Our Blog

By Natalie Peña, Mental Health Counselor, Practicum Intern Prenatal care tends to focus on what’s best for the baby. Books, doctors, and the internet often …

Continue reading “5 Ways to Optimize Your (Mental) Health During Pregnancy”

Birth control was first introduced in the early 1970’s which forever changed the world as we know it. It provided women with the first opportunity …

Continue reading “Birth Control: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?”

Contradicting Thoughts and Feelings “I know, on one hand, that I’m good enough. I have a good job, friends and family that love me, I …

Continue reading “Contradictions and EMDR”

Want better mental health? You have to make an appointment. But not with me or a professional, with yourself! If you have an appointment with …

Continue reading “Prioritize Your Mental Health: Make an Appointment… with Yourself!”

As the summer comes to an end and the back-to-school season approaches, a whirlwind of emotions is stirred that accompanies the return to both the …

Continue reading “Back to School and a Routine”

As someone who went back to school in my 40’s, 50’s and then again in my 60’s – this has been a question I’ve asked …

Continue reading “Back to School – Should I or Shouldn’t I?”

By Laurel Kilpatrick, M.D., Certified Life Coach Is it really time to start thinking about going back to school? It seems like it was just …

Continue reading “Time Flies: Time Management Hacks for Heading Back to School”

The other day my sister and I were spending time with our adult daughters relaxing and hanging out in the pool.  They were talking about …

Continue reading “Mom You Did the Best You Could”

By Alli Griffiths, Mental Health Counselor, Practicum First, emotional neglect is not emotional abuse. Abuse intends to harm whereas emotional neglect is usually unintentional. Oftentimes, …

Continue reading “What is Childhood Emotional Neglect?”

Parenting is one of life’s greatest joys; however, it is very demanding and exhausting.  The moment you become a parent, your focus turns to take …

Continue reading “The Importance of Self-Care for Parents”

Most parents struggle with the transition from parenting a child to parenting a teen. This typically happens because your teen is seeking independence yet instinctually, …

Continue reading “Navigating Through the Teens”

In a world where societal expectations have traditionally dictated that men must be strong, stoic, and unemotional, there is a growing movement that seeks to …

Continue reading “Redefining Masculinity: Male Emotional Advocacy Takes Center Stage”

By Angela Cruz Serrano, MFT and MHC Intern Mental health is a topic that has been receiving increased attention in recent years. While the conversation …

Continue reading “Men’s Health and Mental Health”

As I was sitting in front of the computer, not sure what to write about on Men’s Health, I received this picture from my son.  …

Continue reading “Men and Life Balance”

By: High School Student – her college essay We all go through the natural and unavoidable process of growing up. However, for some of us, …

Continue reading “Forced to Mature – Growing up with an ADHD sibling”

By Maria Silvia Paoli, Certified Life Coach In recent years, numerous studies have been conducted exploring technology’s effects on mental health. The findings of these studies have …

Continue reading “Mental Health v. Tech Advances”

Lisa is a 55-year-old, happily married retired woman who lives with her husband in a house in Coconut Grove. All her children are adults and …

Continue reading “Am I just sad or am I clinically depressed?”

By Christian Mendez, Board-Certified Behavior Analyst Just last month the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated the incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 8-year-old children …

Continue reading “Autism Awareness”

Your Branding is Your Identity When we think “branding” most of us think businesses and corporations. My definition of branding is when businesses and corporations …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Branding Your Identity”

Yes, sometimes we’re busy; sometimes we’re very busy; and sometimes we’re not. Being busy is a good thing.  Regardless of whether you own your business …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Busy v. Soo…Busy”

Alli Griffiths, Mental Health Counselor, RI Do you see your doctor annually for a routine checkup? Or do you wait until you have a problem …

Continue reading “Taking Care of Your Mental Health”

During this time of the school year, high school seniors are enthusiastically announcing their post high school plans. Each year of high school presents a …

Continue reading “Helping Your Teen Prevent High School Burnout”

By Maria Silvia Paoli, Certified Life Coach Beliefs get ingrained in our thoughts – usually after a personal significant experience. It can be an everyday …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Limiting Beliefs and Coaching”

