Elevate Counseling. Shift your thinking and find more enjoyment in life. Individual, Group, and Fami
Jamie is a private practice counselor, public speaker, and blog contributor who combines her knowledge in the realms of gifted cognitive and social development with her therapeutic training in mental health to help you make behavioral shifts to be at your best. Specialties include evidence-based approaches to anxiety, disordered eating and trauma.
02/25/2026
❌ Sometimes it can be hard to see the benefits of our struggles when we are in the middle of them. We get caught up in the moment and emotions cloud our vision.
❌ This can lead to feelings of defeat and we can start to limit what we think is possible for ourselves.
❌ Don't let temporary struggles create a glass ceiling on your success.
✔ Small steps will get you up the mountain. Strength & Growth come from Learning & Challenge.
02/24/2026
👉 Parenting is TOUGH!
As parents, we are tasked with PUSHING our kids out of their comfort zone, but also to have the foresight to know when it's MORE than they can HANDLE.
”Resilience is a vital part of parenting and it’s our responsibility to lay the foundation that prepares our children for the realities of life. But we have to be careful about implying that the best way to heal this generation is to make resilience an absolute. Our kids need to know, maybe now more than ever, that when they are with us, they don’t have to be unfailingly resilient.”
Our job as parents is to help our kids learn that they can handle life’s challenges and and also that they are NEVER alone in this world. ✨
Our children need to know, maybe now more than ever, that when they are with us, they don’t have to be unfailingly strong. We can, and will, help.
02/23/2026
👀 Are your eyes playing tricks on you?
It's good to remind ourselves on occasion that our BRAIN can PLAY TRICKS on us. We can't blame it. Our brains are bombarded with an overload of information to sift through every second, and it needs to take mental shortcuts to keep up.
But these little tricks don't always work very well, especially when they are related to our thinking patterns. If we’re not careful, these shortcuts can pave the way for some serious thinking errors. We may need to take steps to TAKE NOTE and CHALLENGE our thinking when it trips us up.
Reminding yourself that what you KNOW to be TRUE can be FALSE and that your brain can be wrong sometimes is important.
Check out these optical illusions to shift thinking and gain mental perspective!
It's good to remind ourselves on occasion that our brains can play tricks on us. Use these optical illusions to shift thinking and gain mental perspective.
02/22/2026
Don't treat your children like "tiny adults."
They think about things and reason differently than you do.
The next time you find yourself frustrated by your child or teen's actions, listen to their rationale before jumping to conclusions.
This will both improve your understanding of your child's behaviors and increase the likelihood that he/she will open up to you in the future.✨✨✨
02/21/2026
This week at Elevate, we are talking about the stories we tell ourselves. Our personal narratives. 📚
We all play the protagonist in our own story. But real life is rarely predictable. There are unexpected twists and turns. Confusing plotlines. Chapters we wish we could erase. Even the best authors need an occasional rewrite.
Unhealthy storylines keep us stuck. For example, maybe you tell yourself that in order to be loveable you have to say "yes" to others and avoid upsetting them. You avoid conflict at all costs. Or maybe you tell yourself that you can't succeed because you have anxiety. You are paralyzed by your emotions.
3 Steps to rewrite your story...literally.
Do you tell yourself negative stories about who you are? The good news is that these stories are adaptable. How To Change Negative Thinking.
02/20/2026
I often see kids and adults in my counseling practice who have taken the identification of being Gifted on as a heavily weighted part of their identity.
When a child has been praised for their intellectual skill, and then internalizes this as being their "thing," it can lead to increased problems with their emotional well-being when they face inevitable academic challenges or intellectual struggles as requirements become more complex.
Although identification and diagnosis is important, an overreliance and personalization of "self" based on cognitive strengths or abilities above the norm can create feelings of anxiety, isolation, and fear of failure.
In this video by citizin film kids and adults share the unexpected "downside" of being labeled "gifted."
