honor your loss, protect your emotional well-being, and create moments of meaning in even the hardest holiday seasons.

Therapy can feel like wading through mud at times—slow, effortful, and uncertain. As an LPC, I see many clients hit plateaus where progress stalls, and frustration sets in. Today, I want to share insights to help you regain momentum and keep moving forward.

I’ve spent years training as an LPC, and one truth keeps surfacing: you can’t pour from an empty cup. Prioritizing yourself isn’t selfish—it’s essential. When we tend to our own needs first, we build the resilience and clarity necessary to care for others and meet life’s challenges head-on.