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Practical guidance for hard conversations.
Plain-language articles on relationships, family, trauma, recovery, and grief, written by a licensed clinician with more than twenty years of practice.
108 articles
Couples and relationships
Affair recovery, recurring fights, intimacy, money, and the big decisions couples face.
- Can a Marriage Survive an Affair? What Recovery Actually Looks LikeCan a marriage survive an affair? A licensed Alaska couples therapist on what affair recovery actually looks like, the odds, and how couples rebuild trust after infidelity.
- Couples Counseling in Wasilla, AK: What to Expect, How to Choose a Therapist, and When to Get HelpCouples counseling in Wasilla, AK: what to expect, how to choose a couples therapist, when to seek help, and how weekly therapy, intensives, and retreats compare.
- 3-Day vs. 5-Day Couples Retreat: Which One Does Your Relationship Need?SoundHeart couples retreats: how to choose between the 3-day and 5-day option. The 3-day is standard; the 5-day is designed for couples recovering from crisis or a breach of trust like an affair.
- Empty Nest: When the Kids Leave and Your Marriage Feels ForeignEmpty nest syndrome and marriage: the grief and identity shift when kids leave, why couples can feel like strangers, and how to reconnect for the next chapter. Alaska.
- Fighting About Money: The Real Conflict UnderneathWhy couples fight about money and what the conflict is really about. How to move from money battles to teamwork around finances. Couples support in Alaska.
- Intensive or Weekly? When a Relationship Crisis Needs More Than an HourIntensive couples counseling vs. weekly sessions: when a relationship in crisis needs concentrated, focused time. How intensives work at SoundHeart Counseling in Alaska.
- When the Spark Fades: Intimacy and Desire in Long RelationshipsWhy intimacy and desire fade in long relationships, why it is normal, and how couples rebuild closeness and passion over time. Supportive guidance for couples in Alaska.
- Marriage Counseling in Wasilla, AK: When Weekly Therapy Isn't EnoughMarriage counseling in Wasilla, AK for couples in crisis. How to know when weekly therapy is enough, when an intensive or retreat makes sense, and how to choose.
- Military and Veteran Family Counseling in Wasilla: Reconnecting After DeploymentMilitary and veteran family counseling in Wasilla, AK: support for deployment, reintegration, PTSD, and relationship strain, with EMDR and couples work, in person and by telehealth.
- Counseling for Polyamory and Consensual Non-MonogamyJudgment free counseling for polyamory and consensual non-monogamy: navigating jealousy, communication, and time, with a therapist who respects all relationship structures. Alaska.
- Premarital Counseling: The Questions to Answer Before You MarryPremarital counseling: why it strengthens marriages, the essential questions to answer before you marry, and what to expect. Prepare for a strong start in Alaska.
- Why You Keep Having the Same Fight, and the Four Patterns That Predict TroubleWhy do couples keep having the same fight? A therapist explains Gottman's Four Horsemen, criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling, and how couples break the cycle.
- Should You Stay or Go? How Discernment Counseling Brings ClarityShould you stay or get divorced? Discernment counseling is a short-term approach for couples where one partner wants to save the marriage and the other is considering leaving. How it works, in Alaska.
Co-parenting and divorce
Protecting children and lowering conflict across two homes.
- Co-Parenting After Divorce: Making Two Homes Work for Your KidsCo-parenting after divorce in Alaska: how separated parents in the Mat-Su Valley, Eagle River, and Anchorage can reduce conflict and protect their children. Practical, compassionate guidance.
- How to Prepare Your Kids for Divorce and Protect Them From Lasting HarmHow to prepare children for divorce and minimize harm and trauma: what to say, what to avoid, and how to protect kids through a separation. Guidance for Alaska parents.
Family and generational healing
Estrangement, boundaries, parenting, teens, foster care, and patterns passed down.
- Finding Support for Your Autistic Child in Alaska: A Parent's Journey Through a Hard SystemA parent's guide to finding support for an autistic child in Alaska: assessment waitlists, ABA and local services, Medicaid waivers, Stone Soup, and how telehealth helps.
