Kelly Clarke

The holidays are coming — which means it’s officially “boundary season.” Family time can be lovely… or it can feel like running an emotional marathon in jeans. Maybe it’s the same political debate every year, the “When are you getting married?”  interrogation, or that one relative who believes volume equals being right. Between the pressure to be cheerful, the expectations to show up, and the emotional landmines of old family dynamics, the holidays can easily go from festive to...

Let’s be honest: gratitude season can feel... forced. You’re barely holding it together, your inbox is overflowing, and someone on Instagram is telling you to “just be thankful.”  Cue eye roll. But here’s the thing: gratitude does  have real mental health benefits. It’s not just a Pinterest mantra — studies show that regularly practicing gratitude can boost dopamine and serotonin (your brain’s “feel good” chemicals), reduce stress hormones, and even improve sleep. The trick is making it feel...

Boo! 👻 It’s that time of year again—when skeletons come out of closets (literally), everything smells like pumpkin spice, and pretending to be someone else is totally encouraged. But while the fake cobwebs and candy bowls are easy to clean up, the emotional ghosts hanging around? Not so much. At ABC Counseling , we love Halloween for its creativity and laughter—but it’s also the perfect time to talk about the ways fear, masks, and ghosts can show up in our emotional lives. 👻 The Ghosts We...