Gloria Thompson LCSW

02/10/2026

Failure to launch is not just a movie. It is a syndrome that parents have to be aware of. Our desire to help can unintentionally teach our children to become dependent but can also lead to other mental health issues.

01/25/2026

Did you know that a Hug can be healing? You might be thinking duh…but hear me out. There is a difference between just a hug and a Therapeutic Hug.

I’m talking about the kind of hug in which 2 people are heart to heart, and the giver lets the receiver determine the length of the hug. The giver stays until the person on the receiving end, ends the hug and not a moment before.

Yes this is intimate, but also creates a space for safety for the person who needs the hug. We as humans cannot survive or thrive without touch.

A therapeutic hug helps our body to release dopamine and serotonin (for mood and pleasure), but it also helps lower the stress hormone Cortisol too. It has been shown to help boost self esteem and combats loneliness.

I challenge you to engage in more therapeutic hugging, and see its healing power. ❤️

01/22/2026

It is easy for us to default to the negative. Finding the positive in a negative situation is work. But the more that we work at changing our perspective the easier it becomes.

Even for my self- it takes work for me to chose to find a positive in an impossible situation. I was asked the other day how I was managing finding the positive in the challenges of caring for my father with Alzheimer’s.

My answer wasn’t simple:
1. I find my strength in God. I know that in whatever I lack the Holy Spirit fills in the gaps. He comforts me in the challenges and gives me strength. I believe that God has prepared me to be in this place at this time.
2. I GET To take care of my dad. I have been Blessed with a career that affords me the ability/ flexibility to have him. I know that not everyone has that.
3. I have a support system. People who are looking out for me. People who check on us. People who are helping. Respite.

Do these change the fact that there are a lot of hard days & times no. Are there times that I struggle to remember my blessings- of course. I’m a work in progress, the same is true for all of us. There will be hard times. We will struggle.

01/20/2026

01/01/2026

The only thing in life that we control is our choices- choose wisely.

12/13/2025

Change is hard. The struggles are real. But it is through the challenges that we can grow. Some times that growth does require us to have someone come along side of us to help provide support and perspective. That person can be anyone- even a therapist- but also don’t lose sight of the Holy Spirit, for he is there always.

12/07/2025

People often tell me about how busy they are…we have 168 hours in a given week. Fill your time with the things that matter- everything else can wait. Choose wisely

12/03/2025

Interesting. We shall see how this influences treatments moving forward. But for now research still indicates that a combination of therapy and medication gives people over an 80% recovery from depression

Depression is not caused by a simple chemical imbalance and the new science is reshaping everything we thought we knew.

For decades people were told depression comes from low serotonin. It sounded clear and comforting but it was never the full story. New brain imaging research shows that depression is far more complex. It involves disrupted brain circuits, altered communication between regions, and changes in how the brain processes stress and emotion. It is not just one chemical. It is a network level shift.

Modern scans reveal that areas like the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus behave differently during depressive episodes. Some regions become overactive. Others go quiet. The pathways that help you regulate fear, motivation, and decision making start misfiring. This is why depression can feel like losing control over your own thoughts. Your brain’s wiring is struggling to keep balance.

This does not mean serotonin plays no role. It means it is only one piece of a much bigger biological puzzle. Treatments work because they help the brain reconnect circuits, not because they simply raise one chemical.

The takeaway is powerful. Depression is real. It is biological. It is not weakness and it is not something you can talk yourself out of. Your brain is responding to overload and imbalance across entire systems.

Understanding this brings hope. It means new therapies can be designed to repair circuits, retrain patterns, and give people more precise and effective paths to recovery.

11/22/2025

A reminder for all of us today!

11/05/2025

Your thoughts shape your steps, and your steps shape your story. 💭➡️🚀
Change your mindset today—and watch your future transform. ✨