Olde Port Counseling, PLLC

Home
United States
Portsmouth, NH
Olde Port Counseling, PLLC

Healing relationships, connecting families, and empowering change. Services are offered both in person and online.

Olde Port Counseling, PLLC is a collection of therapists working toward the same goal: serving the community to better the lives and relationships of families on the seacoast. We offer an array of child and adolescent therapy, family therapy, couple and marital, and individual counseling to uncover the issues that contribute to problems and help you obtain the vision you always wanted for your family.

03/04/2026

When we rush in to stop a sibling argument, we think we are parenting.

Actually, you may be interrupting the learning process..

Relationships are a cycle of rupture (fight) and repair (resolution).

When you impose the solution, you steal the repair.

The Fix:
Acknowledge the struggle ("You both want the same thing"), express confidence ("I bet you can figure this out"), and then leave the room.

It will be messy.
But the mess is where the skill is built.

Link in bio for parenting support.

03/02/2026

Hi, I’m Kate! 👋

I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) here at Olde Port Counseling.

My work centers on Trauma-Informed Care and Attachment.

Whether you are preparing to bring a life into the world, or trying to help a teenager navigate their own world, the goal is the same: To create a Secure Base.

Here is how I help families in the Seacoast area:

🤰 The Foundation (Perinatal & Pregnancy):
I support expectant mothers as they navigate the complex emotions of pregnancy, helping to build the attachment bond before the baby even arrives.

🧸 The Translator (Ages 0-5):
Using Child-Parent Psychotherapy and Circle of Security, I help parents decode "big behaviors" in little ones. We move past the tantrums to understand the emotional need underneath.

🎒 The Anchor (Adolescents & Teens):
The teenage years are full of storms—anxiety, depression, and self-image struggles. I provide a safe space for teens to unpack those feelings so they don't have to carry them alone.

You don't have to have all the answers.
You just need the right support to help you find them.

I am currently accepting new clients.

Link in bio to schedule an intake.

02/25/2026

You are keeping the fire alive.

We tend to think of emotions as weather events—storms that happen to us and stick around for days.

The reality is most daily emotions are short-term chemical events.

Your body wants to process the stress and return to baseline. It's a process that takes about a minute and a half.

The reason you are still mad at 5:00 PM about something that happened at 9:00 AM?

You kept hitting the "Replay" button.

Every time you retell the story in your head, you dump fresh chemicals into your system.

The Fix?
Feel the wave. Let it break. But don't throw more wood on the fire.

02/23/2026

You aren't broken. You just have friction.

We often mistake "struggle" for "grit." We think that if it feels hard, it means we are working hard.

But here is the reality check:
If you are driving with the parking brake on, pushing harder doesn't make you faster. It just burns out the engine.

You are still getting to work. You are still hitting your goals. You are still "functioning."
But you are exhausted by the time you arrive.

Therapy isn't about fixing a totaled car.
It is about releasing the brake so the high-performance engine you already have can actually do its job.

Imagine how fast you could go if you weren't fighting your own resistance?

Let’s find out.
Link in bio to schedule.

02/18/2026

Are you broadcasting on the wrong station?

Mental Fitness Tune-Up: Vol. 2

The biggest mistake couples make isn't a lack of effort. It's a lack of translation.

We naturally give love the way we prefer to receive it. It’s our default setting.

The Reality Check: If your partner needs Words of Affirmation, your acts of service (cleaning, fixing, planning) might be landing on deaf ears. They don't see "love." They just see you doing chores.

The Tool: The Platinum Rule. Don't treat them how you want to be treated. Treat them how they want to be treated.

Your assignment: Speaking a foreign love language feels awkward. It takes conscious effort. That is the point. Stop focusing on what feels natural to you, and start focusing on what lands with them.

What language does your partner speak?

02/16/2026

Have you updated your map in your relationship?

We tend to treat marriage like a diploma. We did the work, we got the paper, and now we can hang it on the wall.

But marriage isn't a diploma. It is a garden.

And the plants in that garden are constantly changing.

The person you said "I do" to years ago has gone through grief, career changes, parenting stress, aging, and personal growth. They are not the same person.