- Setting Boundaries With Difficult Parents (Without Going No Contact)How to set boundaries with difficult parents without going no contact. What healthy boundaries are, how to hold them through guilt and pushback, and when to get support. Alaska.
- When Your Child Is in Foster Care: Separation, Supervised Visits, and Working With Foster ParentsSupport for parents with a child in foster care, understanding separation trauma, making the most of supervised visits, working with foster parents, and staying the course.
- The Weight We Inherit: How Family Secrets and Hidden Abuse Shape UsHow family secrets and hidden abuse shape us across generations, and how healing begins. A trauma-informed counselor in Alaska on breaking the silence safely.
- Parenting From Behind Bars: Staying Connected as an Incarcerated ParentHow incarcerated parents can stay connected to their children, cope with guilt and separation, protect the bond, and prepare for reentry and reunification.
- When Kids Act Out: Is It Behavioral or Psychological? A Parent's Guide to Getting HelpWhen kids act out, is it behavioral or psychological? A parent's guide to telling the difference and finding help, from outpatient care to residential treatment. Alaska families.
- Working Toward Reunification: Understanding the OCS Process in AlaskaA supportive guide for Alaska parents navigating the Office of Children's Services (OCS), understanding the case plan, working toward reunification, and coping with the stress.
- Parenting Differently Than You Were Raised: Breaking the CycleHow to parent differently than you were raised and break generational patterns. Why old reactions resurface, and how to build the family you want. Support for parents in Alaska.
- Parenting a Difficult Teen: Communication That Actually WorksParenting a difficult or defiant teenager: communication strategies that actually work, why connection beats punishment, and how a parent's calm settles a teen. Family support in Alaska.
- Going "No Contact" Isn't the Only Option: How to Reconnect With Family SafelyAfter the WSJ reporting on family estrangement and 'no contact,' a licensed Alaska counselor on the third path: reestablishing contact safely, with healthy boundaries.
- The Sandwich Generation: Caring for Kids and Aging Parents at the Same TimeThe sandwich generation: coping with the stress of caring for children and aging parents at once, the guilt and burnout, and how to set boundaries and get support. Alaska.
- Weeks On, Weeks Off: Parenting Around Slope Work in AlaskaHow Alaska families cope with slope and rotational work, the stress on the at-home parent, the reentry struggle for the returning parent, and how to keep the family and marriage strong.
- Teen Counseling in Wasilla: When Anxiety, Social Media, and School Avoidance Take OverTeen counseling in Wasilla, AK for anxiety, social media overwhelm, and school avoidance. How parents can tell when teen moodiness is a real problem, and how therapy helps.
- Teen Anxiety, Social Media, and School Avoidance: When to Get HelpTeen anxiety, social media, and school avoidance: how parents can tell normal teen moodiness from something that needs help, and what to do. Support for Mat-Su and Anchorage families.
- When Your Child Needs More Than Talk Therapy: Navigating Youth Mental Health Care in the Mat-SuNavigating youth mental health care in the Mat-Su Valley: understanding levels of care from outpatient to residential, finding help during shortages, and what to do while you wait. Alaska.
Women’s and maternal health
Postpartum mental health, matrescence, and the weight of holding everyone.
- Matrescence: Why Becoming a Mother Can Feel Like Losing YourselfMatrescence is the profound identity shift of becoming a mother. Why it can feel like losing yourself, why that is normal, and how to find your footing. Support in Alaska.
- Postpartum Anxiety and Depression: You Are Not a Bad Mom, You Are UnwellPostpartum anxiety and depression: the signs, why they are so common, and what helps. A compassionate guide for new mothers in Alaska, in person and by telehealth.
- Sex, Desire, and Pleasure After Birth: What Changes and How Couples Navigate ItHow sex, desire, and pleasure change after childbirth, why it happens, and how couples navigate it together with patience and communication. Supportive guidance in Alaska.
- Women's Mental Health: When You Are Holding Everyone but YourselfWomen's mental health: why women carry so much invisible load, the unique pressures they face, and why caring for yourself is not selfish. Support for women in Alaska.
Men’s mental health
Why toughing it out stops working, and what helps instead.