The takeaway: Instead of focusing on labels, we should acknowledge and celebrate the fact that that everyone is on a growth journey with strengths and weaknesses independent of one particular ability or skillset.
We decided to work with Citizen Film to make this short film after many years of my being a professor at Stanford and hearing from students about the labels they…
I entered the world of counseling in order to help empower others. To recognize their strengths and natural abilities, and to build upon the tenacity that exists in their blind spots. I'm here to hear your story and share the tools in my toolbox, but you are the hero in your journey. So far, this has been the most fulfilling part of growing with the clients I've supported.
You'll find me to be serious when I need to be, but also lighthearted and ready for curveballs. I've learned that good therapy requires a combination of reason, humor, and creativity (did you know that our brains retain information best when we are at play?).
My goal is to help you develop the understanding and habits that allow you to meet your goals & remove limits you didn't realize existed.
We’ve all been there before: “decision paralysis”—the complete lack of ability to decide.
😳 Maybe the task at hand is overwhelming. You don't know where to start.
😳 Maybe the future is uncertain and you worry that a decision now will lead to a cascade of ”butterfly effect” consequences.
😳 Or maybe there are too many good options. You're afraid you'll make the wrong choice and regret it later.
This is a common theme that leads to frustration, stress, anxiety, and mental exhaustion. But the path of your life is in actuality, made up of hundreds of small decisions rather than the one choice you're losing sleep over now.
✨ Move past decision paralysis by reminding yourself that you can adjust the course as needed!
02/17/2026
🤔 Worried that accepting “what is” might keep you from caring about your goals?
This is a common myth about mindfulness, and studies show otherwise. Being “nonjudging” is tied to greater perseverance, and maintaining interest in goals over time. (Greater Good)
New research corrects some common misconceptions about cultivating moment-to-moment awareness.
02/16/2026
🍰 Stress Eating: What Are You Trying To Feed?
This Week at Elevate Counseling, we're talking about "emotional" eating and how we can do better at feeding the body what it really needs .
If you stress eat, you're not alone. This article explains why and what you can do about it.
Stress eating or "emotional eating" is eating in an attempt to make yourself feel better. In other words, to feed a psychological need rather than a grumbling in your stomach. It's time to look at what emotional need you are trying to feed and change the pattern.
02/15/2026
Are you the kind of person who needs to keep your hands busy to focus?
Or maybe you find that ”fidgeting” can burn off extra energy when you’re feeling anxious?
Fidget toys give these movements an outlet, which can help calm a person's nerves, relieve stress, and serve as a distraction in an overstimulating environment.
Whenever I present at a school or a community event, I like to come prepared with a little something actionable for people to take home with them - this week I put together these fidget toy handouts (a good outlet for my own creative energy!) ✨
The next time you see Elevate Counseling out and about, drop by, chat with us and be sure to grab one of our fidget toys!
02/14/2026
Do you teach your kids to make fear-based decisions? 🚦 Learn to ACTIVELY LISTEN so that your child HEARS you:
In order to create solid relationships with your child, you must listen and attempt to understand their world. Learn to listen so your kids will listen.
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18205 N. 51st Avenue, Suite 131 Glendale, AZ 85308
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Our goal at Elevate is to help children, teens & adults shift their thinking and find more enjoyment in life. Sometimes circumstances or experiences in life can make it difficult to move forward or see the path clearly. We can become paralyzed by emotions (such as fear, anger, shame or anxiety) or physical symptoms (like stomach issues or panic attacks) and need help overcoming these roadblocks.
Our therapists have sought out advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), and Parental Intervention Programs to address underlying trauma and triggers keeping you from reaching your goals.
Our SPECIALTIES include: birth-12, adolescent development, anxiety, body image, depression, disordered eating, entrepreneurial support, family support, health and wellness, homework/organizational support, parent/child communication, self-esteem, the gifted & high achieving population, performance anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, sexuality, and trauma.
