Puglisi Counseling, LLC

02/20/2026

Why does asking for help feel so hard?

If you’ve ever needed support but couldn’t bring yourself to reach out, you’re not alone. And it’s not because you’re weak or incapable. Most of the time, it’s because somewhere along the way you learned that needing people wasn’t safe.

Maybe you grew up in a home where vulnerability was dismissed. Maybe the people you depended on let you down. Maybe you were told to toughen up, handle it yourself, or stop being so sensitive. Over time, those experiences shape the beliefs you carry. They turn into the quiet voice that says, “Don’t bother anyone,” or “You should be able to do this on your own.”

But needing support is not a flaw. It is part of being human.

We are wired for connection. We regulate stress, process pain, and build resilience through relationships. Asking for help is not weakness. It is courage. It requires vulnerability, honesty, and trust.

If reaching out feels overwhelming right now, start small. One conversation. One text. One appointment. You do not have to share everything at once.

You deserve support. You deserve people who show up. And learning to ask for help is not becoming a burden. It is learning to care for yourself in a healthier way.

You are worth the help you need.

02/19/2026

“They’ll grow out of it.” That’s what everyone keeps telling you.

But you’re the one watching your child struggle. Maybe it’s anxiety that keeps them up at night, emotional outbursts that leave everyone drained, or behaviors that just don’t feel like “a phase.” While others mean well, your instincts are telling you to look closer.

The truth is, some kids do develop stronger coping skills over time. Others don’t. And a wait-and-see approach can sometimes mean years of unnecessary struggle.

Childhood mental health challenges don’t always disappear on their own. When left untreated, they can follow kids into adolescence and adulthood, becoming more complicated over time. That’s not a parenting failure. It’s simply how mental health works.

Early support makes a difference. Therapy isn’t about fixing something broken. It’s about teaching skills, building resilience, and helping your child feel more confident handling big emotions and difficult situations.

If you’re questioning whether your child might need help, that alone tells me you’re paying attention. You know your child better than anyone. Trust what you’re seeing.

Getting support now isn’t admitting defeat. It’s giving your child the tools they need to grow through what they’re facing instead of just hoping they grow out of it.

02/18/2026

CBT vs. DBT: What’s the difference and which one is right for you? 🧠✨

If you’ve been researching therapy, you’ve probably seen these acronyms everywhere: CBT and DBT. They sound similar, but they work in different ways.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) 🔄💭 focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It helps you recognize negative thinking patterns, challenge them, and replace them with healthier, more realistic ones.
Example: “I’m a failure” becomes “I made a mistake, but I’m learning.”

DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) 🌊🧘‍♀️ balances acceptance and change. It teaches you to validate your emotions while also building coping skills to manage overwhelm, regulate feelings, and respond more effectively.
Example: “This is hard AND I can get through it.”

Both approaches are effective, and the best fit depends on what you need most right now:

✅ CBT helps shift the thought
✅ DBT helps validate the feeling and build skills

At Puglisi Counseling, we use both because therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s about what helps you move forward 🌱💙

02/17/2026

You’re still standing. And that matters more than you think.

Your worst days didn’t break you.

Your biggest mistakes didn’t define you.

Your hardest seasons didn’t destroy you.

You’re still here. Still trying. Still growing.

That’s not luck. That’s resilience.

It’s the quiet kind of strength no one applauds. The kind that shows up when everything feels heavy and you keep moving anyway. The kind that doesn’t make headlines but carries you forward one breath, one decision, one day at a time.

Sometimes survival is the victory.

Sometimes getting out of bed is brave.

Sometimes just making it through is enough.

So give yourself credit.

For every day you thought you wouldn’t make it but did. For every moment you had to dig deep just to keep your head above water. For every time you chose to stay committed to growth when quitting would have been easier.

You are stronger than you give yourself credit for.

And the fact that you’re still here proves it.

Keep going. Your healing is not behind you. It’s unfolding.