- Men's Mental Health in Alaska: Why Toughing It Out Is Not WorkingMen's mental health in Alaska: why depression in men often looks like anger, irritability, or numbness, and how to get help. Counseling for men in Wasilla, Palmer, and Anchorage.
- Why Does My Husband Shut Down? Understanding Emotional WithdrawalWhy does my husband shut down or go silent during conflict? Understanding stonewalling and emotional withdrawal in men, what is really happening, and how couples reconnect. Alaska.
Trauma and individual therapy
Anxiety, depression, PTSD, complex trauma, and the patterns trauma leaves behind.
- Anger Management: When Your Temper Is Hurting the People You LoveAnger management that works: the difference between healthy anger and destructive rage, why it often comes from stress or trauma, and nervous system skills to de-escalate. Alaska.
- Anxiety Therapy in Wasilla: When Worry Starts Running Your LifeAnxiety therapy in Wasilla, AK: seven signs your anxiety is more than everyday stress, how therapy helps, what to expect, and how to get started in the Mat-Su Valley.
- People-Pleasing, Anxiety, Perfectionism: How Childhood Trauma Shows Up in Adult LifeSigns of childhood trauma in adults, including people-pleasing, perfectionism, anxiety, and difficulty trusting. What complex PTSD is and how healing works, with a trauma-informed Alaska counselor.
- Living With Chronic Pain or Illness: The Mental Toll No One Talks AboutThe mental health toll of chronic pain and illness: the grief, anxiety, and depression that come with long term conditions, and how ACT helps you build a meaningful life anyway. Alaska.
- Complex PTSD (C-PTSD): Symptoms, Causes, and RecoveryWhat is complex PTSD (C-PTSD)? How it differs from PTSD, its core symptoms, what causes it, and how trauma-informed therapy helps people recover.
- What Is Complex Trauma? When Harm Repeats Over TimeWhat is complex trauma? How repeated or prolonged trauma, often in childhood or relationships, differs from single-event trauma, its effects, and how healing works.
- Depression Counseling in Wasilla, AK: Signs It's Time and How Therapy HelpsDepression counseling in Wasilla, AK: the signs of depression, why Alaska's long winters make it harder, how therapy helps, and how to get started in the Mat-Su Valley.
- When Money Is Tight: Coping With Financial Stress and Hard TimesHow to cope with financial stress and hard economic times, why money stress affects mental health, practical steps, protecting your relationship, and where to find support.
- When Money Is Tight in the Valley: Financial Stress and Your Mental Health in WasillaFinancial stress and mental health in Wasilla, AK. Why the cost of living in the Mat-Su Valley wears people down, how it affects mind and relationships, and what actually helps.
- High-Functioning Anxiety: When You Look Fine and Feel Anything ButHigh-functioning anxiety: the signs, why success can hide it, and what actually helps when you look fine on the outside but feel anxious and driven within. From an Alaska counselor.
- Imposter Syndrome: Why Success Never Feels Like EnoughImposter syndrome and high achievers: why success never feels like enough, how perfectionism drives burnout, and how to quiet the fear of being found out. Support in Alaska.
- Job Loss and Financial Stress: Coping When Your Identity Is ShakenCoping with job loss and financial stress: the shame, anxiety, and identity crisis of layoffs, and concrete ways to steady yourself and your relationships. Support in Alaska.
- Recovering After a Toxic or Emotionally Abusive RelationshipRecovering after emotional abuse and toxic relationships: understanding gaslighting, trauma bonds, and why it felt impossible to leave, plus how to rebuild self trust. Support in Alaska.
- Recently Realized You Might Be Neurodivergent? Adult ADHD and Autism SupportLate-diagnosed ADHD and autism in adults: signs, why so many people (especially women) are recognized later, and what neurodivergent-affirming support looks like in Alaska.
- Panic Attacks: What Is Happening in Your Body and How to Calm ItPanic attacks explained: what is happening in your body, why it feels so terrifying, and practical ways to calm a panic attack and reduce how often they happen.
- After a Concussion or Brain Injury: The Emotional Changes No One Warned You AboutEmotional changes after concussion or traumatic brain injury: why TBI causes irritability, depression, and relationship strain, and how counseling helps. Support in Alaska.
