Coast Counseling LLC

Coast Counseling LLC Choosing to engage in therapy is a journey to wellness that takes courage. I am honored to be walking with this path with you. Hours are by appointment.

Please reach out with any questions. Email or through my website is the best way to contact me. Nicole Tilton is a LPC in the State of NJ who has been working in the field for over 10 years. She has in BA Psychology from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and a MS in Mental Health Counseling with a certificate in Couples & Family Counseling from Monmouth University. She also is a National Certified Counselor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor, and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. Nicole specializes in working with individuals who have been affected by trauma as well as grief and loss. She also works with primary mental health diagnoses including Depression, Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder from ages 10 and up. To receive the credential of Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Nicole has completed and continues to receive education that consisted of the classifications of trauma and trauma-related disorders, assessment of psychological trauma including PTSD and complex trauma, evidenced based trauma approaches, and primary treatment issues in trauma therapy.

02/22/2026

Frustration isn’t a character flaw — it’s a signal. 🚦

It usually shows up when:
• Something feels unfair
• We’re not being heard
• Progress is slower than we hoped
• Expectations and reality don’t match

The goal isn’t to eliminate frustration. The goal is to respond to it in a way that doesn’t create more damage. 🧠✨

Here are a few tools you can practice:

🔹 Pause before reacting. Give your nervous system 60–90 seconds to settle.
🔹 Name it clearly. “I’m feeling frustrated because…” (Clarity reduces intensity.)
🔹 Check the story. Are you assuming intent or facts?
🔹 Lower the bar (temporarily). Not every problem needs to be solved perfectly.
🔹 Move your body. Frustration is activating — let it discharge physically.

You can have big emotions and still stay grounded. That’s a skill. And skills can be learned. 💛

02/21/2026

You can’t manage what you can’t name. 🧠💬

A lot of us grew up with just a few emotional words: mad, sad, happy.
But underneath “mad” might be hurt.
Underneath “sad” might be disappointment.
Underneath “fine” might be overwhelmed.

Learning to identify your emotions is a skill — not a personality trait. And the more specific you can be, the more power you have to respond intentionally instead of reacting automatically. ✨

When you can say,
“I’m feeling rejected,”
or
“I’m feeling anxious and unsure,”
you create clarity. And clarity creates choice. 💛

Therapy is a space to slow down, get curious, and build your emotional vocabulary — without judgment.

Feelings aren’t the enemy. They’re information. 📚💙

Your therapist isn’t there to judge you.They’re there to have your back. 🤝💛In a world where you might feel misunderstood...
02/20/2026

Your therapist isn’t there to judge you.
They’re there to have your back. 🤝💛

In a world where you might feel misunderstood, minimized, or expected to “just deal with it,” therapy is the space where someone is fully in your corner.

Your therapist:
🛑 Helps you set boundaries
🗣️ Encourages you to use your voice
🧠 Challenges unhelpful patterns
💛 Reminds you of your strengths when you forget them

Think of it like having your own personal advocate — someone who sees the bigger picture and wants you to thrive, not just survive.

If you’ve ever felt like you have to face everything alone, therapy can be the place where you don’t.

We’ve got your back. 💬✨

02/20/2026

Unexpected news can shake your whole nervous system. 😳📞

A diagnosis. A breakup. A job change. A phone call you didn’t see coming.

When life shifts suddenly, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed, numb, anxious, angry — or all of it at once. There is no “right” way to react.

Before you try to fix it, figure it out, or fast-forward to acceptance… pause. 🧠💛
Take a breath.
Ground your body.
Let yourself feel what’s there.

Stability doesn’t come from controlling the news.
It comes from learning how to regulate yourself within it.

You don’t have to process hard things alone. Therapy can help you slow down, sort through the noise, and respond instead of react. 🌿

02/19/2026

Feelings aren’t the problem. 🌊
It’s what we do with them that matters.

Emotion regulation isn’t about suppressing anger, anxiety, or sadness. It’s about learning how to:

✨ Notice what you’re feeling
✨ Understand where it’s coming from
✨ Pause before reacting
✨ Choose a response that aligns with your values

Big emotions don’t make you weak. They make you human. 💛

In therapy, we build the skills to ride the wave instead of being pulled under by it. You can feel deeply and stay grounded. 🌱

Regulation is a skill — and skills can be learned.

02/18/2026

If you don’t make time for rest… your body may make the decision for you. 🤒

Stress doesn’t just live in your thoughts. It lives in your nervous system, your immune system, your muscles, your sleep. When you keep pushing, ignoring burnout, skipping breaks, and running on empty—your body often speaks up.

