Ashlee Flood LMHC CCPT

11/18/2025

11/17/2025

💚 Mind Care Monday

Self-compassion isn’t self-indulgence — it’s regulation.

When you speak to yourself kindly, your brain releases oxytocin and serotonin; neurochemicals that soothe your stress response and support emotional balance.

Criticism activates the brain’s threat system (amygdala), flooding your body with stress hormones like cortisol.
Compassion, on the other hand, activates your care and safety system (linked to the vagus nerve), which slows your heart rate, deepens your breathing, and helps your body return to calm.

You can’t shame yourself into healing but you can nurture yourself toward growth. 🌱

Try this:
When you notice self-criticism, pause and ask:
🪞 “What would I say to someone I love in this moment?”

With practice, your brain learns that kindness is safety and safety is what allows healing. 💫

11/16/2025

Woke up to a quiet house this morning; everyone still snuggled in bed except me. I started a fire, made a cup of tea, opened my journal, and soaked up some peaceful snuggles with Lincoln. ✨🐾🔥

It got me thinking…

What’s one thing you’ve done for yourself this weekend? 💛

I’d love to hear!

11/14/2025

🌟 Glimmer Friday

Gratitude isn’t about perfection. It’s noticing the moments that feel okay.
A cup of tea, a kind word, or a quiet morning can center you. 🌿

What’s one small thing you’re grateful for this week?

11/13/2025

🌿 Therapist Thoughts Thursday

Something I often remind clients is that healing doesn’t happen in isolation.

We’re wired for connection even if past experiences made closeness feel unsafe.

Support doesn’t have to be perfect or constant. It can be a friend who listens without judgment, a therapist who guides with care, or even a small community that holds space for you.

Safe relationships teach your nervous system that it’s okay to trust again.

You don’t have to go through your journey alone — reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness. 🌱

Be gentle with yourself, and let others support you along the way. 🤍

11/12/2025

🌿 Interactive Wednesday

Everyone has their rest tools. Which one's yours?

Share in the comments. You might inspire someone today!

11/11/2025

🌿 Quote Reflection Tuesday

Resilience isn’t about being unbreakable; it’s about bending and returning to center.

Flexibility in thought, emotion, and self-compassion helps us adapt and heal. 🌱

11/10/2025

💚 Mind Care Monday

Emotional fatigue happens when you’ve been “holding it together” for too long.

It’s not just tiredness; it’s your mind saying, “I’ve been carrying too much for too long.”

Unlike burnout, which stems from chronic demands, emotional fatigue comes from constant emotional output (caregiving, empathy, overthinking, or navigating stress).

Recovery starts with permission to pause, not perform. 🤍

Try this:
Spend 10 minutes today doing something that asks nothing of you — no output, no response, no fixing.

11/07/2025

🌟 Glimmer Friday

This week, notice one small thing you accomplished — even tiny steps matter.
Progress isn’t always loud; sometimes it’s a quiet “I showed up.” 🤍

11/06/2025

🌿 Therapist Thoughts Thursday
Something I often remind clients is that it’s okay to outgrow people, habits, and places that once felt like home.
Growth isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it means realizing the things that once brought you comfort no longer fit the version of you you’re becoming.
That doesn’t make you ungrateful or disloyal, it just means you’re evolving.
You can honor what those relationships or spaces gave you and still step into something new.
It’s not rejection, it’s redirection. 🌱
Be gentle with yourself as you change. Outgrowing is part of growing. 🤍

11/05/2025

🌿 Interactive Wednesday

Take a quick pause.... where are you at today? Your nervous system loves awareness.
No judgment, just noticing.