Amados Counseling and Community Center, LLC
Mental Health Counselor helping people discover their inner strength to heal.
Using mindfulness, strength-based, EMDR, and creative approaches to help you with anxiety, trauma, depression, self-esteem, family problems, stress, burnout, and relationships.
14/09/2022
Let's reconnect! With nature, with self, with others. Join me for a special workshop full of yoga and community. Bring your mat, journal, and imperfect self.
Enjoy .planties beautiful outdoor space and maybe take some plantie friends home with you!
Spaces are limited. Sign up via link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yoga-meditation-connection-workshop-tickets-308435347427
05/12/2020
100%
In case you need the reminder...
25/10/2020
PSA
22/10/2020
Join the conversation on Living with Anxiety, Find the full episode on your favorite podcast platform through: https://feeds.captivate.fm/i-am-here/
16/09/2020
PSA
Sis, the inability to receive support from others is a trauma response.
Your “I don’t need anyone, I’ll just do it all myself” conditioning is a survival tactic. You needed it to shield your tender heart from abuse, neglect, betrayal, and disappointment from those who could not or would not be there for you.
From the parent who was absent by choice or by the circumstance of working three jobs to feed and house you.
From the lovers who offered sexual intimacy but no offered no safe haven that honored your heart.
From the friendships that always took more than they gave.
From all the situations when someone told you “we’re in this together” then abandoned you, leaving you to pick up the pieces when isht got real, leaving you to handle your part and their part, too.
From the lies. The betrayals.
You learned along the way that you just couldn’t really trust people. Or that you could trust people, but only up to a certain point.
Ultra-independence is a *trust issue.*
You learned: if I don’t put myself in a situation where I rely on someone, I won’t have to be disappointed when they don’t show up for me, or when they drop the ball... because they will always drop the ball sooner or later, right?
You may even have been intentionally taught this protection strategy by generations of hurt women who came before you.
Ultra-independence is a preemptive strike against heartbreak.
So, you don’t trust anyone.
And you don’t trust yourself, either, to choose people.
To trust is to hope, to trust is vulnerability.
“Never again,” you vowed.
But no matter how you dress it up and display it proudly to make it seem like this level of independence is what you always wanted to be, in truth it’s your wounded, scarred, broken heart behind a protective brick wall.
Impenetrable. Nothing gets in. No hurt gets in. But no love gets in either.
Fortresses and armor are for those in battle, or who believe the battle is coming.
It’s trauma response.
The good news is trauma that is acknowledged is trauma that can be healed.
You are worthy of having support.
You are worthy of having true partnership.
You are worthy of love.
You are worthy of having your heart held.
You are worthy to be adored.
You are worthy to be cherished.
You are worthy to have someone say, “You rest. I got this.” And actually deliver on that promise.
You are worthy to receive.
You are worthy to receive.
You are worthy to receive.
You are worthy.
Worthy, sis.
You are worthy.
You don’t have to earn it.
You don’t have to prove it.
You don’t have to bargain for it.
You don’t have to beg for it.
You are worthy.
Worthy.
Simply because you exist.
I love you. 🧡~J.
Credit: Original image by Rising Woman, reposted from The Womb Sauna. Commentary by Jamila White, Psychic & Life Coach (FB: http://fb.me/inspiredjamila, IG: .jamila)
Permission to share/repost is gladly granted as long as:
1. It is kept in its original, unedited form; and
2. Full authorship credit is given with my name. A link/tag is appreciated.
Thank you!
This is a great resource with wonderful insights and tips on managing anxiety about COVID-19 during this time.
We're ALL affected and we're ALL humans going through this together. Your emotions are valid. Be kind and gentle with yourself.
We're here to help and you're not alone. Services are available via private and secure Telehealth option.
In response to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) and federal government’s recommendations to reduce the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), Amados Counseling and Community Center, LLC is taking precautions to ensure everyone’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. In caring for you and your family through our services, we are bound by professional ethical codes to, first and foremost, do no harm.
Therefore, in order to reduce any possible risk of exposure to the virus, Amados Counseling and Community Center, LLC is currently offering all mental health therapy appointments online (Telehealth services) through a secure, confidential, HIPAA compliant platform.
