Crochet Counseling LLC

03/12/2026

💙 🧊

When a child is overwhelmed, their thinking brain can go offline. Big feelings take over, and it can be hard for them to calm their body.

One simple strategy that can help in these moments is crunching on an ice cube.

The intense cold sensation activates the body’s sensory system and can help interrupt the stress response. It gives the brain a strong, safe sensation to focus on, which can help shift attention away from racing thoughts or overwhelming feelings.

Cold stimulation can also activate the vagus nerve, which helps the body move out of fight-or-flight and back towards a calmer state.

For some children, especially those who respond well to sensory input, this quick sensory reset can help their body slow down enough to begin regulating again.

It won’t work for every child, but for some young people it can be a surprisingly effective way to ground themselves in the moment.

If you’d like more practical strategies for supporting children through big feelings, the Managing Big Feelings Toolkit is available — link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

regulation

03/11/2026

03/11/2026

💙💚💜🩷 I had such a great time at the first ever Chronic Illness Therapist Conference in Atlanta this past weekend. Victoria and Destiny are amazing hosts. We had so many informative and passionate speakers. Clients living with chronic illness face unique barriers that we often do not learn about in graduate school. I feel more equipped to support chronically ill and neurodivergent clients and their caregivers. I am grateful for meeting new friends and colleagues.

03/04/2026

🥰

03/02/2026

Like Fred said, learning doesn’t always come in a textbook… sometimes it comes in the sandbox.

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning, but for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood." — Fred Rogers

03/02/2026

Ever notice how your child comes home from school completely drained?

Not just sleepy. Not just “tamad.”
But emotionally spent. Quiet. Irritable. Overstimulated.

That’s not ordinary tiredness.

Science tells us children need two to three hours of unstructured downtime after school to fully recover. All day long, their brains are working overtime, sitting still, listening carefully, following instructions, adjusting to rules, managing friendships, and absorbing constant noise.

By the time they get home, their little minds and bodies have already done a full day’s work.

So when they melt down…
When they don’t want to talk…
When they resist homework immediately…

It may not be defiance.
It may be overwhelm.

Instead of filling every afternoon with extra classes, more worksheets, or additional expectations, what if we offered something different?

✨ Free play.
✨ Quiet time.
✨ Movement without rules.
✨ Space without pressure.

Downtime is not laziness.
It is recovery.

Unstructured play helps regulate emotions.
Quiet moments calm the nervous system.
Freedom restores creativity.

And when children feel safe and rested, the joy of learning returns naturally.

Remember, it is not about fixing your child.

It is about recognizing that they live in a system that asks a lot of them… and choosing to become their soft landing place.

Today, try one small change: Slow down. Listen more. Observe without correcting. Ask what helps them relax.

Sometimes the most powerful support we can give is permission to just be.

To every parent doing their best, you are not alone. And your child doesn’t need a perfect home. They need a safe one. 💛

03/01/2026

💙 In a training yesterday, we explored the why behind the skills Child-Centered Play therapists use in the playroom. I felt a profound sense of connection 🥹 that told me I am in the right place.

In the playroom, children are given the time, space, opportunity, and relational feedback to increase their trust and confidence within themselves to work through their problems and build resiliency. When children feel accepted without conditions, they move towards 🌱 growth.

02/27/2026

Say it louder! More time for play!!

“If we love our children and want them to thrive, we must allow them more time and opportunity to play, not less. Yet policymakers and powerful philanthropists are continuing to push us in the opposite direction — toward more schooling, more testing, more adult direction of children, and less opportunity for free play.”

~ Dr. Peter Gray

02/25/2026

Yes!

Fat Tuesday is over… but the play party continues 🎭

"If we want our children to move mountains, we first have to let them out of their chairs." - Nicolette Sowder

02/25/2026

02/25/2026

💙💚💜🩷 Welcome to my play room. Let’s play!