02/16/2026

Think your kids aren’t paying attention to how you handle stress? Think again.

They’re watching.

They notice how you respond when you’re overwhelmed. They see how you talk about hard days. They’re paying attention to whether you explode, shut down, or pause and take a breath.

And here’s the good news that matters in the best possible way.

When you model healthy coping, you teach something no worksheet or classroom lesson ever could. You show them that stress is normal. That hard moments don’t mean failure. That emotions can be managed without falling apart.

Research shows that kids who observe healthy stress management at home are significantly more likely to develop strong coping skills themselves. That’s powerful.

So when you go for a walk to clear your head, talk through a problem instead of bottling it up, or admit you’re overwhelmed and need a break, you’re doing more than regulating yourself.

You’re building emotional resilience in your child.

They’re learning that it’s okay to struggle.
That asking for help is strength.
That mental health is something we take seriously.

You don’t have to be perfect.

You just have to show them what it looks like to be human… and handle it with courage.

Because the way you cope today becomes the skills they carry for a lifetime.

02/16/2026

Mindful Monday: A breathing technique you can do anywhere

You do not need a yoga mat, a meditation app, or 20 minutes of silence to calm your nervous system.
You just need your hand.

This is called Five Finger Breathing, and it takes about one minute.

Here’s how to do it:

✋ Hold out one hand with your palm facing up and fingers spread.
👉 Use the pointer finger of your other hand to trace your thumb.
Breathe IN as you trace up.
Pause briefly at the top.
Breathe OUT as you trace down.

👉 Move to the next finger.
Breathe in going up. Pause. Breathe out going down.
Repeat until you have traced all five fingers.

That’s it.
Five fingers. Five slow breaths.

Why does this help?

Because it gives your brain something simple to focus on instead of whatever is stressing you out. The movement plus slow breathing helps your nervous system settle and brings you back into the present moment.

You can do this anywhere.
In your car before work.
At your desk when you feel overwhelmed.
In the bathroom during a family gathering when you need a minute.

Mindfulness does not have to be complicated.
Sometimes it is just slowing your breath and reminding your body that you are safe.

Try it right now. Hold out your hand and breathe.

📍 Puglisi Counseling | Scranton | Taylor | Peckville
🌐 PuglisiCounseling.com
☎️ 570-766-0772

02/16/2026

Trauma-informed therapy means you’re never pushed, never forced, and always believed.
At Puglisi Counseling, we know healing can’t happen without safety. We go at your pace, respect your boundaries, and help you process trauma without retraumatizing you. You’ve been through enough, therapy shouldn’t add to it.

02/13/2026

Hot take: Fridays are for wrapping up exactly zero things and that’s completely fine.

You know that voice in your head that says, “If I just push through and finish this one more thing, I can start the weekend with a clean slate”?

Yeah… that voice is lying.

Because here’s what actually happens: you push through. You stay late, bring work home, spend Friday night tying up loose ends. You finally finish…

And does your brain go, “Ahh, peace at last”?

Nope. It immediately finds seven more things you “should” do. The clean slate doesn’t exist. You just burned your Friday for nothing.

So let’s try something radical: what if Fridays were for leaving stuff undone?

That email sitting in your drafts? It can wait.
That project that’s 85% done? Still gonna be 85% done on Monday. That mess you were gonna clean up? The mess will survive the weekend.

Here’s the truth: your brain needs a hard stop. Not a “real quick one more thing” stop. A real one. The kind where you close the laptop mid-thought. Where you leave the laundry in the basket. Where you walk out with stuff still sitting on your desk.

Because if you don’t draw a line, there is no line. Just an endless treadmill of “one more thing” until you’re burnt out and weekends don’t even feel like weekends anymore. Friday isn’t for finishing. Friday is for stopping.

And if that makes you twitchy… if leaving something undone makes your chest tight… that’s probably exactly why you need to practice it. Your worth isn’t measured by productivity. Rest isn’t something you earn by completing every task.

