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Grieving Before Goodbye: Understanding Anticipatory Grief  By Nathan Galvan, LPC-Associate Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S I remember growing up and losing my Abuela when I was young. Everyone had gathered around the house, tears were being shed, and I was playing with toys with some of my cousins. I hadn’t understood, at the time, […]

Our Most Overlooked Relationship (That Shapes All the Others) By: Rachel Rungdit, LPC-Associate Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S Beneath every relationship, lives a deeper one. We want to know how to reduce conflict with our partners, how to stop getting so triggered, how to forgive, how to increase intimacy – how to feel more

Moving Past Autopilot: Understanding the Functional Freeze Response in Complex Trauma By Emily Heimberger, LPC Associate Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S When most people think of a trauma response, they picture the intense, high-energy activation of fight or flight. They imagine a racing heart, a sudden burst of panic, or an overwhelming urge to

How to Support a Partner Who Is a People Pleaser By: Lauren Leal, LPC Associate Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S Do you have a partner who is always saying yes to others, even when they are exhausted, overwhelmed, or already carrying too much? Maybe you watch them continue giving their time, energy, and emotional

Grieving the Loss of Your Partner By Ann Cleland, LPC-Associate, Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S You didn’t expect to be alone. You had plans. A future. Hopes and dreams of what could be. You thought you had time.  Losing a partner is one of the most profound losses a human being can experience. What

How Masking Shapes Relationships: Finding Connection Without Losing Yourself By Rachel Rungdit, LPC-Associate Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S. LMFT-S If you’re a person with ADHD and/or Autism, I’d like to ask you: How often do you feel like you have to shift, soften, or filter parts of yourself in order to stay connected? This comes

When Reassurance Makes Anxiety Worse: Understanding the OCD–Reassurance Trap in Relationships By: Briana Gonzalez-Evans, MA, LPC-Associate Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S If you’ve ever asked a partner, friend, or family member something like: “Are you sure everything is okay?” “Do you think I did something wrong?” “Can you promise this won’t happen?” “Are you

Understanding People-Pleasing: Why We Do It and How to Change By Lauren Leal, LPC-Associate Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S Have you ever said “yes” to something you REALLY didn’t want to do, just to make someone else happy? Maybe you stayed late at work to help a coworker, went to a social event when

When the House is a Little Too Quiet: Understanding the Grief of Pet Loss  By Ann Cleland, LPC-Associate, Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S You come home, open the door and for a moment expect to be greeted. Sometimes the greeting was joy that you were home, a request for a gentle pet, or a

Understanding Complex Trauma: When the Wound Goes Deeper Than One Moment By Emily Heimberger, LPC Associate Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S When most people hear the word “trauma,” they picture a single, catastrophic event: a car accident, a natural disaster, a sudden loss. But for many people, trauma doesn’t arrive in one defining moment.

Why is Therapy Not Working? Understanding the Phases of Trauma Treatment May Help Many people leave therapy thinking “maybe it’s me” when, in reality, the work never moved past the first phase of treatment. This post will walk through the three phases of trauma treatment, why so many clients get stuck in phase 1, and

Why I Feel Numb, Spaced Out, or “Not Here”: A Gentle Introduction to Dissociation Briana Gonzalez-Evans, MA, LPC-Associate Supervised by Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S Many people come into therapy saying things like: “I know something is wrong, but I can’t feel it.” “I check out during conversations and don’t realize it until later.” “I feel