All Things New Counseling Services, LLC

04/02/2026

Here’s my honest confession. I forget to announce stuff to social media. I’ve been a therapist for a pretty long time. Twenty-five years ago is when I began accumulating an advanced degree and credentials, and social media wasn’t much of a thing- especially not for professional outlets. Also, I prefer to spend my time serving my clients with the hands on work of therapy over posting to social media about what I’m doing.

Second to the hands on therapy work, I also love learning more about how to hone my skills as a therapist. The more I learn, the more questions I have, and the more I’m driven to study and learn more. And I’m so busy studying and learning that I also forget to tell social media that I’m studying and learning. 😂

That said, I realized that you might like to know sometimes what I’m busy studying and learning.

Trauma work is my specialty. Using bottom up interventions like EMDR effectively in a variety of complex presentations of trauma is my real speciality. It’s not about just throwing a “protocol” at the problem. It’s so much more complex and nuanced.

I love serving LEOs and emergency responders. I recently completed a training to better serve 911 professionals, recognizing the unique culture of these very first front end responders and the effects of trauma they experience in their daily work.

The training was a collaboration between EMDRIA (EMDR International Association) and APCO International (The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials), and NENA (The National Emergency Number Association).

It’s an honor to serve these first-in-line emergency responders in my community! Thank you for all you do! ❤️

03/10/2026

Right now the world is too loud to full on take in. It’s way too much threat and danger constant in our faces- and it’s non-stop. No human can thrive in this. We need a sense of safety in order to connect with self, others, nature…God. And we need these connections to thrive.

In our current culture, we have to look for that safety, because, let’s face it, right now it’s just not jumping out at us big and obvious.

In my therapy space we practice noticing the micro-moments that cue even a little safety for our nervous systems.

Yesterday morning I enjoyed my “therapy patio” as I paused to take in the view of the All Things New back yard. The organic smell of sweet baby grass bursting from the ground. The vivid green displaying such stark contrast with the surrounding still-brown trees. The softness calling for my toes to wander through it barefoot—soon.

The dichotomy between this moment and what is going on in the world outside my fence is incomprehensible. But in this micro moment my awareness focuses on the new life springing forth in front of me, and my soul thrives along with the baby green grass as I take it in deeply.

Where are you finding your micro-moments of safety today?

03/09/2026

When employed well, EMDR is a deeply interpersonal and powerfully neurobiological approach to resolving trauma.

To truly practice EMDR responsibly and effectively, a clinician must understand how the nervous system is organized as a general concept, how the individual nervous system of each particular client is uniquely organized around their own personal experiences of state and story, and the clinician must be able to deeply attune to self and other (the client) in the intersubjective space between them.

There is “protocol,” but there is also “personhood.” And not uncommonly, especially in the context of complex trauma, protocol will need to be adapted to personhood—not the other way around.

03/02/2026

So here’s the honest thing…

All Things New Counseling was never the original plan.

Seventeen years ago on a dreary day much like today in the limbo between winter and spring, I was only seven and a half years into my counseling career, and I felt like I had already experienced every possible barrier and derailment imaginable-as if all the forces of evil were against me.

And that was the day that God said, “Let’s do something new!”

Sometimes beautiful things are born out of adversity.

❤️

02/20/2026

Yes! Good trauma therapy blends the skill of creating and maintaining safety for the nervous system while confronting and challenging maladaptive beliefs and behaviors. This kind of relating is extremely complex and nuanced and requires human right brain to right brain connection. Working through internal and interpersonal “conflict” is hard work. Our minds grow as we learn to do this with other minds by developing the skill of creating safety in the intersubjective space of relationship. It is all about human to human connection. This is not work that can be done with an AI chat bot.

01/26/2026

It may be cold and there may be snow outside, but my therapy room is warm and cozy (just ask Dewey!) and the coffee and cocoa are hot! It’s a great day for some some great therapy!

01/26/2026

I AM in office tomorrow and all week for appointments! Dewey is bored and needs to get out of the house and see his people! 😂🐶❤️ Main roads in Nixa are clear, my parking lot is clear, and I have plenty of warm drinks and my fireplace to share! I am also able to switch anyone who prefers it to telehealth. I have had a couple of cancellations, so if any of my clients are wanting an appointment, check the portal for my calendar and feel free to request what works for you! ❄️ ⛄️

01/12/2026

Seems like the words “trauma” and “triggered” have been hijacked by popular culture and tend to get over used to the point that we don’t know what we are talking about anymore; we are just saying stuff. Let’s pause long enough to understand what these words really mean.

A really good working definition of “trauma” would be “the effects of experiencing something that exceeded our available resources to manage- either too much of something damaging that we couldn’t escape (physical, emotional, s*xual violence, for example), or the chronic absence of something we something we desperately needed that we couldn’t get (this could be material, like food or shelter, or it could be emotional attunement from a consistently present caregiver).”

When we lack adequate resources to manage these experiences, they cannot metabolize in our system and fragments of them get stored in our “memory”- much of it gets stored in our implicit memory, which is largely “right brain” territory where we experience emotions and body sensations.

When something happens that evokes a connection to one of these fragments, we are “triggered;” we find ourselves sensing or feeling (right brain processing) the way we felt when the original thing happened.

Traditional talk therapy on its own is a largely left brain or “top down” intervention. But to resolve trauma, we also need to use right brain or “bottom up” interventions in order to access the places where the trauma fragments are stored.

If you need help resolving “stuck” trauma, be sure to find a therapist who is trained and skilled beyond traditional talk therapy in right brain (bottom up interventions) like Ego States work, somatic processing, and EMDR certification to help reach those implicit places.