By Maria Silvia Paoli, Certified Life Coach Mindfulness is defined as “a basic human ability to be fully present, in a state of awareness and …

Continue reading “Mindfulness and Personal Growth”

By Angela Cruz Serrano, MFT and MHC Intern We are always thinking about our next move, our next chapter in life, our next everything and …

Continue reading “Living Mindfully Today”

It’s Friday night.  You’re out to dinner with your family: a ritual you look forward to throughout the week.  Although you’re all together, you feel …

Continue reading “Less Electronics, More Mindfulness”

As I write this last blog for the month of February on the topic of “Love for Yourself and Others,” I thought I would close …

Continue reading “Girl Love”

“This just isn’t working for me.” “I’ve been seeing someone else.” “It’s not you, it’s me.” We have all heard either these or a combination …

Continue reading “Heartbreak Survival Guide”

Can you grow as an individual while in a relationship? Well, that all depends. Does your partner give space for that growth? Do they push …

Continue reading “Growth in a Relationship”

There are always challenges we face within the trenches of a long-term relationship. Some conflicts include, financial struggles, parenting stressors, health issues, and sexual issues …

Continue reading “Stop Having the Relationshits!”

We get motivational quotes all the time. We see them everywhere. We use them to inspire us to action. In Verywell Mind they describe motivation …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Motivation”

I love many of Dr. Seuss’ quotes, but my very favorite is: Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Comparing”

I was talking with a friend the other day.  I hadn’t seen her in a while, so we spent time catching up. One of the …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Jump In”

Now that we turned the corner into 2023 and before we continue moving forward, let’s take a minute to pause and reflect on 2022. As …

Continue reading “Celebrating our Wins and Losses”

By: Angelica Cruz-Serrano, MFT and MHC Intern For some, the Holidays may symbolize a time that brings family and friends together; a time when people …

Continue reading “Family Reflections”

Nine years ago, I found my courage.  I left my full-time “secure” job and opened my private practice as a Life Coach. I found the …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Courage”

I heard a quote somewhere that traditions are just peer pressure from ghosts. Or, elder living family members, in many cases as well. So when …

Continue reading “Family Traditions”

By Maria Silvia Paoli, Certified Life Coach I am a Venezuelan who immigrated due to the political and socioeconomic situation. I am also a coach …

Continue reading “On the Blog: Christmas Holidays and Immigrants”

Yes, you may not have enough hours in a day. Yes, you may have too many deadlines. Yes, you may have too much work. But, …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Opening up to Change and Possibilities”

By: Alli Griffiths, MHC Intern Does this time of year stress you out? If so, you are not alone. Pause. Take a moment. Close your …

Continue reading “How to Manage Holiday Stress”

One of the reasons for stress and overwhelm comes from trying to keep up with our client’s deadlines. A client calls us wanting something by …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Realistic Expectations”

Yesterday was my 64th birthday. It was a nice day. It was an ordinary day. It was a perfect day. I woke up with a …

Continue reading “My Journey Around the Sun”

When a client comes in for career coaching, they’re always a little surprised when I ask them what their personal brand is. Yes – branding …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Creating Your Personal Brand – Not Just for the Business Owner”

By Dara Teller, LCSW There are so many things to be grateful for, but often times we allow our stress and anxiety to consume us. …

Continue reading “A Reflection”

Those who know me, know I love tennis! Earlier this year, I was coaching with a tennis pro when I decided I didn’t want to …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Getting Out of Your Own Way”

It’s Monday morning. The alarm goes off. I stir, stretch out my limbs and take in a big, deep breath. I’m grateful for another day. …

Continue reading “An Ordinary Day with Gratitude”

Happiness is the “state of just being happy.” But how do we just “be happy” when life is 50/50? 50% good and 50% bad. We’ve …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Happiness”

My daughters prepared the funeral mass for my ex-husband who passed away two months ago.  As a gift for my 3 kids and my stepdaughter, …

Continue reading “The Eulogy”

If you believe in yourself, anything is possible! This is one of the positive affirmations circling in social media today. Yes, if we believe in …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Belief”

