The Joyful Mind, LLC

02/18/2026

If you’ve ever waited to feel motivated before starting something, this post is for you.

I want you to know if you are struggling with finding motivation, you are not failing. You’re working with a brain that doesn’t generate motivation the way you were taught it should.

For many people with ADHD, motivation doesn’t come first. It comes after movement.

From a neuroscience perspective, motivation is closely tied to dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter involved in initiation, focus, and follow-through. ADHD brains often have inconsistent dopamine availability, which means:
• You can care deeply
• You can want to start
• And still feel unable to begin

That’s not laziness or a lack of discipline.
It’s how the brain is wired.

The problem is the message most people internalize:
“Once I feel motivated, I’ll start.”

For ADHD brains, that often means waiting indefinitely.

The Year of the Horse offers a different lens. Horses don’t build energy by standing still. They receive a cue, take a step, and momentum follows.

ADHD motivation works the same way.

In therapy, we don’t chase motivation.
We focus on creating safe, low-pressure entry points that help the brain engage without overwhelm. Once movement begins, dopamine increases, and motivation starts to show up naturally.

Sometimes the most helpful starting cues are small and body-based, not cognitive:
• Changing posture or standing briefly
• Touching something grounding (a desk, the floor, a mug)
• Orienting the eyes to the room to signal safety
• Beginning with a step so small it feels almost pointless

These aren’t productivity hacks. They’re ways of helping the nervous system feel settled enough to engage.

The Year of the Horse isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about understanding how momentum actually forms.

If motivation has been unreliable or inconsistent for you, support can help.
Therapy that works with ADHD wiring can make starting feel possible again — without shame.

If you're ready to tackle your ADHD, reach out! I currently have immediate openings and accept the majority of insurance plans here in Wisconsin. Book your consultation today:

https://carissa-weber.clientsecure.me

02/14/2026

Valentine's day is all about connection. but what if you are alone today? Here is a great blog post all about how to make sure you show the most important person in your life that you care (Spoiler alert: You're the most important person in your life)

https://thatdarnamygdala.wordpress.com/2025/02/03/a-mental-health-friendly-valentines-day/

02/11/2026

It has been a while, so let me reintroduce myself.
My name is Carissa. I am a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and the owner of The Joyful Mind, LLC.
As a therapist, I use a blend of treatment modalities, neuroscience, and sarcasm to help clients build on their strengths to rediscover who they are. When we work together, you will have a safe place to share your experience in a judgment-free zone. Rather than "jump to conclusions'' and make uncomfortable treatment recommendations to you after the first session.
I will take time to get to know who you are, understand what you are facing, and help you explore ways to relieve your anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. I’ve worked to create the kind of non-judgmental therapy space where I’d want to find myself as a client—where one can ugly cry & make dark-humored jokes within the same session.
As a human, I am an active wife and mom of three. My husband and I own and operate a small farm that is dedicated to preserving the Heritage Walking Horse breed while teaching our children the way of life both my husband and I grew up with. For me, spending time outside is not just with my horses, but it is with my gardens, practicing QDM and forestry stewardship, and watching the joy the outdoors brings to my children. When I am not living the life outside, I am inside squashing the stigma of mental health with my blog, That Darn Amygdala.
As someone who weathers the storms of anxiety, depression, burnout, and ADHD on a daily basis, I respect the step you’re taking to create a better life for yourself. You don’t have to keep feeling stressed, and you don’t have to go through this journey alone. When we work together, we will create a partnership that places you as the captain of your treatment. If you need time to work through some of life's curveballs, that is fine. You want to learn about specific skills to use during an anxiety attack, you got it. Need a safe place to share your frustrations, I'm here for you. To book your free 15-minute consultation, please go to https://carissa-weber.clientsecure.me

02/10/2026

ADHD paralysis isn’t laziness.
It isn’t a lack of motivation.
And it isn’t a moral failure.

It’s what happens when the brain’s threat system overrides the part responsible for starting, organizing, and following through.

When a task feels too big, too vague, or too loaded with expectations, the nervous system can shift into freeze.
At that point, insight doesn’t help. Pressure doesn’t help. “Just do it” definitely doesn’t help.

For many ADHD brains, paralysis looks like:
• Constant mental replay of what needs to be done
• Physical tension or heaviness
• Avoidance mixed with guilt
• Feeling stuck even with high stakes

From a neuroscience perspective, this isn’t avoidance, it’s protection.

The Year of the Horse reminds us that forward movement doesn’t come from force.
Horses don’t respond to panic or punishment, they respond to safety, clarity, and calm cues.

ADHD brains are no different.

In therapy, we don’t try to “override” paralysis.
We work to:
• Settle the nervous system first
• Reduce cognitive load
• Create movement that feels safe enough to start

Sometimes that begins with the body, not as self-help homework, but as regulation support:

• Putting both feet on the floor and pressing down for a few seconds
• Letting the eyes slowly scan the room to orient to safety
• Shifting posture or standing briefly to signal change
• Using gentle movement to bring the brain back online

These aren’t productivity tricks. They’re ways to tell the nervous system, “You’re not in danger" and calm down that freeze, allowing you to move again.

The Year of the Horse isn’t about going faster.
It’s about getting unstuck, without shame.