- Post-Traumatic Growth: Why There Is Hope and Healing After PTSDPost-traumatic growth: how people find deeper strength, meaning, and connection after trauma and PTSD, and why healing happens best inside safe, loving relationships.
- PTSD and Trauma Therapy in Wasilla: Signs You May Need Help and How EMDR WorksPTSD and trauma therapy in Wasilla, AK: signs of PTSD, who it affects, how trauma therapy and EMDR help, what to expect, and how to get started in the Mat-Su Valley.
- More Than Sadness: Recognizing Depression and What HelpsRecognizing depression beyond sadness: the signs, why it is not a weakness, and what actually helps. Trauma-informed depression support in Alaska, in person and by telehealth.
- Sleep Anxiety and Nightmares: Breaking the Cycle of Restless NightsSleep anxiety and nightmares: why the fear of not sleeping keeps you awake, how trauma fuels nightmares, and evidence based ways to rest again. Support in Alaska.
- After Trauma: Understanding PTSD and the Body's Alarm SystemUnderstanding PTSD: how trauma keeps the body's alarm system switched on, the signs to watch for, and how healing works. Trauma-informed and EMDR-based care in Alaska.
- What Is EMDR Therapy, and Does It Really Work?What is EMDR therapy and does it work? A trauma therapist explains EMDR for PTSD, anxiety, and trauma, what to expect, whether you have to retell everything, and how many sessions it takes.
Addiction and recovery
Understanding addiction, supporting a loved one, and finding the right level of care.
- Addiction and the Family: How to Support Without EnablingHow to support a loved one with addiction without enabling. Understanding the difference, setting boundaries with compassion, and caring for yourself. Family support in Alaska.
- Getting Help for Addiction: Levels of Care, Resources, and Preparing for RecoveryGetting help for addiction: understanding ASAM levels of care, finding resources in state and out of state, preparing for recovery, and healing the underlying causes. Alaska.
- Alaska Addiction Recovery Resources: Where to StartA starting guide to addiction recovery resources in Alaska, crisis and helpline numbers, how to find treatment, and how to navigate options when you or a loved one needs help.
- The ASAM Criteria: How Addiction Treatment Is Matched to NeedWhat are the ASAM criteria? A plain guide to the six dimensions and levels of care that match a person to the right intensity of addiction treatment.
- Dual Diagnosis: Treating Addiction and Mental Health TogetherWhat is dual diagnosis? Why co-occurring addiction and mental health conditions must be treated together, and what integrated treatment looks like.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment: What It Is and Why It WorksWhat is medication-assisted treatment (MAT)? How medications like buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone support recovery from opioid and alcohol use disorder, and common myths.
- People, Places, and Things: Protecting Your Recovery From TriggersPeople, places, and things in addiction recovery explained, why triggers matter, how to identify yours, and how to change your environment without white-knuckling it.
- Pornography Addiction: Understanding It Without Shame, and How to Get FreeUnderstanding compulsive pornography use, the signs, how it affects the brain and relationships, why shame keeps it going, and how therapy helps, without judgment.
- Relapse Prevention: Understanding Triggers and Building a PlanA guide to relapse prevention, how relapse unfolds in stages, how to spot warning signs and triggers, and how to build a personal recovery plan that holds up.
- Why Can't They Just Stop? Understanding Why Addiction Is So Hard to QuitWhy is addiction so hard to quit? Understanding the brain, shame, and why willpower isn't enough, plus how families can help a loved one struggling with addiction. From an Alaska counselor.
How therapy works
Plain-language guides to the approaches we use and the ideas behind them.
- The Science of Gratitude: Why It Helps and How to Practice ItHow gratitude helps mental health, and simple, realistic ways to practice it, from gratitude journaling to letters, without slipping into forced positivity.
- Our Approach to Relationships: The NeuroRelational Belonging ModelThe NeuroRelational Belonging approach at SoundHeart Counseling: why connection is something you practice, how the nervous system learns safety, and why belonging heals. Alaska.
- What Is Positive Psychology? Building on Strengths, Not Just Fixing ProblemsWhat is positive psychology? A plain guide to PERMA, character strengths, and well-being, and how a strengths-based approach fits alongside healing in therapy.
