Pure Grace Counseling & Wellness, PLLC

11/18/2025

✨ Gratitude is more than saying “thank you”—it’s a mindset that heals.
When we intentionally notice what’s good—no matter how small—we rewire our brains to see hope, connection, and calm.

🌱 For kids, gratitude builds emotional awareness and empathy.
🌱 For teens, it brings perspective and peace in a busy world.
🌱 For adults, it helps us find contentment and resilience again.

At Pure Grace Counseling & Wellness, we remind families:
Gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring the hard parts—it lets the good parts speak a little louder.

Remember in scripture it says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2) and through prayer and thanksgiving talk with God then we will receive His peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).

💛 Read the full blog to learn how gratitude can strengthen your family’s mental health at every age:

https://www.puregracecounseling.com/post/the-power-of-gratitude-how-thankfulness-supports-mental-health-for-kids-teens-and-adults

🌿 “Gratitude doesn’t ignore the hard parts—it lets the good parts speak a little louder.” -Whitney Sterling, LPCGratitude isn’t just a feel-good word—it’s a proven mental health tool for children, teens, and adults. Discover how simple gratitude practices can boost mood, reduce anxi...

11/13/2025

Connection is key when it comes to parenting well

Connection before correction

When your child feels safe with you, trusts you and forms a healthy relationship with you then it makes disciplining easier (not easy 😉 just easier).

The pic below is a great place to start!

If you are seeing behavioral issues with your child evaluate your intentional connection time first 👍🏼

11/11/2025

11/06/2025

🌙 Ever notice your teen gets talkative late at night?
You’re not imagining it — there’s real science behind it.

💬 Why it happens:

Teen brains release melatonin later, so they’re naturally more alert and reflective at night.

The world is quiet — no school, no pressure, no rush.

Emotional walls come down when the lights are low and everyone’s relaxed.

🧠 Late night = lower defenses + higher connection potential.

✨ Parent tip: When your teen starts chatting at 10 p.m., try to lean in for a few minutes instead of shutting it down. Those calm, no-pressure conversations build trust and open the door for deeper talks later — even during the day.

Connection often grows best in the quiet

Whitney Sterling, MS LPC
Pure Grace Counseling & Wellness

10/27/2025

I cannot scream this loud enough...

🗣️ CONNECTION before CORRECTION/DIRECTION

Kids and teens aren't just going to come out and ask for connection (very rare). It's our jobs as parents to connect with them in anyway (don't over think it).

Parenting doesn't have to be hard, let me help!

10/16/2025

These are powerful statements you can be sure to make to your child especially if they are children that seem to get Into a bit more trouble than others

Our kids can internalize what they hear

So making the differentiation of "you are a good kid that's just making bad choices."

This helps them understand that being bad isn't their identity and that they have power over their choices etc...

Hope this helps! Remind your kids of these things and give them a hug today 💜

10/10/2025

It's World Mental Health Awareness day! 💚

Just wanted to share a compilation of some resources and graphics

Please remember to check on others. It's okay to not be okay. It's okay to ask for help!

Text or call 988 if you need help! 📞

10/09/2025

🎭 🎃🎭🎃🎭
This Halloween, let’s talk about the masks our kids wear that no one can see — the smiles that hide sadness, the calm faces covering anxiety, and the jokes that protect them from feeling “too much.”

As parents, one of our greatest gifts is helping our children feel safe enough to take those masks off. 🧡
💬 Ask deeper questions.
🤝 Validate before you fix.
🌱 Praise honesty over perfection.

Every time you respond with empathy instead of judgment, you remind your child that being real is safe — and that’s where healing begins.

👻 Read more in this month’s newsletter:
👉 “The Masks We Wear: Helping Kids Be Their Authentic Selves”
https://www.puregracecounseling.com/post/the-masks-we-wear-helping-kids-be-their-authentic-selves

10/07/2025

This is what it's all about for me 💡

I do not take it lightly the privlege to meet children, teens, and families where they are and guide them through their healing journey

God has gifted me to do this and in Him I put my strength as I walk alongside others ❤️

Remember, it's not about fixing. It's a process and when we add God to it something beautiful happens

10/03/2025

This may be a hard one to swallow but it is the biggest issue I have to address 💯

The goal is once we know better, we do better and I am here to coach parents a long the way 🫶🏼

09/29/2025

It was such an honor to do this interview

I love what I do so much 👏🏼🫶🏼

Whitney Sterling shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below. Hi Whitney, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What i...

09/23/2025

I have learned so much from clients and my own child who has autism.

When we try to shutdown behaviors and only do behavior modifications we are missing the point

I teach parents and other people who work with kids with autism how to understand their behaviors and how to change the way they choose to react to them

It seems that we think just because a child is neurodivergent that they are "weird" or "not normal" but in reality I think we can learn soooo much from them and that they indeed are typical and the rest of us are probably the "weird" ones.