Smithson Counseling, Andy Smithson, LCSW

02/02/2026

"Turn the Heat Down" Empowering Song for Emotional Regulation

https://youtu.be/vsJ4coxZ70E

Turn the Heat Down is a gentle, empowering song about learning to regulate anxiety and calm the nervous system. It explores the moment when worry flares up like a false alarm, and reminds us that we can name it, soften it, and choose a calmer response. This is a healing song about emotional regulation, mindfulness, and returning to inner steadiness.
When we remember that not every thought is an emergency, we reclaim our agency. This song invites you to tune your “inner thermostat,” breathe deeper, and settle your mind back into safety and clarity.

02/02/2026

🌟 We Are Stronger Together! 🌟

As we prepare for the Stronger Together 2026 Annual Mini‑Cassia Mental Health Seminar, we want to extend a heartfelt thank‑you to one of our wonderfully creative sponsors: Crown Up Productions 🎭✨

Crown Up Productions brings imagination to life in the most unforgettable ways — from custom costumes and costume rentals to immersive themed events and their beloved Murder Mystery Dinner Parties. Their work reminds us how powerful storytelling, play, and creativity can be in building connection and joy within our community.

We’re so grateful for their support of this year’s seminar and for the magic they bring to Mini‑Cassia all year long. Their partnership helps us create a space where people can learn, heal, and feel truly supported.

🗓 March 14
⏰ 9 AM – 3 PM
📍 Historic Wilson Theatre
💵 Only $5 — lunch included

Join us for a meaningful day led by Andy Smithson, LCSW, filled with evidence‑based tools, heartfelt conversations, and a shared mission to strengthen our community from the inside out.

Because if you live here, you belong here. 💙

02/02/2026

Your Vulnerability Mistake KILLS Attachment Healing

https://youtube.com/shorts/nYNlTdi5E6M

Your Vulnerability Mistake KILLS Attachment Healing
As a therapist, I need to tell you: Your approach to healing attachment wounds might be reinforcing them. More vulnerability doesn't automatically heal attachment.
Attachment doesn't heal through intensity—it heals through safety. If you open up with someone inconsistent, dismissive or emotionally unsafe, your nervous system doesn't feel relief. It feels confirmed that connection is dangerous.
The truth is, vulnerability without safety strengthens insecure attachment. Stop making this mistake. True healing happens when connection is paced, predictable, and safe.


Welcome to Principled Therapy: Your trusted guide to actionable psychology for emotional wellness and self-mastery.

Overwhelmed by anxiety, struggling with daily stress, or seeking depression relief? I simplify complex mental health and self-help concepts into clear, practical, and evidence-based strategies you can use. My therapeutic principles are transformed into tangible tools for emotional regulation, resilience, and personal growth.

You’ll master:
Emotional Resilience: Practical tools for stress management, anxiety relief, and emotional stability.
Inner Clarity: Proven skills to stop overthinking, improve mental clarity, and regain focus & control life.
Purpose Mapping: Build a meaningful life direction.
Meaningful Relationships: Conflict resolution, communication, Attachment & relationship growth.

Join Me & build a resilient life — not just react to it. New deep-dive long-form videos publish every Saturday at 11 AM (-07), with helpful Shorts posted throughout the week.

Your Vulnerability Mistake KILLS Attachment HealingAs a therapist, I need to tell you: Your approach to healing attachment wounds might be reinforcing them. ...

01/29/2026

This Is Why Boring Relationships Are Healing

https://youtube.com/shorts/xmYi9zWT3GA

This Is Why Boring Relationships Are Healing.
When attachment starts healing, calm doesn't feel good at first. It feels boring, flat, and unfamiliar. The nervous system learns safety through repeated low intensity connection. The discomfort you feel isn't a problem; it's simply a sign of adaptation as your nervous system learns a new, safe pattern. Embrace the strange feeling—it means you are finally healing.


Welcome to Principled Therapy: Your trusted guide to actionable psychology for emotional wellness and self-mastery.

Overwhelmed by anxiety, struggling with daily stress, or seeking depression relief? I simplify complex mental health and self-help concepts into clear, practical, and evidence-based strategies you can use. My therapeutic principles are transformed into tangible tools for emotional regulation, resilience, and personal growth.

You’ll master:
Emotional Resilience: Practical tools for stress management, anxiety relief, and emotional stability.
Inner Clarity: Proven skills to stop overthinking, improve mental clarity, and regain focus & control life.
Purpose Mapping: Build a meaningful life direction.
Meaningful Relationships: Conflict resolution, communication, Attachment & relationship growth.