If you are trying to love the 2016 version of them, you are loving a memory.

You have to keep dating. You have to keep playing. You have to keep asking new questions.

Don't settle for "knowing" who they were. Be curious about who they are becoming.

02/11/2026

Do the math.

We tend to think that a "good" relationship means zero conflict.

The Mental Fitness Reality: Conflict is inevitable. Bankruptcy is optional.

Dr. John Gottman’s research shows that the happiest couples aren't the ones who never fight. They are the ones with enough "money in the bank" to afford the conflict.

The 5:1 Rule: For every negative interaction, you need five positive ones to maintain the bond.

How to hit your reps this week: It’s not about the big Valentine's Day dinner (though please, for your own safety, do not forget Saturday). It’s about the micro-deposits:

Notice the small things.

Put the phone down when they talk.

Laugh at their bad joke.

Say "thank you" for the coffee.

Build the cushion.

02/09/2026

Clarity is a love language.

With Valentine's Day coming up, there is a lot of pressure to have the "perfect" moment without having to ask for it.

But real intimacy isn't about guessing games. It's about being brave enough to let your partner in.

When you ask for what you need, whether it's quality time, a specific gesture, or just a quiet night in, you aren't ruining the magic.

You are building a bridge.

You are making it easy for the person who loves you to make you happy.

Be brave enough to say it out loud this week.

02/04/2026

We are realists. We know AI is a helpful tool for gathering information or organizing your thoughts. We use technology every day, and we don't expect you to stop.

But we want you to be safe.

The Danger of the Echo Chamber: AI is designed to be compliant. If you tell it a distorted story, it will likely validate you. A therapist is trained to do the opposite—to gently challenge you and catch you when you are spiraling.

The Missing Piece: An algorithm can process your words, but it can’t see the tears in your eyes or the tension in your jaw.

We don't just heal through "advice." We heal through relationship.

Use the tool for the research. Use the therapist for the healing.

02/02/2026

Meet Laurie A. Couture, LCMHC. 👋

If you are a parent looking for support for your child, we want you to meet Laurie.

With over 25 years of experience, Laurie specializes in helping children, teens, and young adults (ages 3–22) navigate developmental trauma, attachment challenges, and behavioral struggles.

Her philosophy is simple: Healing should be supportive, encouraging, and even fun.

Laurie takes a "whole-child" approach. She doesn't just look at behaviors; she looks at the heart of the family. Using tools like EMDR and connection-based parenting coaching, she partners with parents to help children smile, thrive, and reconnect.

She is also a published author and a passionate advocate for families in the Seacoast area.

If your family needs a compassionate guide to help navigate a tough season, Laurie is here to help.

Ready to start the journey? Visit the link in our bio to read her full profile and request an appointment.

01/28/2026

You can't out-run a high-stress life.

You can do everything right physically—clean diet, gym, sleep tracking—but if your mind is stuck in high-gear anxiety, your body will never truly be healthy.

The cold hard truth: Insurance companies know this. Their data shows that when people invest in therapy, their physical medical costs decrease.

Why? Because your doctor manages the hardware, but therapy upgrades the software.

If you want to be physically healthy this year, you need both.

Complete your health team today.

01/26/2026

You don’t have to have the perfect script to be a great partner.

We put so much pressure on ourselves in relationships. We think we need to be eloquent, witty, or have the perfect "therapist response" ready at all times.

We act like if we stumble over our words, we fail.

But here is the good news:

Science tells us that the actual words you use are the smallest part of the equation.

The vast majority of connection doesn't come from your vocabulary. It comes from your tone, your eyes, and the safety you create just by being there.

This is a relief.

It means you don't have to be a poet. You don't have to be a lawyer. You don't even have to know exactly what to say.

You just have to show up with a soft tone and a kind heart.

Watch the reel for the surprising breakdown of how we actually connect.

Address

406 The Hill
Portsmouth, NH
03801

Website

http://www.oldeportcounseling.com/, http://linktr.ee/olde_port_counseling

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Olde Port Counseling, PLLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Olde Port Counseling, PLLC:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Portsmouth?