Apricity Counseling and Wellness

Recently, Rainbow Health, suddenly closed.

In response, DHS has re-established an information line for people living with an HIV to get help and support. The Ryan White Programs Customer Care Line – 651-431-2398 – will be converted into a temporary triage and referral line to assist with questions and referrals to services for people living with HIV affected by the Rainbow Health closure.

We are thrilled to welcome, Erica Gonzalez (she/her) , MS, LPC to our Apricity family!
Erica received her Master’s of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Viterbo University. She then gained experience working with individuals, couples, and families in Alaska, working in Kotzebue for one year and Anchorage for 6 years. She recently moved back to the midwest from Alaska. She is fully licensed in Alaska and is working towards transferring her license and obtaining full licensure here in Minnesota. She is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Brainspotting, DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) for Complex PTSD, and specializes in treating issues related to trauma, attachment disruption, ADHD, intimate partner violence, religious trauma, and addiction/substance use.

Erica loves providing therapy and is so honored and humbled to be able to be a part of her client’s healing process. Her way of being with clients includes genuine authenticity, warmth, and humor. Her approach includes a primary focus on developing a therapeutic relationship to collaboratively address and explore the unique needs and strengths of each client. The first and foremost goal she has when working with clients is to develop a strong, trusting relationship in order to further address and change what the client wants to change. Erica strives to uphold an anti racist, culturally responsive, trauma informed space in which clients feel respected, affirmed, welcomed and safe.

In her free time, Erica enjoys spending time outside camping and hiking with her family, marathon watching A24 movies, creating art, attending/performing in plays and improv shows, and finding and picking up cool looking rocks that she swears she is going to make into a cool art project or something at some point.​

“OK Not to Be OK” by Marshmello & Demi Lovato

Experiencing tough times and emotions is part of being human. Feeling overwhelmed, isolated, or like there’s no solution can be incredibly challenging. Recognizing when things are out of our control can be especially hard.

In our mental health journey, acknowledging our struggles and seeking support are important parts of the healing process. Try practicing self-compassion and reach out for help when you need it. Remember, you are not alone, and it’s perfectly okay to feel how you feel. 💙

🧠💪🏼💛

Building awareness of our trauma triggers and subsequent trauma responses is an important part to healing 🌻

Reach out to Apricity Counseling and Wellness if you are looking for trauma informed therapy.

651-348-8551 or [email protected]

“Brighter Days” by Blessing Offor
Life can bring some pretty tough experiences where we may not be sure how we’ll make it through. The pain of trauma and other challenging situations can be overwhelming, and it can be hard to hold onto hope for better days at times. Doing it all alone can be even more painful, so we encourage you to reach out to someone in your life for support. And if you need or want more support and help, reach out to us or a mental health professional near you. We are here to help you through the ups and downs of life, including the most difficult of times.

Today, we recognize Juneteenth and have included a few links regarding Black mental health and BIPOC mental health.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/juneteenth-and-bipoc-mental-health-awareness-month/?gad_source=1

https://nned.net/12092/

https://www.lifewaysmi.org/lifeways-blog/supporting-black-mental-health-in-honor-of-juneteenth

Did you know that you can experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in the summer too? Both teens and adults can experience SAD during the warmer months, but adolescents can be especially impacted by this. If you or someone you love is struggling with summer SAD, there are ways to cope and find relief. In our latest blog post, you can discover helpful tips and learn when it might be time to seek professional help.

Check out our blog at www.apricitycw.com/blog

Introducing our new individual anger-guilt program at Apricity! If group settings aren’t for you or you would like to have a more personalized option to work through your anger or guilt issues, this might be for you!

Sam Franklin, LMFT has been running anger/guilt groups for over 5 years and has been specializing in working with these issues for even longer.

This program is not just for those who have a hard time controlling their anger and tend to over-respond or explode easily. It’s also for those who suppress anger and then blow up occasionally, or for those who tend to be under-angered and under assertive (usually mixed with high levels of guilt).

If you are interested in learning more you can check out Sam’s bio on our website at www.apricitycw.com or reach out to Sam directly to schedule a free consultation.

“The Feelings Song” by Heidi Rojas
Helping children name, understand, and process emotions is an important part of parenting, but if you weren’t taught that yourself how would you know how to talk about emotions with your own kids? Learning how to manage and process emotions for yourself can go a long way for your own health and wellness, as well as give you more tools to model and teach this to your kids. This song was written for kids but it was also meant for the inner child in all of us. We all need validation, soothing, and the freedom to express and be with our emotions. Feelings can be uncomfortable or even overwhelming at times, but they are also helpful signals and clues to let us know what we need. If you would like support in understanding and processing your emotions or would like this kind of help for your child, reach out to us or a mental health professional near you.

