Children & Family

There is a moment that comes up again and again in my work with women. Someone is talking about a pattern in their life, something that keeps happening in their relationships, or a feeling they cannot seem to shake, and somewhere in the middle of describing it, they pause.   'That sounds like my mother,' they say. And then, quietly: 'Who sounds like her mother.'   That moment of recognition, that is what we are talking about today.   What Gets Passed Down Without Anyone Meani

You have probably heard that phrase before. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Maybe you have even said it yourself. It sounds wise. It sounds true. And yet.   Most of the women I know are pouring from a cup that has been empty for years. They have gotten very good at it.   This week I want to talk about emotional labor, because I think it is one of the most important concepts for understanding why so many women feel depleted, and why so few of us talk about it honestly. What

March is the month we set aside to honor women. The women who fought for things that matter. The women who built and raised and created and persisted. And I love that we do that. But I also think about the quieter part of women's history. The part that rarely makes it into the highlight reel. The exhaustion. The worry. The way so many women have learned to put themselves last and call it being strong. That is the part I want to talk about this month. What I See in My Office T

There's a moment that happens in my office more often than you might think. A parent sits across from me, tears in their eyes, and says, "I love my child with everything I have. So why does it feel like we're on different planets?" The love is there. It's always been there. Sometimes overwhelming in its intensity. But somewhere between bedtime battles, homework fights, eye rolls, and slammed doors, the connection got lost. The ease is gone. The closeness feels like a memory f

February is here, and everywhere you look, there are hearts, flowers, and messages about perfect love. But here in my therapy office, I see something different. I see real couples working through real struggles. I see the messy, beautiful truth about relationships. And you know what? That truth is actually hopeful. This month, instead of talking about romantic dinners and grand gestures, I want to talk to you about something more meaningful: the science of making love last. W

There's a version of anxiety that doesn't look like what we see in movies. No dramatic panic attacks in grocery stores. No obvious avoiding of everyday situations. Just this constant hum of worry that you've gotten so good at managing that nobody, including you sometimes, realizes how much energy it takes to keep everything together. You show up to work. You take care of your family. You respond to texts and pay your bills on time. From the outside, you're doing great. But in

Everyone jokes about New Year's resolutions failing by February. The gym gets crowded for three weeks, then empties out. The diet starts strong, then pizza happens. But here's something different: January might actually be the ideal time to start therapy, and it has nothing to do with resolutions. After the holiday chaos winds down, something interesting happens. We finally have space to think. All those feelings we pushed aside while hosting dinners, buying gifts, and managi

Let me tell you something we wish more people understood: the holidays aren't magical for everyone.

...this season has a way of amplifying everything we carry. The grief feels heavier. The loneliness cuts deeper. The pressure to be joyful when you're barely holding it together can feel suffocating.

Finding your wellness this December: Beyond the holiday hustle.

Why you don't have to choose between gratitude and grief. I've been doing this work long enough to know that November hits different in a therapy office. There's something about this month that brings out the tension between what we're experiencing and what we think we should be experiencing. Last week, one of my clients came in looking lighter than usual. She'd had coffee with a neighbor, took a walk and actually stopped to photograph the fall leaves. Small things, but meani

A Different Way to Think About Thankfulness this November Every November, the gratitude reminders start. Your social media feed fills up with 30-day thankfulness challenges. Family dinners come with the inevitable question: what are you grateful for? And somewhere in all of it, you're supposed to feel more positive, more content, more happy. Except November isn't always like that.

Embracing Change This October Your Mental Health Matters More Than Ever October brings a special kind of magic, doesn't it? The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and there's something about this season that makes us pause and reflect. As your local therapy team, we've noticed that many of our clients find this time of year both beautiful and challenging. So, we thought we'd share some thoughts about navigating this season with intention and care.

October doesn't have to be the month you completely overhaul your life or finally "get it together." Sometimes the most sustainable changes come from small, consistent actions rather than dramatic lifestyle shifts.

Seasonal Changes and Your Mental Health

September is National Suicide Prevention Month

There's something about September that hits differently, isn't there? Maybe it's the way the light starts shifting, or how everyone around you seems to be talking about "getting back into routine." Whatever it is, if you've been feeling a little more overwhelmed, anxious, or just off lately, you're not alone.

Back to School Success: What Actually Helps - Part 2

Hey parents! Can we talk for a minute about that familiar knot in your stomach that shows up right around mid-August? You know the one -...

Join Our Team! Hi there! I'm Denice Mock, LCSW, Clinical Director at C.A. Counseling Consultants here in beautiful Williams Bay, Wisconsin. I wanted to take a moment to share why I believe our practice is an exceptional place for LCSWs, LPCs, and LMFTs to build their careers - and honestly, why I love coming to work every day