By: Vanessa Molina, MFT, Intern Often times we find it difficult to focus on the positive things going on in our lives when there’s so …

Continue reading “Gratefulness”

We believe we HAVE to do this or that or SHOULD. But the truth is we can choose to NOT do so. We ALWAYS have …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: It’s Optional”

I have written on boundaries before, but this past week it has been a recurring theme for all my clients, so I thought it would …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: More on Boundaries”

Life happens because life is 50/50. We’re going to have both good and bad experiences. We’re going to have positive and negative thoughts and feelings. …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Bouncing Forward”

Change is such a constant in our lives…whether we like it or not. Many years ago I decided to embrace change and look forward to …

Continue reading “Let Go and Let God”

Remind yourself: A Reflection on Sending Your Teen Off to College August is here and the reality that your children are heading off to college …

Continue reading “College Bound Reflection”

Many of my clients come in stressed because they can’t find their Work-Life Balance.  As much as they try, they can’t seem to get both …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Life Balance”

After eight years as a Life Coach, I recently completed a second Life Coach Certification.  This time with The Life Coach School. One of the …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Manuals for Others”

A year ago, I wrote a blog post for the same July monthly theme, “Purposeful Parenting.” https://www.coralgablescounseling.com/purposeful-parenting-as-a-new-mom/) At the time, I was a brand new mom …

Continue reading “Purposeful Parenting – One Year In”

Recently, the topic of interest amongst my clients is parenting styles. More specifically, which of the four parenting styles – Authoritarian, Authoritative, Passive, and Neglectful …

Continue reading “Raising Emotionally Intelligent Beings”

I am so happy to write this for Men’s Health Awareness. In my sessions with men, I have found many of them reach the point …

Continue reading ““Is there anything more to life?” The Common Question”

There are various benefits for men from being in a healthy relationship. Their well-being is positively influenced by healthy relationships not just emotionally, but physically …

Continue reading “Are You Tired of Having the Relationshits…???”

I initiated a brief survey of a small sample of men regarding their views on medical and mental health issues. I was surprised to find …

Continue reading “Taking Care of Business: Men’s Mental Health Part 1”

“Therapists are archeologists that dig into our past to help us understand the present; Coaches are architects that help us build our future once we …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Therapy v. Coaching”

It’s Mental Health Awareness month!  And, although it’s nice to have a month dedicated to mental health, I’m happy to see there has been a …

Continue reading “Give Yourself Some Grace”

By Victoria Carney-Paine, LCSW Mental health is my favorite thing to talk about. Ask me how I’m doing and I’ll tell you if I am …

Continue reading “5 Reasons to Talk More About Mental Health”

The most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in the U.S. is anxiety; and a close second is depression. Both disorders are misunderstood not only by …

Continue reading “Let’s Talk About Anxiety”

“I don’t have enough hours in a day!” “I don’t have time!” “I’m too busy!” “I have too much work!” “I’m always so busy!” “I …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Time”

By Alejandra Boker, MBA, RD, IFNCP Mindfulness, or the state of being conscious and aware of something, isn’t always easy, especially when there are so many …

Continue reading “Mindful Eating”

Each relationship we experience throughout our lives allows us to learn something about ourselves and our community. We learn more about who we are our …

Continue reading “What to Watch Out for When Dating”

By Dara Teller, RCSW “Fear is the most subtle and destructive of all human diseases. Ladies and gentleman, fear kills dreams. Fear kills hope. Fear …

Continue reading “Overcome Your Fears!”

Here is a simple script for mindful moments. Let’s break it down. Notice your thoughts. “I’m sitting on a soft, blue chair. I like this …

Continue reading “Mindful Moments”

One of the few beneficial byproducts of this pandemic is our focus on good mental health. As a mental health professional, I appreciate this greatly. …

Continue reading “Self Acceptance > Self Esteem”

Love doesn’t start with loving others before us. It begins with loving ourselves first, to know how to love another. We create a strong foundation …

Continue reading “What is Love?”

