Guiding Arrows Counseling

12/22/2025

For parents of teens who seem “fine” on the outside but exhausted on the inside:

Many high-masking teens don’t look like they’re struggling. They’re doing school, showing up, and holding it together. But underneath, they may be burned out from constantly pushing, adjusting, and hiding parts of themselves to fit in.

This blog is written directly for teens. It explains burnout in clear language, helps them recognize masking in daily life, and offers gentle, practical ways to start being more themselves without pressure or labels.

If your teen has been more withdrawn, overwhelmed, irritable, or exhausted lately, this may help them feel seen and less alone.

💛 You can read it together or pass it along.
🔗 Link to blog:

If you’re reading this and thinking, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I can’t keep doing this,” you’re not being dramatic and you’re definitely not alone. Burnout is your brain and nervous system saying, “I can’t keep doing this the same way anymore.” Burnout doesn’t u...

12/15/2025

If this holidays bring more meltdowns than joy, this one is for you!

To my neuro-warrior parents,

09/25/2025

When one child in the family experiences high levels of aggression, parents often carry heavy worries for their other children....

These fears are real. And yet, they don’t have to be the end of the story.

When one child in the family experiences high levels of aggression, parents often carry heavy worries for their other children. “Will this cause trauma?” “Will they ever have a close sibling relationship?” “Am I neglecting one child to manage the other’s behaviors?” These fears are

08/28/2025

As your kiddo comes home from school, remember this:

- Meltdowns aren’t manipulation; they’re release.

- And unmasking isn’t a setback; it’s healing.

If you’re a parent of a neurodivergent child, you might know this pattern all too well: your child seems calm, polite, and “fine” all day at school, but the second they walk through the door at home, the meltdowns begin. You may feel confused, frustrated, or even blamed. But here’s the truth...

08/17/2025

New week, new day, new capacity. It only takes 3 questions to come back to yourself and your child.

Have you ever noticed that some days you wake up ready to take on the world and other days, just getting out of bed feels like a victory? That’s capacity. It shifts daily, sometimes even moment by moment. Two minutes ago you walked to the kitchen feeling just fine to do the dishes, but then you

08/03/2025

Back to School Without the Meltdowns: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids

Neuro-warrior parents, If you're staring down the school year with a mix of hope, dread, and 17 unanswered emails from the district, take a breath. You’re not alone. And you’re not behind. For our neurodivergent kids, back-to-school doesn’t just mean new folders and fresh shoes. It often means

06/23/2025

🌿Welcome to Guiding Arrows Counseling

We’re your trusted group practice in Aledo supporting children, teens, and families through the understanding of neurodivergence, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, and big life transitions. Whether your child needs play therapy, teen support, or holistic neurofeedback, our team is here to walk alongside you every step of the way. 💛

02/12/2024

A lot can happen with a little reframing. Manipulation is a “calculated exercise of harmful control over others.” Children’s brains are not quite capable of that type of calculated action. What you ARE seeing though is a strong signal of unmet needs. Children are simply exercising survival responses that are ingrained into all of us.

Instead of asking, “Why is my child so manipulative?”, ask yourself, “What are they actually trying to accomplish? What do they really need?“

02/08/2024

There is a hidden cost when it comes to silence. When kids hold in emotions, they carry a heavy burden. Let’s not assume the quiet ones are always okay.

02/06/2024

‘Trauma Through a Child’s Eyes’ by Peter Levine unpacks how trauma disrupts our nervous system and highlights the lingering effects. Trauma hits the pause button ⏸️ on our natural fight-flight-freeze responses, leaving us stuck in a state of heightened alertness 😳 or numbed withdrawal😞. It is critical that we understand trauma from a physiological framework, and this book is a fantastic start.

02/05/2024

Every misbehavior highlights an unspoken emotion. Your child might be struggling to express themselves verbally, and their actions are their way of reaching out. 🫶🏼 Be slower to correct, and faster to connect.

Using the concepts from we know that connecting to a child’s emotions is a powerful way to understand their world.

02/04/2024

The concept of “Connection before Correction” is a fundamental principle in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). TBRI emphasizes the importance of building a strong connection with a child before addressing behavioral issues, dysregulation, or offering corrections. By prioritizing connection, caregivers aim to create a safe and nurturing environment where co-regulation can occur. Once a secure connection is established, the child is more receptive to correction and guidance.