Open Skye Counseling, PLLC

03/18/2026

Emotional maturity takes more than awareness; it takes practice!

03/09/2026

"Some of the people in your life won’t ever change.
And that’s okay.
You don’t have to fix them, convince them, or manage their emotions.
What is yours to choose is how you show up.
Consider your boundaries, your tone, and your peace.
Walk into these situations grounded.
Stay connected to who you are.
Leave with your values intact.
That kind of response changes everything" - Dr. Henry Cloud

02/25/2026

Facing past hurts can feel overwhelming —
because your nervous system learned to protect you.

In therapy, your nervous system can experience steady support, compassionate presence, and space to move at your own pace.

From that foundation of safety, personal understanding grows.
And from understanding, the healing process begins.

02/23/2026

How many times have you struggled with unwanted, negative thoughts? We all do sometimes. Remember this the next time you feel stuck:

🧠 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀.

Not every thought you have is true.
Not every thought deserves your belief.
And not every thought requires action.

Instead of saying, “I’m not good enough,”
try, “I’m having the thought that I’m not good enough.”

That small shift creates space — to question it, to breathe, and to choose.

Your thoughts are suggestions, not commands.
You decide which ones to act on.

“Your inner world shapes how far you go in the outer one.”
— Dr. Shadé Zahrai

02/19/2026

💛 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧; 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

✨ Listen first.
When your child is upset, pause and truly listen. Not to correct. Not to fix. Just to understand. When children feel heard, their defenses lower. Connection opens the door for guidance.

✨ Validate emotions.
Validation doesn’t mean agreeing with the behavior — it means acknowledging the feeling.

“I can see you’re really frustrated.”
“This feels hard for you and you're disappointed”
“You really wanted that to go differently.”

✨ Parent with clear expectations.
Children thrive when boundaries are predictable and consistent. Clear expectations create safety. You can be calm and firm.

“I won’t let you hit.”
“It’s okay to be angry. It’s not okay to hurt someone.”

✨ Use positive reinforcement to shape behavior.
What we notice grows. When we intentionally highlight specific effort, kindness, responsibility, or problem-solving, we reinforce those behaviors.

“I noticed how you took a deep breath when you were upset.”
“Thank you for cleaning up without being asked.”

Positive reinforcement helps children understand what to do, not just what to avoid — building confidence and internal motivation over time.

💜 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 + 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 = 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬 💜

02/09/2026

💜 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴.
— Dr. John Gottman, clinical psychologist

𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀

Interpersonal conflict is often a signal of an unmet underlying emotional need, rather than a disagreement about surface issues.

Behaviors such as criticism, withdrawal, or defensiveness commonly reflect needs related to:
• Emotional connection
• Feeling heard and understood
• Safety and reassurance
• Respect and appreciation

Shifting the focus from who is right to what need is being expressed can reduce reactivity and support more effective communication.

At Open Skye, we're committed to helping couples understand, reconnect, and move forward.

02/03/2026

💜 Therapy isn’t about fixing your feelings.
It’s about making room for them
and choosing actions that move you toward what you value most in life.

"Make room for the storm" while learning strategies to remain steady while it passes.

01/31/2026

💜 Office Hours & Contact

I offer compassionate, evidence-based counseling with a whole-person approach—supporting individuals, couples, and families navigating anxiety, trauma, grief, OCD, life transitions, depression and seasons of uncertainty. My work is clinically grounded and faith-informed.

🕊 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀: Tuesday–Thursday, 9:00–5:00
💬 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Self-pay at this time, with sliding scale options available
📞 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲: 657-580-4135
🌐 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: openskyecounseling.com

If you’re wondering whether counseling might be helpful, you’re welcome to reach out. You don’t have to navigate this season alone.

Call now to connect with business.

01/27/2026

💜 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱—𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆.

Research in integrative and functional medicine continues to show that factors such as nutrient levels, blood sugar balance, inflammation, nutrition, and daily movement can significantly influence mood, energy, and emotional regulation.

𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:

⭐ Understanding your body through appropriate blood testing (when recommended by your medical provider)
⭐ Prioritizing balanced, nutrient-dense nutrition
⭐ Engaging in daily movement that supports regulation and energy

- can create a strong foundation for emotional resilience, clarity, and overall well-being.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿/𝗼𝗿—𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻: 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆.

01/24/2026

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥

Winter can be hard in Illinois! The days are short, the temperatures are freezing (this weekend, literally), and getting outside for fresh air and sunshine can feel nearly impossible. Mindfulness is a simple way to slow down and care for yourself—right where you are.

Here are a few easy ways to practice mindfulness indoors:

❄️𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: Spend 1–3 minutes noticing the natural rhythm of your breath.
❄️𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻: Gently move attention through the body, noticing areas of tension or ease without trying to change them.
❄️𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀: Take short breaks during the day to check in with your thoughts, emotions, and energy level.
❄️𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲-𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Focus on one activity at a time—eating, reading, or working—without multitasking.
❄️𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Try gentle stretching or slow, intentional movements while paying attention to breath and sensation.
❄️𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀: Notice five things you can see, four you can feel, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste.
❄️𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Take a moment to notice one thing that feels supportive or positive in the present moment.
❄️𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Bring full attention to everyday activities like making tea, washing dishes, or tidying a space.

Even small moments of presence can make a difference in how we move through winter.

01/23/2026

Welcome to Open Skye Counseling! Compassionate, clinically grounded counseling that supports insight, growth, and meaningful change. Serving the Mt. Zion, Decatur, and Forsyth communities. Please feel free to connect with me via email or phone.