Please, contact our office to discuss options to better serve you during this time.
15/02/2020
Ummm....let's love ourselves enough to know this is too much money for this arrangement. 💁
Happy Valentine's, friends! Use your money wisely 😏. Love is free. Invest in what matters. Much love!
05/02/2020
Letting go hurts. Letting go of beliefs, dreams, habits, jobs, people. Although we may know it no longer serves us and that we are growing in new ways, letting go is a painful process.
We know it's necessary, and there's more to growth than just cutting old stuff out. There's the nurturing part during and afterwards.
Just as plants need water and sunlight to grow new, strong, healthy roots. We also need to nourish ourselves with a supportive community, self-soothing activities, and the tools we need to create a lasting change.
Making a change and growing are the beautiful results of letting go of what no longer feels good and getting the help we need along the way.
How are you meeting your needs on your path to healing and growth?
01/02/2020
Fear sometimes blocks us from living the best moments in our lives. I had the opportunity to speak with this past week about mental health. Honestly, I was nervous to try something new. Being on a podcast is uncharted territories for me. All the "What if's" popped up.
However, as I walked out after the show, I was nothing but grateful. Grateful to meet new people, to laugh, to connect. I was humbled to work with these very talented people. I left more inspired and creativity just flowed.
Fear can keep us safe and sometimes can stunt us from expanding our talents. Be mindful. Pay attention. Growth can be on the other side.
The podcast episode is up. Check out the link in the comments and follow MoreVisions for more updates on their show.
30/01/2020
Last day for Early Bird pricing!!! Social Connect Group for Teens starting next Tuesday, Feb 4th. Register today and lock in the discounted rate.
Food for thought: Ideas on managing grief and sudden loss of influencers and role models
*Be patient with yourself during the grieving process
*Allow sadness
*Share their story
16/11/2019
How ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Got That EMDR Therapy Episode So Right In a Q&A, "Grey's Anatomy" writer and producer Elisabeth Finch explains why the show took on EMDR.
🎶"You can't rush your healing.
Darkness has its teaching.
Love is never leaving.
You can't rush your healing."
-Trevor Hall
🙇Be patient with yourselves, homies. The healing is happening.
04/11/2019
How are you showing up for yourself today? Promise yourself one small moment to be present in life today. See it. Hear it. Smell it. Feel it. Taste it.
My promise to myself today is to breathe through discomfort and let go of control.
What is yours?
01/11/2019
I've been thinking about community and what that means. Being independent and having alone time are necessary for self-reflection, awareness, and growth.
And in all honesty, true, consistent, long-standing change comes from a supportive community of people who love you enough to hold you accountable, to point out the progress you've made when you don't see it, to correct you when you're wrong.
We are social creatures, and we are hard-wired for connection. We need to attach and connect with others to LITERALLY survive. So much that we may betray ourselves in order to belong.
We're not meant to be alone. It's easy to see when we think of the torment and psychotic breaks people have endured in isolated confinement in prisons. Being isolated is torture.
However, being in an unhealthy environment can reinforce patterns that lead to depression, anxiety, disconnect. We need to be seen. We need to be heard. We need to be validated in our human experience. A supportive community helps in living in a joyful way.
Who do you include in your community? Who are the supporters who keep you growing and check you when you need it? Shout them out in the comments!
Challenge: Reach out to 2 people today and thank them for their presence in your journey....Take it a step further, and identify how you can be that community today.
11/10/2019
This is me after doing my TEDx talk with . Haha S**e! Just kidding. I totally sat in the crowd with my homies and listened. 😁
Yes, I'm late with it. It was 2 weeks ago. But I'm telling you: I'll get the courage to stand up there one day!
Happy Friday!
You guys, I went for a run.🏃 Let's be honest, I jogged a bit, felt discomfort, kept going...cuz u know "I can't be no punk."😤 I thought to myself, "I've gone farther than this before."
The discomfort grew into a bigger cramp. I kept pushing and my body said "Girl, stop!" And I did. I lay down on the ground. Legit all sprawled out on the ground like I had no sense lol. But i didn't care. I needed the pain to pass.