If ADHD paralysis has been running your life, support can help. Reach out today! I currently have immediate openings. Schedule your free 15-minute consultation at https://carissa-weber.clientsecure.me

02/09/2026

Happy national Pizza day! How has pizza supported you through life?

02/03/2026

If you’ve been feeling restless, stuck, or like you should be doing better by now.
Pause. That’s not a character flaw.

That’s your nervous system asking for movement, not perfection.

Here’s the science part:
- ADHD brains don’t respond well to pressure or “try harder” thinking
- Perfectionism spikes threat responses in the amygdala
- Shame shuts down the prefrontal cortex—the part that helps with planning, follow-through, and emotional regulation

In other words…
waiting until you feel “ready” keeps you stuck.

The Horse doesn’t overanalyze the path.
It builds confidence by moving.

That’s exactly how therapy works in my practice.

- We will don’t aim for flawless habits
- We will work with your brain, not against it
- We will use small, nervous-system-safe steps to build momentum
- We will focus on regulation first. Then insight, then change

For ADHD + perfectionism, healing doesn’t come from white-knuckling productivity.
It comes from:
• Learning how your brain actually functions
• Calming the nervous system before problem-solving
• Replacing “If I’m not productive, I’m not valuable” with something that doesn’t wreck your mental health

If your system has been stuck in freeze, avoidance, or overthinking…
this is your sign.

🐎 The Year of the Horse is about forward motion—without self-punishment.

You don’t need to gallop.
You don’t need a 10-step plan.
You just need support, safety, and the right starting point.

If you’re ready to work with your brain instead of fighting it,Go to https://carissa-weber.clientsecure.me to schedule a consult via the link in bio

02/02/2026

I'm excited to share that I take multiple insurance plans, The Farmers Wellness voucher, and offer I pay what you can model for those who are choosing to payout of pocket or not use insurance. If you have been waiting for a sign to start therapy, this is your sign! Reach out today!
https://carissa-weber.clientsecure.me

01/29/2026

If you’ve been feeling that restless “something needs to change” itch…
that’s not burnout.
That’s Year of the Horse energy knocking.

The Horse doesn’t wait until it’s “ready.” It builds strength by moving.

Horses teach us:
• Momentum creates confidence
• Consistency > perfection
• You don’t need to sprint, you just have to stop standing still
• Growth happens when you choose direction, not pressure

Therapy works the same way.

You don’t fix everything at once. You start showing up. You learn your patterns. You practice new responses. You build emotional muscle over time.

If you’ve been telling yourself “I’ll work on myself when things calm down,” I’ve got some gentle truth for you

This is the season.

The work isn’t about pushing harder.
It’s about learning how to move forward without running yourself into the ground.

So here’s your Year of the Horse invitation:
- Pick one area you’re ready to grow
- Take one intentional step
- Let momentum do the rest

You don’t need to gallop.
You just need to start.

Your nervous system will thank you

The Joyful Mind, LLC is a fully virtual therapy office offering mental health teletherapy to adults in the state of Wisconsin

01/23/2026

Do you feel like you are struggling with being able to complete your to-do list lately? During the winter, it is very common for our motivation to dip. Why you ask? Because of several factors:
- the lack of sun, helping us convert vitamin D to build serotonin
- natural isolation with weather conditions impairing what we would like to do
- the burnout after the holiday season (no matter how much we love them)
- the sugar crash (true story, the amount of sugar consumption directly correlates with motivation)

Feeling ready to own this list and up your motivation again? Reach out! I'm currently accepting new clients!

01/08/2026

I will be out of the office starting today, 1/8/2026, through 1/22/2026. During this time, I will be away from my work phone and email and will return all messages when I return to my office. If you are in crisis, please contact your county's crisis line or the national 988 hotline.

01/07/2026

Our intern, Liz Cravillion has openings for new clients! If you have been thinking about therapy, and you are looking for a budget-friendly option, Liz is here to meet your needs

01/01/2026

Happy New Year! As a reminder to existing clients, I will be having new informed consents, consents for telehealth, and practice privacy policy for treatment for everyone to sign. This is a requirement of law by the state of Wisconsin in order for me to provide treatment to you. These forms will need to be electronically signed prior to our first session of the new year. If not, in accordance with the law of the State of Wisconsin, I will nave to cancel the session until it is signed. If you have releases of information on file, I will also have you resign those releases of information.

Please make sure your credit card information is updated in the client portal to ensure timely payments. As a reminder, all payments are due the same day as your session, including your co-pays.

MAKE SURE YOUR INSURANCE INFORMATION IS UP TO DATE!!!

Starting in May of 2026, I will be offering a new service at The Joyful Mind: Ride and Talk therapy. This treatment modality is an amazing option for those clients that:
1. have their own horses and trailers
2. have confidence in their equestrian skills
3. want to incorporate the partnership they have with their own horse into their therapeutic journey

Inflation has us all in a chokehold. With the rising cost of living, I have made the hard decision to raise my rates to not just meet my family's needs, but the needs to maintain and run The Joyful Mind. Effective January 1, 2026, I will be raising my rates from $135 to $145 for a 60 minute session. I will still offer the pay what you can model for those clients electing to use private pay options vs. their insurance. If this is something that interests you, please bring it up in session.

If you have any questions about the updates, services, or just in general, please feel free to bring them up in session so we can talk about them. Thank you for letting me be part of your mental health journey and I cannot wait for the new year!