Family Ties Counseling - Northshore

02/01/2026

Do you know your love language?

Read about it here ⬇️

https://www.familytiescounseling.com/post/love-languages-emotional-connection

Take the quiz here ⬇️

https://5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language

People experience and express love in different ways. Understanding love languages can help improve communication, reduce misunderstandings, and deepen emotional connection.The five commonly discussed love languages are: • Words of Affirmation – encouragement, compliments, verbal support • Qua...

01/26/2026

What better of a time than when the kids are home for a “snow day” to learn some coping skills!!

Stay warm and stay calm, you got this!

Anxiety doesn’t just show up in one age group. Adults feel it in their thoughts, tension, and constant mental “what ifs.” Children feel it in their bodies, behaviors, and emotions they don’t always have words for yet.One of the most powerful ways to support anxiety — for yourself and for y...

01/22/2026

Happy Birthday, Kelli Busbee LMFT, LPC-S, NCC, AAT-I! 🎉💐
Wishing you a day filled with joy, laughter, and all the love you pour into others coming back to you tenfold. Thank you for the heart, dedication, and compassion you bring to Family Ties Counseling—your impact truly matters. Hope this year brings you continued success and lots of happy moments! 💖🎂

01/20/2026

Meet Our New Intern: Ashley!

We’re excited to welcome Ashley to the Family Ties Counseling team! Ashley will be joining us at the end of the month and will be available to take new clients January 27th with 9 AM, 10 AM, and 11 AM availability!

Ashley knew early on that counseling was her calling. After taking a psychology class in high school, she noticed that people naturally felt comfortable opening up to her and seeking guidance — and that’s when she realized counseling was the right path.

✨ What excites her most about this internship:
Ashley is eager to learn from her supervisor and our LPCs, gain hands-on experience, and better understand the behind-the-scenes work that goes into counseling — not just sessions themselves.

💕 Areas of interest:
Ashley is especially passionate about working with couples, particularly younger couples, while remaining open to all ages and stages.

- What she hopes to bring to Family Ties Counseling:
Positive energy, encouragement, and a fresh perspective.

🎧 How she recharges:
Watching rom-coms, playing pickleball, going for walks, writing poetry, and listening to music.

🧐 A word that guides her:
“Sonder” — the reminder that everyone we meet has their own story, experiences, and struggles. This belief shapes how Ashley approaches counseling with empathy and curiosity.

🎲 Fun facts:
Ashley loves card and dice games and isn’t afraid to let her competitive (and silly) side shine.

✈️ If not counseling?
She’d explore becoming a pilot — inspired by her grandfather’s service in the Air Force and her uncle’s aviation career.

☕️ Go-to comfort combo:
Chai tea lattes and Oreos… sometimes together.

👯‍♀️ What helps her feel supported:
Her family and friends, along with staying positive when stepping into new, exciting (and sometimes nerve-racking) experiences.

Please help us give Ashley a warm welcome — we’re so excited to have her as part of the Family Ties Counseling team! 💙

01/19/2026

Staff Spotlight: Meet Brittany

Before becoming a counselor, Brittany spent 10 years as a nurse. While she loved caring for people, she always felt pulled toward their stories — the deeper “why” behind their pain. Counseling gave her a way to support people not just physically, but emotionally and mentally, too.

💬 “I didn’t want to just treat symptoms — I wanted to help people heal.”

She believes that real change comes from being heard without judgment. Her favorite part of counseling?
“Helping clients realize they’ve had the answers inside them all along.”

🧠 Self-care favorites:
Spending time with family, journaling, reading, and wandering TJ Maxx “just for one thing” (but we all know how that goes 😉).

💬 Quote she lives by:
“If you want to know where to find your contribution to the world, look at your wounds. When you learn how to heal them, teach others.” – Emily Maroutian

💡 What her clients have taught her:
That people are incredibly strong — even after pain, loss, or trauma, they can keep going.

🤝 Why she loves Family Ties Counseling:
“This team supports each other. We learn, grow, and get stronger together.”

☕️ Go-to comfort snacks:
Triple espresso with whipped cream, mochi, Korean rice cakes… and Tru Fru (her newest obsession!).

🎣 Fun fact:
She’s lost 120 pounds, loves fishing, and is probably a pro-level shopper according to her fiancé.

📚 If she weren’t a counselor?
She’d be back in school working on a PhD and teaching!

🛋 How she relaxes:
Balancing chaos and quiet — with kids, snacks, and a few minutes of peace on the couch when she can. That’s real life, and she embraces it.

—

Let’s give Brittany some love for all she brings to Family Ties Counseling!