Join Me & build a resilient life — not just react to it. New deep-dive long-form videos publish every Saturday at 11 AM (-07), with helpful Shorts posted throughout the week.

This Is Why Boring Relationships Are Healing.When attachment starts healing, calm doesn't feel good at first. It feels boring, flat, and unfamiliar. The nerv...

01/29/2026

🌟 We Are Stronger Together! 🌟

As we prepare for the Stronger Together 2026 Annual Mini‑Cassia Mental Health Seminar, we want to extend a heartfelt thank‑you to one of our valued sponsors: Urgent Care of Idaho 💙🏥

Urgent Care of Idaho plays an essential role in supporting the health of our community, and their sponsorship reflects a genuine commitment to making mental health resources more accessible for everyone. Their dedication to compassionate care — whether physical or emotional — helps strengthen the foundation of wellness in Mini‑Cassia. We’re truly grateful for their partnership and for the work they do every day to support local families.

🗓 March 14
⏰ 9 AM – 3 PM
📍 Historic Wilson Theatre
💵 Only $5 — lunch included

Join us for an inspiring seminar led by Andy Smithson, LCSW, filled with evidence‑based tools, meaningful connection, and a shared mission to strengthen our community from the inside out.

Because if you live here, you belong here. 💙

01/28/2026

You Need SAFER Connection, Not DEEPER Connection

https://youtube.com/shorts/UVGdxv_aqD4

You Need SAFER Connection, Not DEEPER Connection.
Most people try to heal attachment at the wrong level by jumping straight to deep talks, vulnerability, and intense emotional processing. But true attachment healing follows a sequence, which I call the co-regulation ladder.
Before you can genuinely ask for or benefit from support, your nervous system first needs to find self-regulation and low-pressure connection. Without these two foundational pieces, co-regulation often feels overwhelming or even addictive.
If you feel stuck, stop pursuing intensity. Your nervous system is simply telling you it needs safer connection first.


Welcome to Principled Therapy: Your trusted guide to actionable psychology for emotional wellness and self-mastery.

Overwhelmed by anxiety, struggling with daily stress, or seeking depression relief? I simplify complex mental health and self-help concepts into clear, practical, and evidence-based strategies you can use. My therapeutic principles are transformed into tangible tools for emotional regulation, resilience, and personal growth.

You’ll master:
Emotional Resilience: Practical tools for stress management, anxiety relief, and emotional stability.
Inner Clarity: Proven skills to stop overthinking, improve mental clarity, and regain focus & control life.
Purpose Mapping: Build a meaningful life direction.
Meaningful Relationships: Conflict resolution, communication, Attachment & relationship growth.

Join Me & build a resilient life — not just react to it. New deep-dive long-form videos publish every Saturday at 11 AM (-07), with helpful Shorts posted throughout the week.

01/28/2026

🌟 We Are Stronger Together! 🌟

As we gear up for the Stronger Together 2026 Annual Mini‑Cassia Mental Health Seminar, we want to extend a heartfelt and sincere thank‑you to one of our major sponsors: Intermountain Health 💙🏥

Intermountain Health has long been a champion for community wellness, and their support of this event reflects their deep commitment to improving mental health access, education, and resources in Mini‑Cassia. Their dedication to whole‑person care — mind, body, and spirit — helps strengthen the foundation of our community. We’re incredibly grateful for their partnership and for the work they do every day to uplift the health and well‑being of the people who call this place home.

🗓 March 14
⏰ 9 AM – 3 PM
📍 Historic Wilson Theatre
💵 Only $5 — lunch included

Join us for an inspiring seminar led by Andy Smithson, LCSW, filled with evidence‑based tools, meaningful connection, and a shared mission to strengthen our community from the inside out.

Because if you live here, you belong here. 💙

01/28/2026

5 Secrets to Life Long Happiness: (Therapist & 80 Years of Data)

https://youtu.be/00RGG9n43ZA

Secrets to Lifelong Happiness (Therapist & 80 Years of Data)
As a therapist, I can tell you that deep, lasting happiness isn't luck, positivity, or a low-stress life. It’s a clinical blueprint, non-negotiable habits consistently practiced by the happiest people on earth, according to the longest-running study on human happiness—the 80-year Harvard Grant Study.
This video breaks down the 5 core habits (plus a powerful bonus) that are the strongest predictors of long-term health and wellbeing, moving beyond self-help fluff to give you research-backed, actionable steps you can start today.
We dive into how to be intentional about the quality of your closest relationships, why moving your body consistently is a nervous-system maintenance practice, and the simple but profound power of focused gratitude. If you're ready for a psychology that respects both science and the human soul, this is your clinical guide.
The 5 Habits of the Happiest People:
• Habit #1: Close Relationships (The Most Predictive Habit)
• Habit #2: Consistent Movement (Often Outside)
• Habit #3: Protect Sleep Like Medication
• Habit #4: Small Acts of Generosity
• Habit #5: Train Attention to Gratitude