Headaches. Exhaustion. Getting sick “out of nowhere.”

It’s not weakness. It’s a signal. 🚦

Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s preventative care.
Rest isn’t laziness. It’s regulation.
Boundaries aren’t dramatic. They’re protective. 🛑

Taking care of your mental health supports your physical health, too. You deserve both. 💛

02/17/2026

Hindsight is 20/20… 👀✨

It’s easy to look back and think,
“I should have known.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t see it.”
“Why did I stay?”

But here’s the truth: you made the best decision you could with the information, awareness, and emotional capacity you had at the time. 🧠💛

Growth gives you new lenses. Experience sharpens your vision. Therapy helps you connect the dots.

Hindsight isn’t proof that you failed.
It’s proof that you’ve grown. 🌱

Be gentle with the past version of you — they were doing their best.

02/16/2026

Having both ADHD and anxiety can feel like your brain is hitting the gas and the brakes at the same time. 🚗💨🛑

You might struggle to focus… and then overthink everything.
You might procrastinate… and then panic about procrastinating.
You might crave structure… but feel overwhelmed trying to create it.

ADHD isn’t just distractibility.
Anxiety isn’t just worry.
And when they show up together, it can feel exhausting. 😮‍💨

The good news? You’re not lazy. You’re not “too much.” And you’re not broken. With the right support, tools, and self-understanding, you can learn how to work with your brain instead of constantly fighting it. 💙

Therapy can help you untangle what’s ADHD, what’s anxiety, and how to manage both with compassion and clarity.

You deserve support that actually fits how your mind works. 🌿

02/15/2026

You are allowed to love yourself… and still not always like yourself. 💭

There will be days when you cringe at something you said.
Days when your patience runs thin.
Days when you fall short of your own expectations.

That doesn’t make you broken. It makes you human. 🤍

Self-love isn’t constant admiration. It’s choosing compassion even when you’re disappointed. It’s holding yourself accountable without tearing yourself apart. It’s saying, “I didn’t handle that well… and I’m still worthy of care.”

Growth requires honesty.
Healing requires gentleness.
Both can exist at the same time. 🌱

You don’t have to like yourself every day to be committed to becoming a healthier version of you.

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about roses and relationships. 🌹❤️It’s also a reminder to check in with the most important re...
02/14/2026

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about roses and relationships. 🌹❤️

It’s also a reminder to check in with the most important relationship you’ll ever have — the one with yourself.

Self-love isn’t bubble baths and chocolate (although those are nice 🍫🛁).
It’s:
• Setting boundaries without guilt
• Speaking to yourself with compassion
• Taking responsibility for your healing
• Choosing peace over people-pleasing
• Walking away when something hurts your mental health

You can be single, partnered, heartbroken, or happily in love — and still need to work on loving yourself well.

This Valentine’s Day, ask yourself:
👉 Do I treat myself with the same kindness I give others?

You deserve the love you keep trying to give away. 💕

02/13/2026

You are not always going to like your partner. And that’s okay. 💛

We’ve been sold the fairy tale that love should always feel like butterflies and best-friend energy — like something straight out of Cinderella. ✨

But real relationships aren’t movies.

There will be days when you’re annoyed.
Days when you disagree.
Days when you need space.

Healthy love isn’t about constant liking. It’s about:
✔️ Respect during conflict
✔️ Repair after disconnection
✔️ Choosing each other even when it’s hard
✔️ Managing your own emotions instead of attacking theirs

Mature love understands that feelings fluctuate — commitment, communication, and boundaries are what create stability.

If you expect to always like your partner, you may end up questioning a relationship that’s actually normal and healthy.

Love is a choice. Liking is a feeling. They are not the same. 💬❤️

02/12/2026

Unconditional love sounds romantic… but in healthy relationships, love should still have conditions. 💭❤️

Not conditions like perfection, mind reading, or never making mistakes.
But conditions like:
✔️ Respect
✔️ Honesty
✔️ Safety
✔️ Effort
✔️ Accountability

Healthy love says:
“I care about you deeply… AND I need to be treated well.”

Unconditional love does not mean tolerating betrayal, abuse, manipulation, or chronic disrespect. Boundaries are not the opposite of love — they protect it. 🛑💛

In therapy, we often help clients untangle the belief that love means enduring anything. It doesn’t. Real love includes standards.

You are allowed to love someone and still require healthy behavior.

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3121 Atlantic Avenue, Allenwood
Wall, NJ
08720

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