CST Counseling & Consultation PLLC

03/08/2026

Today, on International Women’s Day, all of us at CST Counseling & Consultation are celebrating the incredible strength, resilience, and power of women everywhere. 🌷

Every day in our work, we have the privilege of witnessing women show up with courage, navigating challenges, healing from pain, advocating for themselves, supporting their families, building careers, and continuing to grow through life’s many seasons.

Women carry so much strength within them. Strength to keep going when things feel heavy. Strength to speak their truth. Strength to care deeply for others while learning to care for themselves, too.

We see firsthand how powerful women are when they allow themselves space to be heard, supported, and understood. Watching that resilience unfold is one of the greatest honors of the work we do.

Today we celebrate women’s voices, women’s growth, women’s leadership, and women’s ability to rise again and again.

From all of us at CST Counseling & Consultation, all the way down to our paws 🐾, we are grateful to stand beside the women in our community, and women everywhere.

Happy International Women’s Day. 💜

03/06/2026

We are absolutely elated to be rated the top mental health clinic in Hoffman Estates, IL for 2026!

CST Counseling & Consultation was founded on the principle of providing high quality, empirically validated, inclusive, and comprehensive mental health treatment to our community our surrounding communities. Your continued trust in our practice is an honor and one that we will continue to uphold. ✨

03/05/2026

The following tips can help individuals manage the transition into spring:

Take vitamin D regularly in the winter months to make the spring transition easier.

Use blackout curtains to prevent early-morning waking.

Eliminate nighttime screen usage and blue lights.

Supplement with melatonin at night to help ease insomnia or restless sleep.

Talk to your doctor about any current medications and whether dosage changes could be helpful.

Schedule consistent therapy appointments to manage moods.

Get psychoeducation to understand your condition and why changes may happen.

03/02/2026

What many people don’t know about eating disorders:

Eating disorders are not about vanity.
They are brain-based survival strategies.

When someone restricts, binges, or purges, their nervous system is often trying to regulate overwhelming emotions.

• Starvation can create a temporary sense of control and even emotional numbness.
• Bingeing can activate dopamine and temporarily soothe distress.
• Purging can reduce anxiety in the short term, reinforcing the cycle neurologically.

Over time, the brain becomes wired to repeat the behavior, even when the person desperately wants to stop.

This isn’t a lack of willpower.
It’s a conditioned coping system.

Recovery isn’t about “just eating.”
It’s about healing the nervous system, beliefs about worth, and the underlying pain.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please give our office a call at 847-232-6137 or find a disordered eating specialist near you.

02/23/2026

Most people think successful relationships avoid conflict.

They don’t.

Successful couples just know how to stop a fight before it becomes damaging. We call these repair attempts.

In the Gottman method, we teach couples how to notice, send, and receive repair attempts so conflict stops becoming emotional injury.

You don’t need fewer disagreements.
You need better recovery.

02/12/2026

Most arguments don’t end badly because of what you said, but HOW you started.

Research from demonstrated that you can predict relationship outcomes from the first 3 minutes of a conflict conversation.

So, start soft.

02/06/2026

02/03/2026

“Humans prefer familiar discomfort over uncertain change, whether consciously or subconsciously. This is how dissatisfaction becomes permanent, not because it was unbearable, but because it was tolerable.”

Check out this highly intriguingly article written by Claudia Skowron in Psychology Today. It will surely have you examining your life.

What if the most important question isn’t whether you’re happy, but whether you’re consenting to the life you’re living?

01/23/2026

According to the Gottman Institute, these habits erode trust over time in relationships. Like most things, awareness is the first step.

Just remember, healthy relationships are not conflict-free, they are repair-rich!

01/09/2026

Herbal medicine has a long history of being used as a complementary support in mental health care.

According to Dr. Leslie Korn, PhD, MPH, LMHC, ACS, FNTP, BCTMB, certain herbs may play a supportive role in emotional and psychological well-being when used appropriately and under professional guidance.

Important disclaimer: Herbal supplements are NOT a substitute for prescribed medication or professional mental health treatment. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement, as some herbs may interact with medications or be contraindicated for certain medical conditions.

01/08/2026

These therapists are the backbone of CST. The hardest-working, most dedicated, and genuinely amazing humans. So grateful for this team💕

01/06/2026

If you stopped competing with others and focused on breaking one unhealthy pattern…
what would change first?