- The 7 Pillars of Mindfulness: The Attitudes That Make Practice WorkThe 7 pillars of mindfulness, non-judging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, and letting go, explained simply, with how they support real change.
- What Trauma-Informed Care Really MeansWhat is trauma-informed care? The core principles of safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment, and what they mean for you as a client.
- What Is ACT? Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ExplainedWhat is ACT? Acceptance and Commitment Therapy explained in plain language, its core ideas, who it helps, and how it builds a values-driven life. Offered in Alaska.
- What Is DBT? A Plain-Language Guide to Dialectical Behavior TherapyWhat is DBT? A plain-language guide to Dialectical Behavior Therapy, the four skill areas, who it helps, and how it teaches you to handle intense emotions. Offered in Alaska.
- What Is MBCT? Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, ExplainedWhat is MBCT? Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy explained, how it prevents depression relapse and eases anxiety by changing your relationship to your thoughts. Offered in Alaska.
- What Is Play Therapy? How Children Heal Through PlayWhat is play therapy? How children process big feelings and experiences through play, what it helps with, and what parents can expect. Support for kids and families in Alaska.
- What Is Sex Therapy? A Judgment-Free Guide for CouplesWhat is sex therapy? A judgment-free explanation of how it works, what it helps with, and what to expect. Support for intimacy and desire for couples in Alaska.
- Why Couples Therapy Works, and When to GoWhy couples therapy works and when to go. The signs it is time, why waiting is the real risk, and how counseling helps couples reconnect. Couples work in Alaska.
- Why Family Therapy Matters: Healing the Whole System, Not Just One PersonWhy family therapy matters: how treating the whole family system, not just one person, helps everyone heal. When family counseling helps and what to expect. Alaska.
- The Window of Tolerance: Understanding Your Nervous SystemWhat is the window of tolerance? A plain guide to hyperarousal, hypoarousal, and how understanding your nervous system helps you regulate and heal.
Alaska and getting started
Finding the right fit, telehealth, first sessions, and care in Alaska.
- How to Access Counseling in Alaska: Finding the Right Fit, Navigating Waitlists, and Getting Help That WorksHow to access counseling in Alaska: finding a therapist who fits, navigating long waitlists, and finding resources that actually work while you wait. A practical guide.
- Does Online Therapy Actually Work? Teletherapy in AlaskaDoes online therapy work? Research says teletherapy is as effective as in person care for most concerns. Why telehealth is especially valuable in Alaska, and how to get the most from it.
- How to Find the Right Therapist in Wasilla, AK: What to Look For and What to AvoidHow to find the right therapist in Wasilla, AK: what credentials to look for, questions to ask, red flags to avoid, cost, and in-person versus online options in the Mat-Su Valley.
- How Long Does Therapy Take?How long does therapy take? An honest look at what shapes the timeline, from short focused work to deeper trauma healing, and how to tell that therapy is working.
- How to Find the Right Therapist in Alaska (and Know If They Are a Fit)How to find the right therapist in Alaska: where to search, what questions to ask, and how to tell if a therapist is a good fit. A practical guide for Mat-Su, Anchorage, and beyond.
- Levels of Care in Mental Health Treatment: A Plain GuideA plain guide to mental health levels of care, from outpatient therapy to inpatient hospitalization, how they differ, how to know which fits, and how to access care in Alaska.
- Reconnecting After Deployment: Counseling for Military Couples Near JBERCounseling for military couples and families near JBER in Eagle River and Anchorage: deployment, reintegration, and PCS-move stress. Trauma-informed support across Alaska.
- Mental Health in Rural Alaska: Finding Support When Help Feels Far AwayMental health support in rural Alaska: the access challenges, culturally responsive care, how telehealth bridges the distance, and where to find help, including crisis resources.
- Winter Is Hard Here: Recognizing Seasonal Depression (SAD) in the Mat-Su ValleySeasonal affective disorder (SAD) in Alaska: signs, why the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage hit so hard, and what actually helps. From a licensed Alaska counselor.