Groundhog Day last week reminded me how as adults, we can fall into a life that feels repetitive.  We wake up, go through our routines, …

Continue reading “Reflecting on Groundhog Day”

As I was thinking of this week’s thought of the week, I decided to dig into a problem I tend to have on the regular …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Multitasking”

The end of last year was a challenging one. With new strains of the COVID-19 virus on the rise, many homes were affected during the …

Continue reading “Stop Distracting Yourself From Living”

New Year, New Me, right? Or is it a New Year, Old Me? Depending on your journey, these questions can feel different because it gives …

Continue reading “Moving Forward in the New Year”

More and more of us are looking for work-life balance.  The problem is that, in our search for the elusive work-life balance, our stress and …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Work-Life Balance”

Imagine if one day you woke up and your life had changed. You are happy with your life and who you have become. You are …

Continue reading “Live in Alignment With Your Vision”

As a Coach and Recruiter, one of the common mistakes I see is jumpy clients. Jumpy because these employees move on to another employer after …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Job Jumpiness”

With the start of a New Year, many of us take the time to set goals and resolutions on how we can be better and …

Continue reading “Journey into 2022”

We’re officially saying goodbye to 2021 and are ready to ring in the new year.  As most of you can probably relate, I’ve had a …

Continue reading “Resolutions”

The holidays are the perfect time to reflect on our relationships, establish goals for connecting with our family, and set the groundwork for those relationships …

Continue reading “Holidays and Family”

Self-Reflection might sound easy to do, but it’s the most challenging thing we can do. It’s hard to focus on our thoughts and feelings about …

Continue reading “Self Reflection”

The Hustle Culture is about being aggressive, being forceful, being a slayer, pushing forward, working long hours; and putting ourselves last. Hustling without rest and …

Continue reading “Coach Thought of the Week: Hustling”

By Alejandra Boker, MBA, RD, IFNCP Let’s be honest, the two things that people enjoy most during the holidays are spending time with family and eating …

Continue reading “Family and Holidays”

Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year. It’s a reminder to pause and say thank you before the shopping and the parties. It’s a reminder …

Continue reading “Thank You!”

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful. It consists of a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Simple concept, right? Yet, it …

Continue reading “Creating Gratitude”

  Creating boundaries – or not creating them. There is no right or wrong answer.  We’re all different.  The question is: Do we need to …

Continue reading “Boundaries”

Ten years ago this month, I was lucky enough to start working at Coral Gables Counseling Center (CGCC) — and I’ve never looked back. I …

Continue reading “My Work Anniversary Story”

The month of November is traditionally a time of Thanksgiving. During this time, we often focus on reflection and gratitude. Recognizing and reflecting on gratitude …

Continue reading “Reflection and Gratitude”

By Alejandra Boker, MBA, RD, IFNCP Women’s health is multifaceted. But one of the main issues consistently brought up by many women is the struggle …

Continue reading “Should we blame weight gain on menopause?”

The other day I was really looking at myself in the mirror while I was getting dressed.  I was looking at my body and scars …

Continue reading “In loving me.”

Trust your gut. I love this phrase, but some women take it too far in one direction or the other. I’ve had some patients “trust …

Continue reading “Let’s talk about gut health. Sort of. “

By: Tiffany N. Perez, RMHC We live in an era of information overload. We are invested in social media platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and …

Continue reading “Self Improvement with Perspective”

Here I am, writing about procrastination in my pajamas at the last minute when I should’ve been wilding out at a fall festival because I …

Continue reading “Procrastination”

Self-improvement. When I talk about this idea (a multi-million dollar industry of how to do and be better), I make sure others understand they are …

Continue reading “You’re Not Broken”

Motivation is Bullsh*t. Bold statement, I know, but stay with me for a second. Telling ourselves that the reason for not doing things is lack …

Continue reading “Motivation”

I think we can all agree that the topic of self-improvement is a broad one. In such a complicated time in our world, and with …

Continue reading “Natural Negativity to Proactive Optimism”

Summer is over. Well, at least Summer, as in those few months during which “the Purge” happens because the children :coughs: terrors are set loose …

Continue reading “Summer is Over. Now What?”