Rest is what makes Monday possible in the first place. So this Friday? Leave something unfinished. On purpose. Walk away. Let it sit there incomplete.

Go grab a bite at Cooper’s, pick up something quick downtown, or just take the long way home with the windows down and let your brain unclench for once.

Practice the art of finishing nothing.

Monday’s coming either way. Might as well show up rested instead of resentful.

02/13/2026

If you’ve ever felt nervous about starting therapy, you’re not alone. Therapy isn’t about being judged, told what to do, or “fixed” because you are not broken.

It’s a supportive space to breathe, be heard, understand your patterns, and gain tools to handle life with more clarity and strength. No sides, no shame, just real support at your pace.
Puglisi Counseling | Scranton, Taylor, Peckville

570-766-0772 | PuglisiCounseling.com

You deserve care that feels safe, steady, and truly human.

02/13/2026

“Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.” - Brené Brown

02/12/2026

Let’s talk about keeping your dignity in conversations that make you want to either explode… or disappear.

You know the ones. Your boss is being unreasonable. A family member is pushing every button you have. Someone’s asking for something you don’t want to give. You’re stuck in that moment where you could either stand your ground… or fold like a lawn chair just to keep the peace.

Here’s the problem: most of us go one of two ways. We either turn into a bulldozer and say things we regret, or we become a doormat and agree to things we don’t mean. And either way, we walk away feeling awful.

That’s where FAST comes in. It’s a DBT skill designed to help you keep your self-respect when conversations get hard.

FAST stands for:

F — Fair
Be fair to the other person and to yourself. Don’t attack, but don’t shrink either.

A — (No) Apologies
Don’t over-apologize when you haven’t done anything wrong. A boundary doesn’t require guilt.

S — Stick to your values
Know what matters to you in the moment, and don’t abandon it just to avoid conflict.

T — Truthful
Be honest and clear. No exaggerating, no minimizing. Just the truth.

Here’s what it can look like in real life:

Your mom asks you to host Thanksgiving again, even though you’re completely burnt out.

Without FAST, it turns into panic and people-pleasing:
“I’m so sorry… I don’t know… maybe I can try… fine, I’ll do it.”

With FAST, it sounds more like:
“I know you’re disappointed, but I need a break from hosting this year. I’m feeling burnt out, and I need to take care of myself.”

Does it guarantee the other person will be happy? Nope.
But it does make it way more likely that you’ll walk away without feeling like you sold yourself out.

FAST doesn’t make hard conversations easy. But it does make them healthier. And sometimes that’s the win.

If you’d like to learn more tools like this for communication, boundaries, and emotional regulation, Puglisi Counseling is here to help. Reach out anytime to start building skills that actually work in real life.

📞 Phone: 570-766-0772
📧 Email: hello@puglisicounseling.com
🌐 Website: www.puglisicounseling.com

Puglisi Counseling provides mental health therapy services throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. Online and In-Person Counseling with Licensed Therapists in NEPA.

02/12/2026

Here’s the thing about writing down your goals: it actually helps.

Not in a “manifest it and wait” way. In a practical, human way. Our brains tend to feel less overwhelmed when thoughts are taken out of our heads and put on paper.

When you write your goals down, a few things happen:

They feel more real. Goals stuck in your head can turn into pressure. On paper, they become something you can work with.

You can see progress. Growth is hard to notice when you’re living it. Writing things down helps you see movement, even when it’s small.

You build trust in yourself. Looking back at what you’ve already done reminds you that you are capable, especially on hard days.

You have something to come back to. When life feels chaotic, a written goal can help you refocus.

This isn’t about perfection or checking every box. It’s about giving yourself a better chance to move forward instead of just reacting.

So start simple. Grab a notebook. Write down one thing that actually matters to you. Not what you think you should want. What you want.

No fancy planners. No pressure. Just you, a pen, and a goal worth caring about.

📍 Puglisi Counseling | Scranton | Taylor | Peckville
🌐 PuglisiCounseling.com
☎️ 570-766-0772