Young Adult Counseling and Retreats

11/02/2025

Hi friends, I saw this mural while traveling this summer and wondered: Who is this beautiful woman? Is she struggling with loss, heartbreak or low self esteem? Does she people please and abandon herself for other’s needs and demands? I hope she is strong, takes care of herself and speaks her truth. Whoever she is, I see her an inspiration for others. Whoever can you inspire yourself to show up for your needs, your ability to say no and hold your ground? If you’re struggling with this, please know you’re not alone. Red jasper crystal promotes strength, stability and grounding. I hope this tip helps!

10/27/2025

Hi friends, Walking through sand to get to the beautiful ocean isn’t always easy and neither is walking away from a toxic relationship, whether it’s romantic, friendship or business related. Sometimes we have tried our best to be kind, to be empathetic, and to say and do the right things and it’s just not enough. Sometimes we will be the villain in someone else’s story, no matter what we do. This is a HARD lesson for kind sensitive souls! I’m here to tell you it is ok to bless and release the relationship. Thank the other person silently and say to yourself, “I acknowledge my feelings AND I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn the lessons I needed to learn.” Please know you’re not alone! I believe in you and you will heal. Labrodorite is a beautiful crystal for encouraging spiritual growth.

10/20/2025

Hi friends, Sensitive souls often have the gift of finding the beauty and the hidden connections that others may not see. So, for every time you were told, “You’re too sensitive. You take things too personally”, think of a time you noticed a smile, a vibe, a frisson of energy, a beautiful thing, that others missed. This is a gift. Just like this beautiful stained glass window hidden in an unlikely place, a New York City subway station, you may be hiding your gifts from yourself. It’s time to let your light shine. I believe in you-you’ve got this!

10/12/2025

10/12/2025

Hi friends, Sensitive souls often: 1. Feel “different.” than others. 2. Feel things deeply. 3. Are intuitive & creative. 4. Have to mask their sensitivity. 5. Were told they were “too much”, “too sensitive”, or a “crybaby” as a child. 6. Can get over stimulated by loud noises, bright lights and big crowds. But what if the things you thought were wrong with you are actually gifts? Just like this unique coffee mug in this cool coffee shop, the world needs your kindness, sensitivity, and authentic, deeper perspective. I know this may not be easy to believe, so please know I’m cheering you on! Amber is a beautiful crystal for promoting belief in oneself.

09/26/2025

Hi friends, Here’s an easy daily practice that sensitive souls can do to stay grounded, reduce anxiety and overthinking and calm their nervous systems in a world that doesn’t always support sensitivity. It’s what I call the: 4, 4, 4, and 4 method. Breathing in to a count of 4, hold the breath in for 4 seconds, exhale to a count of 4 and then hold the breath out of the body for 4 beats. Repeat this box breathing 4 times. Maybe try this out in your favorite nature spot, with calming music, like the Solfeggio frequencies or with a cup of something warm and a furry friend next to you. Perhaps try pairing this with a mantra, such as: “I am calm”, “I am grounded”, “I am safe”, “I am worthy of love and care” or whatever else might speak to you. There’s absolutely no right or wrong way to do this and having a regular breathing, meditation or mindfulness practice can help us tap into our embodied self, present moment awareness and a connection with something bigger than ourselves. I hope this tip helps and please know I believe in you-you’ve got this! Selenite is a great crystal to support a meditation practice.

09/21/2025

Hi friends, Just as our eyes are drawn to the reddish colored rock in the center, we’re also drawn to certain romantic partners for a reason. We don’t realize it, but we look for a partner who holds our “lost self”-the part of us we had to lock away as a young child, so that we could be loved. Our missing self is based on the customs/rules/expectations placed on us based on our: gender, culture, religion, schooling and much more. These are the opposites attract couples: the stoic person with the emotionally expressive partner, the type A person with the free spirit; the quiet/shy one with the big extrovert. But what do you do when you or your partner wants to change the part of you that’s different than them? What do you do when you look over at your mate and think, “Why did I choose this person?! What was I thinking?” As an Imago trained/Gottman informed couples therapist, I’m here to help you! I work with partnered couples and together, we unravel the mystery of your attraction and pairing, learn to develop patience and compassion and reestablish healthy communication and connection in your couple bubble. If you’re interested, please email me at: rmilsten@hotmail.com, to set up a free 15 min phone consult. Turquoise is a great crystal for supporting the 5th chakra, the throat region, so you can speak your truth.

09/16/2025

Hi friends, Trauma is when something that shouldn’t have happened to us did or when something that should have happened to us didn’t. So, how do we find our way back to our inner child and our inner light, so that we can heal? There’s many pathways to healing, but it’s important to find a guide to help you navigate the circular path of healing. Just like the vines growing on this wall, we can get lost on our way to wholeness. Finding a safe, informed, trained, attuned guide can help us a lot. We can’t undo the trauma we’ve lived through, but we can emerge from it as our Embodied Self, holding our inner child’s hand with love, compassion, joy and connection. Please email me if you want to learn more about starting on the road to healing together, at: rmilsten@hotmail.com. And please know you’re not alone-I believe in you! Malachite is a beautiful crystal for helping us heal emotional wounds and for creating balance in our body, mind and spirit.

09/10/2025

Hi friends, I wanted to share this one. What happens when we can embrace the Buddhist concept of Radical Acceptance? When we can understand that just because we may act with good intentions, this doesn’t mean that everyone else will. The gift of the third eye or 6th chakra is inner knowing, insight, clarity and the ability to see the truth. Sometimes holding out hope that others will change or see the light, is a dangerous thing. Instead, can we offer ourselves the freedom to step away from an unhealthy dynamic or relationship? Sometimes the biggest gift we can give ourselves is the absolute truth, not just the truth we want to hear. I hope this tip helps! I know this can be challenging for sensitive souls, so please know you’re not alone-I believe in you! sapphire reminds us that “the truth shall set you free”, stimulates the 6th chakra, inspires psychic awareness and assists in eliminating negative energies from the chakras and aura.

09/05/2025

Hi friends, Can we offer ourselves self-compassion rather than self-esteem? Self-compassion is when we offer ourselves kindness and grace, regardless of what we have or haven’t accomplished. Self-esteem is based on us doing something. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being proud of ourselves, but self-compassion steps in where self-esteem stops. Can you try putting your hand on your heart, taking a deep breath and imagine warm, healing light emanating from your heart space? Can you say to yourself, “I’m doing the best I can right now and I’m offering myself space, grace, warmth and love.” It’s ok if it feels weird at first! I believe in you! Rose quartz is a wonderful crystal to promote positive feelings towards ourselves. You can even put some rose quartz by your nightstand, so you can absorb it’s healing energy as you sleep.

08/28/2025

Hi friends, Do you have an inner critical voice, that says, “I should have…”, “Why didn’t I…”, “What’s wrong with me??” Can we meet that voice with kindness, self-compassion, curiosity and courage? Buddhists talk about tapping into self-compassion and the folks of Internal Family Systems call “Self Energy” or our Embodied Self. This is the eternal part of us, whether you call it your Higher Self, Wise Self, Soul, or something else. This part of is already healed, whole and can guide us back to self-compassion. I offer Trauma Trained, Somatic/Spiritual Therapy and Somatic Yoga/Sound Healing classes and blend: EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Nervous System Regulation, Buddhist/Spiritual Counseling, Energy Assessment/Clearing and Sound Healing to help you clear trauma and tap into your Embodied Self. Please know you are not alone on your healing journey-I believe in you! Tigers eye is a great crystal for giving us strength and fortitude as we venture on our healing path.