New Roads Counseling - Marty Schwebel, LMFT #103247

11/18/2025

Poem by Dorothy Law Nolte

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

10/23/2025

It has been a true joy and honor to serve others through my work as a psychotherapist. Over the past decade, this journey has shaped me both personally and professionally in profound ways.

As I look ahead to the next 10 years, I’m excited to focus more deeply on my greatest passion—helping leaders and professionals such as doctors, attorneys, therapists, and business owners care for their mental and emotional well-being.

Many of these high-level professionals already work with executive coaches, but my goal is different. I aim to fill an important gap by providing a space to address the deeper layers of mental health, including stress, anxiety, burnout, and even trauma histories that can affect their leadership and life satisfaction.

Here’s to the next chapter of growth, healing, and transformation. 🌿

02/26/2025

I've been engaging with EMDR therapists in an online forum about our theories on why caseloads are currently on the decline. Many reasons have been offered up but this article piqued my interest. The article is about how AI is ultimately replacing therapists and the bigger issues that this raises. Check out this article, and I would love to hear your thoughts on this relevant topic that is currently affecting so many industries.

(Full disclosure: I did not use chatgpt to write or clean up this post for me but I have definitely used it in the past for this purpose)

Maytal Eyal explores what AI therapy gets wrong.

02/25/2025

The Fawn Response is one that I'm personally familiar with -

Fawning — also called please-and-appease — is a trauma response that can have deep impacts on your relationships and your sense of self.

11/13/2024

Today is World Kindness Day!

Take a moment to do something kind for yourself and at least one other person.

Help up celebrate World Kindness Day®. Visit our site for fun kindness ideas to do & things to share!

11/07/2024

Should you go no contact with your parents because you disagree?

10/17/2024

Starting in January 2025, a local church in Petaluma will be launching a new mental health and faith initiative. Our mission is to foster a compassionate, supportive community for everyone, regardless of where they are on their journey. We envision a church that is known for its dedication to love, grace, acceptance, and forgiveness, rather than what it opposes. Our ultimate goal is to make the church a true sanctuary—a safe and welcoming space for all particularly as it relates to spiritual and mental health.

I have personal experience with the intersection of mental health and faith. At 39, while serving as a full-time pastor and raising three children under the age of 10, I found myself clinically depressed. Unfortunately, the church culture at that time wasn’t equipped to address mental health struggles, especially for leaders. I was advised not to speak openly about my depression, which, in hindsight, was the worst advice. I was told that as a leader, I needed to always be "one step ahead" and that sharing my struggles would not benefit those I led. So, I kept my depression hidden—until today.

To seek help, I turned to Kaiser, where I saw a therapist, began taking antidepressants, and learned mindfulness meditation—all of which I kept secret from my faith community. These resources were essential to my healing, and I’m grateful for them. However, I wish the church had been more equipped to guide me through that difficult time. I longed for a church culture that could have been a complement to the mental health services I received, one that was open to discussing mental health.

As a therapist now, I’ve found that sharing my mental health journey openly with my clients has had positive effects. It allows them to see me as a genuine, relatable human being.

The Sanctuary Course is a study guide for small groups, designed to raise awareness and start conversations in local churches regarding mental health. These groups can include:

-People with questions about mental health
-Mental health professionals with a wealth of knowledge to share
-Leaders who want to engage their community in mental health conversations
-People supporting loved ones with mental health challenges
-People living with mental health challenges

Stay tuned and feel free to SHARE this with your communities—everyone is welcome!

The Sanctuary Course is a free small group resource designed for churches to explore the connection between mental health and faith.