Curiosity Counseling and Consulting, LLC

11/27/2025

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

11/26/2025

As we go into the holiday season, anxiety and stress may pop up and you need a way to center yourself back into the present moment. Here's a great exercise that you can do without anyone being the wiser to help bring you back to the here and now.

5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise

Take a breath and look around the space you're in.

Pick out 5 things you can see in your immediate area and say the names in your head. Do you see a lamp? A photo? A window?

Pick out 4 things you can feel. It may be your clothing, the chair you're sitting on, or the dog next to you. Say their names in your head and notice the sensations when you hold them or pet them.

Next you'll identify 3 things you can hear. Do you hear the soft snooze of the dog next to you? Talking in the next room? The traffic on the road outside? The fire alarm going off because someone forgot about the rolls in the oven? Notice what you hear and name those things in your head.

What are 2 things you can smell? The roasting turkey in the oven? The candle on the side table? The burnt rolls?

And then one thing you can taste. Maybe it's coffee or tea. Or you have a cookie available to you to try. Yes, this is permission to eat your dessert first. It's mindfulness, ok?

If any of these things are inaccessible (for example, seeing or hearing), add on to the other areas that are accessible. Pick 6 things you can feel or 5 things you can smell. This is the great thing about this exercise - you can modify it for what you need in the moment.

Other modifications that work in a pinch: Picking out all of the blue items in your immediate environment (or any color). Counting how many picture frames are on the wall or books are on around you. Or maybe it's smelling or tasting something for a longer period of time, and focusing on those sensations.

Need a therapist after your holiday gathering or in preparation for it? Give me a call (812) 515-5189 or email at mstevenson@curiositycounselingllc.com.

11/13/2025

🌟 Attention Family Caregivers! 🌟 Join us for a FREE informational meeting hosted by KCARC specifically for families with special needs. 🧩 Family Partners is your go-to resource for sharing ideas, asking questions, and connecting with others who understand your journey.

📅 Date: Thursday, November 20th
🕔 Time: 5-6 PM
📍 Location: 1972
711 Old Wheatland Road, Vincennes

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from KCARC navigator Hunter Henderson!
Let’s come together to support each other. 💙✨

www.knoxcountyarc.com

11/12/2025

Money avoidance can make ANY task dealing with money difficult. Avoiding money is often because we don't want to feel uncomfortable emotions or thoughts, and so our resulting behavior is avoidance.

If you struggle with this, I encourage you to take 5.

Take 5 minutes (set a timer!) and do one thing related to money.

Timer is up and you feel like you can continue with more? Great! Continue onward.

Time is up and you're like, NO MORE. That's ok too! You committed and completed five minutes. You can do it again tomorrow.

Often when we start a task, we build momentum and find it's not as bad as our thoughts made it out to be.

If you're struggling with not opening credit card bills, hiding medical bills, not sure what income or expenses are coming in or out, notice what emotions and thoughts come up for you. Awareness is the first step of changing our behaviors.

If you're struggling with avoiding money and want help from a financial therapist to help you understand and build new skills to emotionally deal with money, reach out here:

Call: (812) 515-5189
Email: mstevenson@curiositycounselingllc.com

Available to AR, IL, and IN residents only.

11/10/2025

🌈 A Message from Our President, Dawn🌈

Today, the Supreme Court chose to uphold marriage equality, and with that, it upheld love, family, and the right to live freely and authentically.

“This victory belongs to every q***r couple who dreamed of a future together, every ally who spoke out, and every activist who refused to give up. It belongs to every individual in the LGBTQIA+ community and to those who have carried this movement forward through decades of courage, heartbreak, and hope.

But even as we celebrate, we know the work doesn’t stop here. True liberation means more than marriage — it means safety, healthcare, housing, visibility, and belonging for every individual in our community.

Today we celebrate love. Tomorrow, we keep pushing together for a world where no one’s rights depend on a court’s decision.

Because love is powerful. Love is resilient. Love always wins when we stand together.”

❤️ - Dawn Schwindel
President, River City Pride

11/10/2025

As a financial therapist, I don't only deal with the emotional side of money, I help with the practical strategies and resources to save money.

One of the things I ask frequently: "Is there a way to offset costs?" Medications come up quite a bit.

Here are 3 Ways to Save on Medication Costs:

1. Copay Cards: If you are prescribed a brand name medication, ask your doctor if they have a copay card available if you're seeing them in person. You can also search online for the medication and generally the company's website will show up. Look for "savings" or "savings & insurance support" on the company's website. You may have to input demographic information to download this card.

These are generally not available to use if you have Medicare, Medicaid or Veteran's Administration benefits.

Once you get a copay card, save a copy of it and present it at your pharmacy. While they normally store it in their system, it's a good idea to keep a copy of the card. These can be used for speciality medications too (ex. biologics).

2. Patient assistance programs (PAPs): For brand name medications where you cannot use a copay card or the copay is too costly (even with a copay card), some pharmaceutical manufacturers have programs available you can apply to and get free medications.

Each of these programs will have different criteria to qualify. They often look at income or require you to have spent so much out of pocket on medications before they'll provide any assistance.

Read the criteria, generally found on the first page, on how to qualify for these programs.

You will need to fill out a portion of the application and your doctor will also need to fill it out and sign. It acts like a prescription from your doctor.

Your doctor's office usually can submit this for you. It may take 4-6 weeks for these applications to be processed. Keep a copy of the application on hand until you receive notice of acceptance or denial for the program.

How do you find out if a manufacturer has this program? Search for "patient assistance program + [name of medication]."

For example, if I was searching for Farxiga, I would enter "Patient Assistance Program Farxiga" into my preferred search engine.

3. If you are prescribed a generic medication and have a large copay, check out Cost Plus Drugs to see if your medication is available for a lower price. This is often most helpful for people with high deductible plans, no insurance, or the medication is not on their formulary where the price is higher.

These aren't the only ways to save money on medications, however it's a place to start.

10/30/2025

Need help finding resources in your community? Check out Find Help:

Search and connect to support. Find financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help in your area, anywhere in the US.

10/25/2025

If you need help with finding resources due to financial stress, here are some available places to find resources. When in doubt, call 2-1-1 from anywhere in the United States to get connected to local navigators.

10/22/2025

What a great service for our community! Family Health Center - Vincennes, Indiana has opened their Green Door Center for Crisis Services, serving Knox, Daviess, Martin and Pike Counties. I was able to tour the facility this morning and learn more about what they offer our community. They will have a crisis call center where calls will be answered 24/7, a mobile crisis team available 24/7 and they have crisis stabilization services for adults and children ages 6 and above. Located at 300 N. 1st Street, Vincennes, IN. They can be reached at (833) 644-3575.

10/10/2025

A reminder this World Mental Health Day: I know when things are heavy it seems like you're trying to trudge through thick mud or claw your way up from the bottom of a hole. It might seem easier to isolate yourself away from your friends and family.

You deserve to have the space to share your story, your pain, grief, or the heaviness you're carrying. To have someone witness and walk alongside you. We grow in connection with others. It's ok not to be ok, and it's ok to ask for help.

10/08/2025

Ready to get started on your therapy journey? Accepting new clients! Call or text (812) 515-5189 or email mstevenson@curiositycounselingllc.com to get started.