Center for Growth and Connection

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United States
Pasadena, CA
Center for Growth and Connection

Helping individuals and couples in CA, VA, and DC who need someone to show them a different way forward.

Michelle Market, LPC, has more than 15 years in the counseling field. She specializes in treating eating disorders and trauma recovery. Michelle is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and is certified in EMDR. To contact Michelle Market, you can email her at mmarketlpc@gmail.com or call 703-597-7869. Michelle Cantrell, M.Ed., is a Resident in Counseling working towards licensure in the state of Virginia. Michelle's areas of speciality are eating disorders, trauma, low self-esteem, and unhealthy relationship patterns. To contact Michelle, you can email her at mdc@michellecantrell.com or call 571-969-4393.

12/01/2025

Heartbreak can feel more intense during the holidays. The season often brings expectations of joy and closeness, and that contrast can make your pain feel even sharper. If you notice your emotions rising as the world speeds up, that reaction makes sense.

Heartbreak affects our bodies and our minds. Our nervous systems work harder to manage stress. Sleep can change. Concentration can dip. Even small tasks might feel heavy. These are natural responses to loss and transition, not evidence that you should be coping differently.

If you are moving through this right now, try to slow your pace and make room for your internal experience. Create some distance from the pressure to feel a certain way. Choose moments that feel grounding. Set limits where you need them. Let yourself feel what is here without rushing toward a solution.

Healing is often a series of small decisions to care for yourself in the midst of pain. You deserve that care.

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Looking for support? Feel free to reach out!

📞Phone: (626) 702 - 3485
💌Email: admin@centerforgrowthandconnection.com

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11/29/2025

The day after a full holiday can bring a kind of emotional shift.

Sometimes it feels like relief. Sometimes it feels like loneliness. Often it is a mix that shows up only when the noise fades.

I try to treat this stillness as information rather than a problem to solve. I gently check in with myself. I take a moment to notice what my body and heart are carrying after familiar rhythms change.

If this day feels tender for you, move at a pace that feels steady. Let the quiet tell you what it needs to.

11/24/2025

The holidays can stretch even the strongest relationships. Schedules fill up, expectations grow, and the pressure to keep everyone happy can leave you both feeling disconnected.

If you notice tension or distance this season, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with your relationship. It simply means you are human and responding to a stressful time.

Small choices can help you stay connected. A few minutes of focused time, a conversation about expectations, or a boundary that protects your energy can make the season feel more manageable for both of you.

Your relationship deserves care, even during the busiest moments. Sometimes especially then.

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Looking for support? Feel free to reach out!

📞Phone: (626) 702 - 3485
💌Email: admin@centerforgrowthandconnection.com

—

11/21/2025

Thanksgiving often comes with expectations about closeness and family. When your reality looks different, it can stir up a mix of gratitude, grief, and everything in between.

You do not have to force yourself into a picture that does not match your life. You can let the day unfold in a way that feels authentic, choosing simple moments that help you feel present and supported.

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Looking for support? Feel free to reach out!

📞Phone: (626) 702 - 3485
💌Email: admin@centerforgrowthandconnection.com

—

11/19/2025

Holidays such as Thanksgiving can bring up a mix of emotions. You might feel grateful for parts of your life and still notice a quiet ache underneath. Sometimes the day highlights what has changed or what never felt available in the first place.

If this year looks different for you, it may help to remember that connection can take many shapes. A slow morning. A familiar recipe. A brief check in with someone who feels safe. Even a moment of honesty with yourself counts.

You do not have to create a picture perfect holiday. You can let the day be simple. You can let it be real.

This Thanksgiving, if the day brings comfort, let yourself lean in. If it brings heaviness, offer yourself the same compassion you would give someone you care about.

Your experience matters, whatever it is.

—

Looking for support? Feel free to reach out!

📞Phone: (626) 702 - 3485
💌Email: admin@centerforgrowthandconnection.com

—

11/17/2025

Losing yourself in a relationship doesn’t happen all at once — it happens little by little.

You stop speaking up. You stop asking for what you need. You start finding your joy in keeping someone else happy.

If this feels familiar, you haven’t disappeared — you’ve just gone quiet. Try this: once a day, ask yourself, “What do I want right now?” — even if it’s something small, like what to have for dinner or what TV show to watch in the evenings — and listen for the honest answer. That’s how reconnection begins.

You don’t have to “find yourself.” Just start showing up for you.