- What to Expect in Your First Therapy SessionWhat to expect in your first therapy session: the intake, what your therapist will ask, how long it lasts, and why feeling a little nervous is completely normal. A gentle guide.
Supporting someone you love
How to help a partner, child, friend, or client in crisis without carrying it alone.
- Medicaid Waivers and Complex Care in Alaska: How to Qualify and Why to Start EarlyA plain guide to Alaska Medicaid waivers and complex care for a loved one with a disability: what they fund, how qualifying works, why to start early, and who can help.
- When a Teen Is in Crisis: Finding Higher Levels of Care in AlaskaA guide for Alaska parents on finding help when a teen is in a behavioral or mental health crisis, crisis lines, mobile crisis, residential options, and how to navigate care.
- Loving Someone With Intense Emotions: Support for Partners (Including BPD)Support for partners of someone with intense emotions or borderline personality disorder (BPD): understanding the pattern, setting boundaries with compassion, and caring for yourself. Alaska.
- How a Care Coordinator Can Help Your Disabled Loved OneWhat a care coordinator does and how they help families of a disabled or mentally ill loved one, including finding assisted living, Medicaid waivers, and Alaska resources.
- Caregiver Burnout: Signs, Causes, and How to RecoverCaregiver burnout signs, causes, and recovery. How to tell exhaustion from burnout, why it happens, and practical steps to protect your health while caring for a loved one.
- Your Child Is Self-Harming: A Calm First-Response Guide for ParentsWhat to do when you discover your child is self-harming: how to stay calm, what to say, what to avoid, and how to get help. A compassionate guide for parents in Alaska.
- For CPS and Child Welfare Workers: The Weight of Impossible DecisionsMental health support for CPS and child welfare workers in Alaska: the weight of impossible decisions, secondary trauma, burnout, and how to heal. Confidential, trauma-informed care.
- For First Responders: When the Job Follows You HomeTrauma support for first responders in Alaska: why the job follows you home, how sensory triggers work, and how healing is possible. Confidential, trauma-informed care.
- How to Help a Friend in an Abusive Relationship (Without Pushing Them Away)How to help a friend in an abusive relationship without pushing them away: what to say, what to avoid, and how to stay a safe person they can turn to. Guidance from an Alaska counselor.
- How to Support a Loved One Through Psychosis: What to SayHow to help a loved one experiencing psychosis or delusions: what to say, what to avoid, and how to stay safe. Compassionate, practical guidance for families in Alaska.
- Loving Someone Who Is Chronically Suicidal: How to Help Without Carrying It AloneHow to support a loved one who is chronically suicidal: what to say, how to help them stay safe, and how to protect your own well-being. Compassionate guidance for families in Alaska.
Grief and end of life
Loss on its own timeline, anticipatory grief, and the griefs that go unseen.
- Grieving Someone Who's Still Here: The Long Goodbye and Anticipatory GriefAnticipatory grief: how to cope when a loved one is dying or declining and you're grieving someone who is still alive. A counselor on the long goodbye, guilt, and finding support in Alaska.
- The Guilt of Not Doing Enough: Caring for Aging Parents When You're Stretched ThinCaregiver guilt when caring for aging parents: why it happens, why relief and resentment are normal, and how to carry it without being crushed. Support for adult children in Alaska.
- Facing a Terminal Diagnosis: Finding Peace With Mortality and the Time You HaveFacing a terminal diagnosis: coping with fear, meaning, and mortality when you or someone close is dying. Compassionate counseling support in Alaska for the end of life.
- Grief Has No Timeline: Moving Through Loss When It Doesn't Get "Better" on ScheduleGrief has no timeline. A counselor on why loss doesn't follow neat stages, why there's no 'right' way to grieve, and when grief support helps. Compassionate guidance in Alaska.
- Grieving a Death by Suicide: Surviving the Loss and the QuestionsGrieving a death by suicide: the unique pain of loss survivors, coping with guilt and unanswerable questions, and finding support and hope. Compassionate help in Alaska.
- Pregnancy and Infant Loss: Grief That Deserves to Be SeenPregnancy and infant loss: why miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss cause profound grief that deserves to be seen, and how to survive it. Compassionate support in Alaska.
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