01/26/2026

Feel SAFE in Relationships Again: 4 Levels of Attachment Healing

https://youtu.be/hlcechHultE

"Feel SAFE in Relationships Again: 4 Levels of Attachment Healing"
Description:
Why does vulnerability feel so UNSAFE? Most people try to heal their attachment wounds by jumping to emotional intensity (Level 3) too quickly, which only reinforces the very pain they are trying to fix.
Your nervous system was wired in relationship, and it needs to rewire the same way—through co-regulation. I’m a therapist, and in this video, I reveal the four essential things that make connection feel safe again, allowing your insecure attachment patterns to finally heal.
Secure attachment is built through repeated, tolerable experiences of safety, collaboration, and repair—not by insight alone. This video breaks down the practical Co-regulation Ladder, a 4-level framework that guides you through building emotional safety, step-by-step:
• Level 1: Self-Regulation—Your ability to calm your nervous system enough to be present.
• Level 2: Micro Co-regulation—Low-intensity connection (like parallel activity or calm presence) without emotional pressure.
• Level 3: Explicit Co-regulation—Directly asking for support without urgency, best done with trained or deeply trustworthy people.
• Level 4: Earned Security—Flexibility and healthy repair, where closeness feels safe and distance is tolerable.
Stop chasing chaotic, unreliable relationships, and start building the internal and external resources you need to feel genuinely SAFE with others.

01/26/2026

🌟 We Are Stronger Together! 🌟

As we gear up for the Stronger Together 2026 Annual Mini‑Cassia Mental Health Seminar, we want to extend a huge and heartfelt thank‑you to one of our major sponsors: Berkeley Construction Inc. 🏗💙

Berkeley Construction has long been a pillar in our community — not just building structures, but helping build connection, stability, and support for the people who live here. Their commitment to strengthening Mini‑Cassia goes far beyond their projects. By investing in mental health resources and community wellness, they’re helping create a foundation of hope that will last far into the future. We’re deeply grateful for their generosity and their belief in the importance of this event.

🗓 March 14
⏰ 9 AM – 3 PM
📍 Historic Wilson Theatre
💵 Only $5 — lunch included

Join us for an inspiring seminar led by Andy Smithson, LCSW, filled with evidence‑based tools, meaningful connection, and a shared mission to strengthen our community from the inside out.

Because if you live here, you belong here. 💙

01/26/2026

You’re Fighting Overthinking Exactly Wrong

https://youtube.com/shorts/G5Js6I3kqcg

When you try to force your brain to shut up, you are fighting overthinking exactly wrong. This simple lesson from a ski instructor is the secret to stopping intrusive thoughts instantly.
The principled approach is simple: Your brain steers where your attention goes. If you look at the "trees" (the thought you don’t want), you steer straight into them.
The immediate fix is to give your brain a specific, positive direction: a value, a question, or a next right action. Look for the space between the trees.
Subscribe for more counter-intuitive mindset shifts and life-changing tools for anxiety and overthinking!

When you try to force your brain to shut up, you are fighting overthinking exactly wrong. This simple lesson from a ski instructor is the secret to stopping ...

01/22/2026

🌟 We Are Stronger Together! 🌟

As we prepare for the Stronger Together 2026 Annual Mini‑Cassia Mental Health Seminar, we want to extend a deeply heartfelt thank‑you to one of our major sponsors: Gary Bliss at Farm Bureau Insurance 🛡💙

Gary’s support goes far beyond a sponsorship. He has been a steady advocate for the well‑being of families, neighbors, and local organizations throughout Mini‑Cassia. His commitment to strengthening our community shows in the way he consistently shows up — investing in programs that uplift mental health, promote connection, and ensure people feel seen and supported. When leaders like Gary choose to stand behind events like this, it creates real momentum for healing and hope. We’re incredibly grateful for his generosity, his heart for service, and his belief in the importance of mental health resources for everyone who calls this place home.

🗓 March 14
⏰ 9 AM – 3 PM
📍 Historic Wilson Theatre
💵 Only $5 — lunch included

Join us for an inspiring seminar led by Andy Smithson, LCSW, filled with evidence‑based tools, meaningful connection, and a shared mission to strengthen our community from the inside out.

Because if you live here, you belong here. 💙