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Looking for support? Feel free to reach out!

📞Phone: (626) 702 - 3485
💌Email: admin@centerforgrowthandconnection.com

—

11/16/2025

When you’ve spent a long time tuning in to everyone else’s needs, it can feel strange to listen for your own voice again. You might even feel guilty for wanting more space, more rest, or more joy.

But rediscovering yourself isn’t selfish. It’s necessary. It’s how you come home to the parts of you that got quiet while you were taking care of everyone else.

Start small. Notice what brings you ease, what sparks a sense of curiosity, what feels like you. Maybe it’s a song you haven’t listened to in years, a hobby you stopped making time for, or a boundary you’re finally ready to hold.

You haven’t lost yourself entirely. You’ve just gotten used to living at a lower volume. Now, it’s time to turn the sound back up.

Take a moment today to ask:

What do I need to feel like myself again?

11/10/2025

It doesn’t always happen in big, dramatic ways.�
Sometimes we lose ourselves one small compromise at a time.
A need we don’t voice.�A truth we hold back.�A part of us we quiet to keep connection.

Many of us learned that love meant being agreeable or accommodating. Those lessons once helped us feel safe and accepted. But over time, they can leave us feeling distant from our own wants, needs, and identity.

If you’re noticing how easily you adapt, pause before judging yourself.
That pattern was learned for a reason.
And awareness is the beginning of choice.

You can love deeply and stay connected to yourself at the same time.

—

Looking for support? Feel free to reach out!

📞Phone: (626) 702 - 3485
💌Email: admin@centerforgrowthandconnection.com

—

11/07/2025

If you use achievement to avoid loneliness, try this instead…

#1: Replace performing with sharing.

Instead of trying to impress others, try to connect with them. Over-achievers often default to proving their worth by being competent, helpful, or accomplished.

☝️Try this: When a friend asks how you are, resist the urge to say “busy but good.” Try sharing something small and real, like “Honestly, I’ve been feeling disconnected lately.”

#2: Create connection goals, not just career goals.

If all your goals live in the realm of productivity, connection will always come last.

☝️Try this: Schedule weekly “connection time” like you would a work meeting. Call a friend, join a class, or just be around people without a task attached. Set a relational goal, like “Have one conversation this week where I share something personal.”

#3: Notice what you feel when you stop achieving.

Stillness can bring up sadness, fear, or loneliness you’ve been avoiding by staying busy.

☝️Try this: The next time you finish a big task, don’t immediately start another one. Sit for a few minutes and ask, “What’s here right now?” If emotions arise, let them – without judgment. Journal or voice note what you feel before distracting yourself again.

Looking for support? Feel free to reach out!
📞Phone: (626) 702 - 3485
💌Email: admin@centerforgrowthandconnection.com

—

11/05/2025

You can’t hustle your way into feeling loved.

Many high-achieving people learned early that success meant safety – that doing more was how you stayed connected, seen, or valued.

But no amount of “doing” can meet your need for “being.”

Real balance comes when you slow down enough to enjoy the life you’ve worked so hard to build.

⬇️Save this if you’re learning to rest, not just achieve.

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Looking for support? Feel free to reach out!

📞Phone: (626) 702 - 3485
💌Email: admin@centerforgrowthandconnection.com

—

11/03/2025

Are you achieving lots, but still feeling lonely?

➡️Swipe through to see the signs you might be using achievement to avoid real connection.

Awareness is the first step. Leave a comment if one of these hits – let’s start the conversation.

—

Looking for support? Feel free to reach out!
📞Phone: (626) 702 - 3485
💌Email: admin@centerforgrowthandconnection.com

—

Address

301 E. Colorado Boulevard , Suite 860
Pasadena, CA
91101

Website

https://www.centerforgrowthandconnection.com/

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About Michelle

Michelle Cantrell is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia. Michelle's areas of speciality are eating disorders, trauma, and unhealthy relationship patterns. In addition to her experience in treating eating disorders, Michelle is trained in Post-Induction Therapy for the treatment of developmental and relational trauma, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). When working with couples, Michelle utilizes an Emotionally Focused Couples (EFT) approach. To contact Michelle, you can email her at mdc@michellecantrell.com or call 571-969-4393.

Disclaimer: This page is intended to be for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for mental health services. If you wish to contact Michelle, please do so by emailing or calling. Messages posted through Facebook are not confidential and may not be responded to in a timely manner.