Center for Balanced Living

02/19/2026

Skill Building Thursday:

When trauma gets activated, the mind tends to go to worst-case predictions or pulls you into reliving. ACT offers a simple way to create space without minimizing what you have been through.

Start by naming what is happening as a thought, not a fact: “I’m having the thought that I’m not safe.”

Then reorient to the present, eyes on the room, feet on the floor, exhale longer than inhale. This is not about forcing calm.

It is about giving your system enough stability to choose your next move.

Comment SPACE and we’ll share a few more scripts you can use this week.

02/18/2026

This is an amazing training… we will be there. Will you?

Join us for Loss and the Quest for Meaning: A Creative Toolkit for Grief Therapy. This is a three-day, in-person continuing education experience exploring trauma, meaning reconstruction, and creative approaches to grief therapy.
This workshop brings together internationally recognized faculty and clinicians for in-depth learning, experiential practice, and thoughtful dialogue.
A total of 18 CEs are available across three days.

Sign up today through the QR code or by clicking the link in the comments!

02/18/2026

Staff Spotlight: Kirsten.

If you are high-functioning on the outside but overwhelmed on the inside, Kirsten’s work is a steady, trauma-informed place to start.

Her approach is grounded and structured, which helps clients build stability first, then move into deeper work at a pace that feels safe and sustainable.

If you have been considering therapy but keep hesitating, we can help you take the first step without overexposing yourself or pushing too fast.

DM KIRSTEN or use the link in our bio to request a consult and we will match you with the right next step.

02/17/2026

A lot of people consider an evaluation when the same questions keep looping: Is this anxiety? ADHD? burnout? trauma? depression? learning? Is this just my personality, or is there an explanation that would actually change what I do next?

A psychological evaluation is not about labeling for labeling’s sake.

It is about clarity, pattern recognition, and specific recommendations you can act on.

If you have been trying to “figure it out” on your own and still feel stuck, an evaluation can help you name what is happening and build a plan that fits.

02/17/2026

Tip Tuesday from our Attached book club: when connection feels uncertain, most people default to one of two protective patterns.

We either activate, meaning we pursue closeness with urgency, or we deactivate, meaning we create distance to reduce vulnerability.

Neither is a character flaw or failure.

They are strategies that often formed in environments where closeness did not feel consistent.

The ACT layer is the pivot point. Instead of getting pulled by the story in your head, name the urge you are noticing, then choose one small value-based move.

If you want a few scripts for what to say when you feel activated or shut down, comment NEXT.

02/16/2026

This afternoon, on Presidents Day, I’m thinking about the qualities we say we want in leadership and the qualities we practice in ordinary life.

Honor is the willingness to do what is right when it costs something.

Character is what holds when no one is watching. Leadership is influence with responsibility.

Public service is choosing the common good, even when it is inconvenient.

These are not abstract ideals. They show up in how we tell the truth, how we repair, how we treat people with less power, and how we stay accountable when we miss the mark.

If you could name one behavior that reflects integrity in real life, what would it be?

02/16/2026

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY:

Sometimes “I can’t” is not a motivation problem. It is a nervous system state.

When your system senses threat, it prioritizes protection over productivity, connection, and decision-making.

If you have been judging yourself for getting stuck, consider a different starting point: your body is trying to keep you safe, just on an old setting.

Today, pick one stabilizing action that signals safety, then build from there.

If you want a trauma-informed next step, DM READY and we’ll share how to get started.

02/15/2026

WHAT IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION?

The best outcome of an evaluation is not a report that sits in a folder.

It is a clearer understanding of what is driving the struggle, what strengths you can leverage, and what interventions are most likely to help.

When people are dealing with chronic stress, attention problems, learning issues, executive functioning challenges, mood symptoms, or complex histories, the “try harder” approach often fails because the plan is not matched to the problem.

An evaluation helps match the plan to the person.

If you want to know whether an evaluation makes sense for your situation, DM EVAL and we will share out process and passion for evaluation.

02/13/2026

Black History Month can be a doorway, but community is what helps us stay awake after the month ends.

If you feel disconnected, isolated, or tired in your spirit, do not try to carry it alone. Find one place where you can be seen without performing. One conversation. One event. One shared ritual.

Community is not a luxury, it is a protective factor for mental health and a powerful antidote to invisibility.

02/13/2026

History isn’t over.

We carry it in how we protect ourselves, how we trust, how we celebrate, and how we show up for each other.

Black history deserves to be honored for its joy and achievement, and also told honestly where harm and erasure happened.

This month, we remember on purpose. Not to stay stuck, but to stay awake, stay connected, and keep building community that holds people well.

02/13/2026

Stop Guessing. Get Answers!

Sometimes the hardest part is not the evaluation. It’s deciding you are “allowed” to ask for answers.

If you have been telling yourself you should just push through, this is your reminder: clarity is not an overreaction. A psychological evaluation can help you understand what is happening, why it has persisted, and what supports will actually move the needle.

When you are ready, we will meet you with respect, structure, and a plan you can use.

02/13/2026

Gratitude Friday

Today I’m grateful for clarity and steadiness.

When I feel activated, it’s easy to chase reassurance or try to read between the lines.

This week I practiced something different - I asked directly, I waited, and I let the response give me real information.

That is self-respect. That is self compassion.

Small shifts like this build more peace over time.

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