It did. In maybe 5 minutes it passed and I got up. I got up and ran farther than I did before the discomfort set in. Legit felt like that cliché montage of superheroes falling and getting back up over and over again.💪
Here's the thing, situations come up that seem as if we're going backwards, that we're not doing as well as we have before. So many clients come see me saying, "Why is this happening? It's like I'm back where I started."
The truth is we ARE progressing. We ARE moving. We ARE transforming. And on the path to healing and growing, we need time to rest and recuperate. That's part of the process.
When we don't listen to the discomfort that signals us to slow down, the pain intensifies and forces us to stop. It may be a simple cramp. It may be discord in relationships. It may be anxiety attacks. It may be losing my sense of self.
Listen to the small signals for rest and reflection...even if it feels like you're going backwards. You're not. You may see that you go farther and handle challenges more easily after a little break.
02/10/2019
This is my spot. When I need to ground myself and feel calm, this is my safe place. Near water, under a tree, feeling the breeze. My mood lightens, and I regain peace. Whether I'm there physically or just my imagination.
Our minds show very little differentiation between reality and what we imagine. When we visualize our happy place, our minds respond in the same way we would if we were physically there. It's science, bro! 😁
Engage your 5 senses when visualizing it. What do you visualize there? The sounds? The colors? The smell? The sensations on your skin?
What's your safe place? Let me know!
01/10/2019
Mental Health Break. It's Tuesday! Let's take a moment to give ourselves a lil love.
Sometimes we focus on our external world and neglect the relationship we have with Self.
These words are powerful when we hear them. More powerful when we say them. Swipe through and take a moment to listen and express words of and to yourself.
Take a few cleansing breaths. Really reflect and notice whatever comes up for you.
What we nurture in ourselves, we're more readily able to see and give to others at work, school, home, and our communities.
Happy healing, homies!
30/09/2019
You're on your journey.
It was such a wonderful time sharing space, knowledge, and enlightenment today at Mind Body and Soul event. So many inspiring stories of healing. Thank you, for having me, Shereece.
21/09/2019
TODAY!! I'm excited to hang with you. See you soon! :-) butterflylifestyleinc
I missed yoga class cuz I was late. Whomp, whomp!! 😒 I could've called it quits, but I was needing some self-reflection time AND to feel connected with others without draining too much of my energy. Bing! 💡
I realized I could find that in other ways. I went to the lake and journaled my worries, my fears, all my thoughts that were weighing me down. And I took it a step further... Once I vented on the pages, I answered myself the way I would respond to a good friend.
Stepping back from our thoughts and observing them can help us see solutions we couldn't see before. It also helps us build self compassion and regulate our emotions.
I challenge you: Take a moment to acknowledge your feelings, it out, then respond the way you would to your good friend.
20/09/2019
Our bodies whisper what they need...are we listening? Trying to "just push through" the stress, the sadness, the anger, the fear simply causes our bodies to push back in time: With physical pain, exhaustion, panic attacks, stomach issues, and on & on. Balance is key. Our bodies are not separate from our .
Doing a Body Scan can help us be more aware of how emotions manifest in our bodies and help reduce stress.
Take a moment to scan your body from head to toe and JUST NOTICE where it's asking for more of your attention and care. Keep going down the list until the end.
🔹Forehead
🔹Eyes
🔹Jaw
🔹Back of neck
🔹Throat
🔹Shoulders
🔹Chest
🔹Upper back
🔹Arms
🔹Hands
🔹Abdomen
🔹Lower back
🔹Hips
🔹Bottom
🔹Thighs
🔹Calves and shins
🔹Feet
Once you find the areas of tension, put your hand there and allow yourself to actively relax them. Give yourself permission to breathe gently, stretch, or do whatever your body needs in this moment. guys!
16/09/2019
Sharing your story with someone who listens without judgment and validates your experience is one of the most healing factors in and . Seeking a counselor can help. Your story matters and it's worth listening to.
16/09/2019
Come join me this Saturday, September 21, from 10-3pm at Barnett Park for this FREE wellness event by the Butterfly Lifestyle. I'll be speaking on mental health awareness. Come say hi! 🙋And stay for the free yoga, Zumba, and biometric screenings.
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