01/15/2026

Leave us a review on google!! Hold down the QR code and open the link! We would love to hear some feedback from those of you who have come to see us at FTC! Feel free to leave reviews specific to any of our counselors as well! All feedback is welcome ❤️

https://g.page/r/CcbkBZZmr8b0EAE/review

01/15/2026

Big thanks to Pam Uhle

for all your support! Congrats for being a top fan on a streak 🔥!

01/14/2026

When to Let It Roll Off… and When to Speak Up

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Let it roll off like water on a duck’s back.”
And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.

Not every comment deserves your energy.
Not every opinion needs a response.
Not every moment is worth disrupting your peace.

Letting things roll off can be a powerful way to protect your mental and emotional space.

But here’s the important part we don’t always talk about:
some things are meant to be addressed, not absorbed.

When something continues to hurt, crosses a boundary, or leaves you feeling dismissed or disrespected, letting it roll off may not bring peace — it may just bury the feeling deeper.

Protecting your peace doesn’t mean staying silent at your own expense.
It means choosing wisely:
• when to let go
• when to set a boundary
• when to have a calm, honest conversation

Growth happens when we learn the difference between what isn’t worth carrying and what deserves our voice.

Peace isn’t always found in silence — sometimes it’s found in clarity.

01/10/2026

What’s Meant for You Still Requires You

We love messages like this — “What is meant to be will always find a way.”
And there’s truth in it.

But there’s another part of the story that often gets left out.

What’s meant for you doesn’t usually arrive while you’re sitting still, waiting for luck to show up. It finds its way as you move, try, adjust, learn, and keep showing up — even when the path isn’t clear yet.

Growth takes effort.
Healing takes intention.
Change takes participation.

Sometimes “finding a way” looks like:
• having hard conversations
• doing the inner work
• setting boundaries
• taking small, uncomfortable steps
• choosing consistency over comfort

Trusting the process doesn’t mean doing nothing — it means believing your effort matters, even when progress feels slow.

What’s meant for you will find its way…
and you’ll meet it by continuing to walk forward.

01/07/2026

Meet the heart behind Family Ties Counseling — our incredible founder, Dr. Kelli Busbee LMFT, LPC-S, NCC, AAT-I!

“I remember watching a movie in 4th grade where a therapist was working with a young girl. It was then that I knew I wanted to do the same thing.”
That childhood moment sparked a lifelong passion to help others, and today, she’s doing just that — creating a safe space where healing happens and families grow stronger.

Her favorite part of the job?
“When a client can see for themselves the progress they have made since starting counseling.”
That moment of self-recognition and empowerment is what keeps her going.

Kelli knows just how important self care is and she make sure to make time for it herself! You’ll find her camping on the weekends, enjoying the outdoors with friends and a sweet treat in hand (anything sweet is her go-to!).
She also loves getting crafty — even if life hasn’t allowed much time for it lately.

Her favorite quote?
“This too shall pass.” A powerful reminder of resilience — one of the values she brings to every session.

Where would she be if she wasn’t doing this? She’d be traveling the world!
But we’re so grateful her path led her here, building Family Ties Counseling into the supportive, client-centered place it is today.

Help us show some love to the one who makes it all possible!

01/05/2026

Setting Intentions vs. Resolutions

As a new year begins, many people feel pressure to set resolutions — strict goals, hard rules, and all-or-nothing promises about who they “should” become.

But there’s another approach that can be much kinder to your mental health: intentions.

Resolutions often focus on outcomes:
Lose weight. Be more productive. Do better.

Intentions focus on how you want to feel and show up:
I want to feel balanced. I want to be more present. I want to care for myself with consistency and compassion.

Intentions allow flexibility. They leave room for hard days. They don’t label you as failing if life gets messy — because life always does.

Mental health isn’t built through perfection.
It’s supported through awareness, gentleness, and realistic expectations.

This year, instead of asking yourself, “What do I need to fix?”
try asking, “What do I need more of?”

You don’t need a total reset to move forward — just a mindful step in the direction of what supports your well-being.

12/31/2025

December often asks us to look ahead, set goals, and prepare for fresh starts. But before you plan, push, or stretch yourself into a new version, take a moment to honor the one who carried you through this entire year.

Consider:
• what you survived
• what you learned
• what you released
• what you protected
• what you healed quietly

You don’t have to sprint into January with resolutions and perfection. You can simply walk in with awareness, gratitude, and hope.

Let the new year be less about pressure and more about peace. Less about fixing yourself and more about understanding yourself.

And remember — you don’t have to do the inner work alone. When emotions, transitions, or relationships feel heavy, we’re here to help you process, reflect, and breathe through it.