01/01/2026

I feel a great deal of gratitude as I wish you all a Happy New Year!

If you’ve visited Dewey and I in our beautiful new therapy haven, you have experienced our biggest highlight of 2025. This was an amazing way to wrap up 2025 as we ended 2024 on a very sad and discouraged note. We almost didn’t get to have this beautiful space to share with you all. We had just broke ground near the end of 2024 when the project was upended a few weeks later by some extremely bad business practices from a company we mistakenly thought we could trust, and even worse, the betrayal of friends we thought we could trust. It took a hard minute, but we managed to find a more reliable contractor and were able to put the pieces back together and start again.

In all honestly, I didn’t take many pictures along the way because I didn’t fully trust that the project wouldn’t somehow fall apart again. I plodded through the build process with a fair amount of indifference and denial until we were about 30 days from move in. Finally, I had to tell my current clients that my office was moving- I didn’t want to, because I still feared it would get yanked out from under us again.

The final weeks were a blur of activity- shoveling rock, planting trees and shrubs, sowing grass seed, staining wood…. I can’t even remember it all, but I do remember a long stream of endless 16 hour days and working until my body hurt so bad that I could hardly move, but pushing through because there seenes to endlessly be still more to do.

But we made it 🙌🏼 and I feel so grateful every time I walk through the doors, and you all have expressed that you love it, too!

In addition to this project filling up so much space in 2025, my end of year stats tell us that in 2025 Dewey and I also provided 1,456 appointments to 149 clients!

YOU GUYS are the reason that I love what I do! I’m so thankful that you trust me to share a part of your journey with you- and that I get a front row seat to all your growth and healing! You inspire me daily, and you are my “why” in this work I love so much!

All Things New Counseling is fast approaching 17 years of serving Nixa and surrounding communities!

Bring on 2026- we got this!

11/26/2025

Yes! If you’ve been to my therapy room, you are familiar with the bowl of Jolly Ranchers that lives there!

Also, I’ve conducted an accidental social experiment over my bowl of Jolly Ranchers. It seems that most people have a preference for the cherry flavored ones. Sour apple is next favorite. Grape and watermelon and blue raspberry are kinda just hanging out as the afterthoughts.

I personally prefer blue raspberry the most and cherry the least.

What’s your favorite Jolly Rancher flavor?

Sour candy can literally help stop a panic attack.

According to mental health experts, the intense flavor acts as a grounding technique—its sharp, jarring taste pulls attention away from overwhelming thoughts and into the immediate physical sensation.

This redirection can help interrupt the cycle of spiraling anxiety, bringing individuals back to the present moment. Additionally, the act of chewing and the surge in saliva production may support the body's calming response, offering a sense of control during distress.

While not a cure or replacement for therapy, this sensory-based strategy can serve as a quick, practical tool in moments of high anxiety. As noted by experts cited by Utah State University, sour candy can be particularly helpful in grounding exercises used during panic attacks. However, they caution that frequent or intense anxiety should always be assessed by a healthcare professional to ensure appropriate long-term care.

Source: Utah State University Extension. (2023). Managing Anxiety with Grounding Techniques.

Al-Ghaili O

UPDATE-
We are so grateful to everyone's reaction to this post. Please give us feedback if you have tried it and how it worked for you! And if you are able please follow us! Please donate and help us in our mission to continue to raise awareness and support parents and caregivers raising children with Complex Trauma! 💚
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Mailing Address
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9805 Statesville Road Suite 6156
Charlotte, NC 28269
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EIN-83-2090828

11/20/2025

As Dewey and I settle into our new therapeutic haven, we breathe in the peace instilled by all the things we intentionally planned for this space to help anchor nervous systems and soothe souls.

We feel the warmth of the natural light that streams through the large windows, and, because right now November thinks it’s Spring, we open up these windows and enjoy the fresh air that filters in with the songs of the birds.

The view outside reveals bright green baby blades of grass beginning to fill the yard like a soft carpet. Won’t it feel wonderful to run your toes through it next May? Grounding with the earth is one of the best ways to re-set the soul.

Our people arrive and depart one by one throughout the morning. Dewey greets each one with full body wiggles of delight - whoever is present at the moment is his most favorite human in all the world.

Our people express their love of the peaceful calm of the space. They feel soothed by soft pillows and cozy throws, the warm cup of tea cradled in their hands, or a sour Jolly Rancher that fills their senses with something safe to be fully aware of right now, in this very moment.

Hard things we speak of are made a little less hard by the safety, softness, and serenity of our surroundings.

Later, Dewey and I take our lunch break on the patio. He intermittently begs for pieces of my lunch and chases squirrels down the fence line in utter euphoria —floppy ears flying wildly about his head, galloping like a goofy puppy.

As Dewey plays, I imagine the future flower beds, bird bath and bird feeder that will bring even more natural living beauty to our outdoor space next spring. For now, leaves crinkle in the breeze and drift lazily to the earth as if not a care exists anywhere.

I linger, taking it full in, as Dewey watches me with curiosity. I solemnly reflect on the barriers we faced that threatened to destroy this dream of a healing space, and I’m simultaneously overcome with gratitude for the goodness of God that prevails as He whispers, “Do you see it? Do you see how I’m STILL making all things new?”

11/19/2025

It’s one of those weird days where it’s fall, so hot chocolate seems right, but it’s also great patio weather. So I’m doing the only thing that makes sense. I’m having lunch followed by hot chocolate for dessert all on the patio today. It’s a great space for those who would like to try “patio therapy!”