“The Bones” by Maren Morris
Building a solid foundation in a relationship is important for weathering future storms and challenges. There will be things that will test your relationship at some point, and good communication and trust is important to get through those times. Also changes can bring difficulties, as people in a relationship will change or the dynamics will shift. It requires adjustments to be made within the relationship when these changes happen. Couples/relational therapy can be a great way to build that solid foundation or repair any cracks that may have formed over time. Reach out to us or a mental health professional near you for help.

Happy Pride Month ♥️🧡💛💚💙💜

Friendly reminder to help you celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month 💛

This weekend, one of our co-owners and therapist, Sam Franklin, MA, LMFT, was given the “Founder’s Award” for their work as a board member in the Minnesota Womxn in Psychology organization.

Over the past 3 years, Sam has been working on the Gender Task Force in MWP to change the language in the name, purpose, and membership of the organization to make the space more gender-inclusive and welcoming to people of all marginalized genders.

Great work, Sam! And congratulations!!

“New Day” by Andrew Simple
There can be really difficult days in life and on the journey towards healing. Sometimes it may be hard to get out of bed or there may be times where it’s a struggle to get through the day moment by moment. The hope is that one day things will feel brighter. Keep holding onto the hope because each day is a new day. If you’re going through a hard time and want or need support, reach out to us or a mental health professional near you.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Here are some practical ways to support your mental wellbeing

May is Mental Health Awareness Month 🧠 Let’s celebrate by checking in on our loved ones 💛

“Tell You About Her” by Ryan Nealon
Loving someone with dementia can be difficult. Slowly mourning the loss of someone who is still physically here can be painful. Seeing them lose parts of themselves you love and cherish, and experiencing times when they don’t recognize you - the grief can feel difficult to process and navigate. This is what’s called ambiguous loss. If you are experiencing this, or other kinds of grief, and would like help and support around it, reach out to us or a mental health professional near you. You don’t have to go through this alone.

Parents magazine interviewed our provider, Mackenzie Kerber, MA, LPCC and other experts about the new “Fire Truck game”.

Check out the article for more information on the game and how to talk with your kids about it.

https://www.parents.com/what-is-the-fire-truck-game-8634980

“Survivor” by Ellen Once Again
Lots of things can knock us down in life: difficult events, trauma, illness, chronic pain, other people, society, and even ourselves. But you are a survivor. At Apricity, our providers are there to walk alongside you in your journey and fight towards safety, empowerment, equality, wellness and recovery.

At Apricity Counseling and Wellness, we believe in trauma-informed care 💛

“The Greatest Love of All” by George Benson/Whitney Houston

The greatest love of all is the love we give to ourselves. Self-love is so important in our healing journey and also one of the hardest things for most people.

Self-love isn’t just about knowing your worth and loving yourself, but also about setting boundaries and living your life according to your values even when it’s hard. It’s about holding onto who you are even when others may be trying to tear you down.

If you want support and help in this process of learning to love yourself reach out to us or a mental health professional near you. You deserve love, especially from yourself.

Struggling with negative self-talk?

It’s okay! It happens 💛

Try some of these cognitive reframes and then check-in with your emotions and body sensations to see if it helped!

🌸 Take what you need and pass it along 🌸

“Alive” by Sia
We decided to name our clinic Apricity because we felt like it represented how the healing journey can be, including facing and healing from trauma. Apricity means the suns warmth in winter. It’s about the moments where you can find hope and light in the cold and darkness. This is similar to what this song is about. Even when you’ve been through hard times and traumas, and it feels dark - you are still breathing and alive. You survived and no one can take that resiliency away from you. There is still hope for healing and moments of lightness to shine through the darkness. If you’re struggling with coping with trauma or other hardships in life, reach out to us or a mental health professional near you. There is help available.

Sam Franklin (co-owner of Apricity) was back at the state capital today for Trans Day of Visibility where trans and gender-expansive speakers and performers, along with LGBTQIA2S+ organizations, all came together for a day of community, celebration, advocacy, and inspiration.

Here at Apricity we care about all LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and families, and we work to provide a safe space, whether you’re coming to therapy for issues related to these identities or for other concerns. We are here to help. Because you matter🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Stress, anxiety, financial trauma triggers… all congruent responses to the dreaded tax season.

Check out our latest blog post for tips to help you cope with tax season:

https://www.apricitycw.com/post/tax-anxiety

“Good Enough” by Empire Cast (feat Jussie Smollet)
Many people struggle with feeling good enough. That wound can go as far back as childhood with the relationship we have with our parents, including parents we never got to have a relationship with. Sometimes we might feel like no matter what we do it will never be good enough to get the approval or love from a parent. This can be very painful. Getting acceptance from a parent like that is often an impossible task. Even if your parent can’t see how amazing you are doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough. If this is a wound you carry, reach out to us or a mental health professional near you. It’s possible to feel good enough even if nothings changes with your parent.