Cedar & Ivy Counseling Services, PLLC

02/12/2026

Mankato has an incredible small business community, and we’re so proud to be part of it!

If Cedar & Ivy Counseling Services has supported you or someone you care about (or if you just think we’re super cool 😎), we would be grateful for your nomination in The Best of Mankato under the Personal Care section.

Your nomination helps connect more people in our community with compassionate, evidence-based care.

Thank you for continuing to support local and for allowing us to do this meaningful work!

https://www.mankatofreepress.com/best-of/?fbclid=IwdGRleAP6NXpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeZFKyukPvd1TKv_JLYTl0MzLytASZroS9ouBxRwoMbgb2eAw1q5KVhmv52Ok_aem_I7o6xyle57HFuQppVo1k7w #/gallery/?group=534187

First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

02/09/2026

What can I say 🤣🤣

🫨🫨🫨

02/09/2026

Pregnancy and postpartum is a tender time, and sometimes it’s hard to spot the difference when metal health symptoms show up.

Knowledge is power & support is everything!

As we step into January, it’s a powerful time to check in on how you’re really feeling during pregnancy and after birth.

Not every postpartum mood change is the same, and knowing the difference can help you get the right support:

🔹 Perinatal Depression (PPD): Persistent sadness, low energy, hopelessness, loss of interest; may last months without treatment
🔹 Perinatal Anxiety (PPA): Excessive worry, racing thoughts, panic; can interfere with daily life
🔹 Perinatal OCD (POCD): Symptoms include obsessions, compulsions, horror about obsessions, fear of being alone with baby, and hypervigilance

✨ Early recognition leads to earlier support and recovery.

And remember, perinatal mental health conditions can also include Bipolar Mood Disorders, PTSD, and Psychosis.

💙 You are not alone, and help is available.

If you need support now:
🔷 Call or text the Postpartum Support International HelpLine at 800-944-4773 (no diagnosis needed)
🔷 Call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-852-6262
🔷 In a crisis, call or text 988
🔷 Download the Connect by PSI app
🔷 Visit Postpartum.net for programs and resources

✨ A new year can be the beginning of feeling better.

02/07/2026

When Cedar & Ivy Counseling Services first began, it was just Bethany. One therapist, one office (Telehealth from home), and a lot of learning along the way.

Over time, the practice grew not from a desire to get bigger, but from like-minded people who want to make a difference.

Today, that team includes:

• Anaka, who supports individuals wanting to improve their relationships and feel more connected to themselves & others

• Angela, who brings care and expertise to OCD treatment, couples work, and play therapy

• Jaiden, who works with anxiety and adolescents, meeting teens exactly where they are

• Katelyn, who offers play therapy and therapy for teens with warmth and intention

I’m deeply grateful for this team, for the trust of our community, and for the intentional way this practice has evolved. 🫶🏻

02/06/2026

Therapy isn’t lying on a couch while a stranger says “and how does that make you feel?”

(promise 😅).

It’s a collaborative, human space to figure things out. Curiosity is more than enough to start.

02/05/2026

Three years ago, Cedar & Ivy Counseling Services opened its doors with a simple hope: to offer a space where people could feel supported, understood, and not alone in what they were carrying.

This month marks 3 years in private practice, and more than anything, it feels like a moment to pause and say thank you.

To the clients who trusted us with their stories, thank you for letting us walk alongside you. To the community that welcomed and supported this practice, thank you for believing in the importance of mental health care. To those who have referred, encouraged, and quietly cheered us on, we are SO grateful.

Over the past three years, we’ve been reminded again and again that healing happens in relationship, and that it’s a privilege to do this work here, with and for this community.

We’re deeply thankful for where we’ve been, who we’ve learned from, and the people we get to continue serving.

With gratitude,

Bethany, Anaka, Angela, Jaiden, & Katelyn
Cedar & Ivy Counseling Services

02/05/2026

Sometimes those intrusive thoughts are sneeeeaky 🫨

01/31/2026

Uncomfortable truth: obsessional doubt isn’t intuition, it’s OCD. Let’s dig into I-CBT and how it breaks cycles of doubt 💭🧐

Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) focuses on how OCD begins.

Instead of starting with real danger, OCD starts with a story. Obsessional doubt sounds like:
“What if this thought means something?”
“What if I can’t trust my senses?”

I-CBT helps people:
• Understand how OCD creates doubt through imagined possibilities
• Learn to trust present-moment information over “what ifs”
• Separate themselves from the OCD narrative
• Reduce compulsions by addressing the inferences behind them

I-CBT is not reassurance, arguing with thoughts, or forced exposure.

It is an evidence-based approach that can be especially helpful for people stuck in constant doubt. Bonus, it can be used on its own or alongside ERP!

01/31/2026

People often come to therapy to deal with role confusion and family stress. Heather Watts Therapy breaks this theme down into digestible & tangible concepts.

Sound familiar? Click through to learn about untangling blurred boundaries.

01/31/2026

Thinking about ERP for OCD… but feeling nervous?

Let’s clear something up.

ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is evidence-based and it’s also one of the most misunderstood treatments for OCD.

Here’s what ERP IS:
✨ A structured, research-supported treatment for OCD
✨ A way to teach your brain that intrusive thoughts are not emergencies
✨ Practicing responding differently to anxiety, not making it disappear
✨ Collaborative, gradual, and done at a pace that feels doable
✨ About building confidence, not “white-knuckling” fear

And here’s what ERP is NOT:
🚫 Being thrown into your worst fear on day one
🚫 Forcing yourself to “like” scary thoughts
🚫 Ignoring distress or being told to “just stop” compulsions
🚫 One-size-fits-all
🚫 Cruel, harsh, or unsafe

ERP helps people learn that thoughts ≠ danger, anxiety can rise and fall on its own, and they don’t have to organize their life around OCD anymore.

If you’ve been avoiding treatment because ERP sounds overwhelming, you’re not alone. You deserve accurate information, not horror stories.

01/30/2026

January has been quite busy, but there’s still more OCD info we want to highlight!

Intrusive Thoughts Can Feel Scary 👻

If you’ve ever had a thought that made you stop and think, “Why would my brain even go there,” you’re not alone.

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted and distressing. They often latch onto the things you care about most. Having them does not mean you want them, agree with them, or would act on them.
Trying to push them away or get reassurance can make them feel even louder, especially with OCD.

You are not broken. And you are not your thoughts.

With the right support, they can lose their grip.
If this sounds familiar, help is available. 💛

01/22/2026

During stressful times, therapy can be seen for many as an essential service. Because of this, Cedar & Ivy will not be closing tomorrow. However, we stand in solidarity with the multitude of fellow business owners during the economic blackout across Minnesota.

We also support our client’s right to peacefully gather against injustice. One of the many things MN does well is standing up for what is right. If you would like to cancel your session tomorrow, please contact your therapist directly.