Summer is synonymous with long days, abundant sunshine, and a general sense of vitality. While sunlight has many positive effects, such as boosting vitamin D levels and improving mood, too much of it can have hidden downsides. Excessive sunlight can negatively impact your mental health, leading to increased stress, anxiety, and disrupted sleep patterns. Understanding these effects and learning how to manage them can help you maintain your mental well-being throughout the summ

In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to become overwhelmed and emotionally drained. Whether it's due to work demands, family responsibilities, or personal challenges, managing our emotions can become especially challenging when fatigue sets in. At Timber Creek Counseling, we understand the importance of recognizing and addressing emotional fatigue. That's why we've compiled some helpful tips to help you navigate through those moments when exhaustion seems to cloud your emot

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Timber Creek Counseling Promotes Stephanie Germain, LPC, to Associate Director [Chelsea, 02/05/2024] — Timber Creek Counseling, a leading mental health and counseling practice committed to providing compassionate and effective therapy services, is pleased to announce the promotion of Stephanie Germain, LPC, to the position of Associate Director. With a proven track record of dedication and excellence, Stephanie Germain has played an integral role in the

As we step into a new year, many of us find ourselves setting resolutions and goals to create positive changes in our lives. One powerful way to help bring about lasting transformation is by cultivating healthy habits. Whether you're aiming to improve your mental health, make a change, or enhance overall well-being, building habits can be instrumental to your success. In this blog post, we'll explore three practical tips to help you kickstart and sustain positive habits in 20

As the temperature drops and daylight dwindles, many of us find ourselves navigating the challenges that come with colder weather. The change in seasons can have a significant impact on our mental well-being, often leaving us feeling a bit more sluggish or even experiencing symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD; officially called Major Depressive Disorder with Seasonal Pattern ). However, with a proactive approach and some mindful self-care, you can navigate the winter

Intro As has hopefully been established by now throughout this series, a positive therapy experience is dependent on multiple variables. Part 1 and Part 2 focused on finding a therapist who knows what they are doing and is a good fit for you, but this final post is to talk about the agency each client has in their own therapeutic experience. Most therapy today is not some sort of expert consultation, but rather a cooperative and collaborative endeavor between the therapis

The back-to-school season is undoubtedly one of the busiest times of the year for many individuals. Whether you're a student, parent, teacher, or someone else affected by the whirlwind of school-related activities, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the demands of this season. Amidst the chaos, practicing self-compassion becomes crucial for maintaining your well-being and mental health. In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of self-compassion and provide practical t

As a therapist, a common issue I see is the feeling of being overwhelmed with the busyness of life. Careers, intimate relationships, families, household responsibilities, social pressures… the list goes on. It can feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything, let alone to take a break. Does this sound familiar? Being busy in itself is not a bad thing. There are natural seasons of life that are going to feel a little full or chaotic. However, being b

As the summer season arrives, it brings with it longer days, warmer weather, and a sense of rejuvenation. However, with the change in routine and the allure of vacations and relaxation, it's easy to lose sight of our well-established rhythms and healthy habits. At Timber Creek Counseling, we believe that maintaining healthy rhythms is essential for our overall well-being, both physically and mentally. In this blog post, we will explore practical tips and strategies to help yo

RE: Financial Policy Changes Hello, We are honored you have chosen Timber Creek Counseling to provide you with high quality mental health care. Our expertise, compassion, and evidence based practices lay a foundation for our therapeutic services. This announcement is to highlight a few key policy changes, effective 7/1/23 . We strive to have our policies be as transparent and clear as possible. If you ever have any questions you can feel free to reach out to your counselor

We are thrilled to announce the expansion of our therapy practice to the vibrant and welcoming community of Ann Arbor, Michigan. As mental health advocates, we understand the importance of accessible and compassionate counseling services, and we are excited to bring our expertise and commitment to support individuals, couples, and families on their journey towards healing and personal growth. Embracing a New Chapter: At our therapy practice, we believe in the power of connect

Anxiety is a common mental health disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It can manifest in various forms, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and more. Anxiety can be a debilitating condition that can interfere with one's daily life, relationships, and overall well-being. However, therapy can help manage and alleviate the symptoms of anxiety. Therapy is a form of mental health treatment that involves talking to a traine

We are thrilled to announce Timber Creek Counseling was selected as a Best of Washtenaw County in the category "Family Mental Health & Counseling Services" by readers of Ann Arbor Family Press. We are extremely grateful to all who voted for us and hope to continue to serve our community and surrounding area for years to come. "We attribute our success to our extremely talented team who provides the highest level of care to our clients." Executive Director, Melissa Cuthbert,

I love a good story. One of my favorite pastimes is sitting down with a good book, movie, or TV show, and in doing so have come to the realization that the public image of therapists is an inconsistent concept. Consider for a moment the wildly varied terms people use to refer to clinicians; we have been called everything from “gurus” and “coaches” to “shrinks” and “quacks”. You could argue that this stems from the wildly conflicting portrayals of therapists in the media, w

Introduction The prospect of beginning therapy can be a daunting one. Admitting that there are problems in your life, behavior, and/or relationships that you cannot resolve on your own is humbling, and this factor alone prevents many people from seeking professional help. However, it is far from the only roadblock impeding a therapeutic journey. A question I often get in both my personal and professional lives is, “How do I find the right therapist?” As someone who has bee

Our Executive Director reached out to me, asking if I could write a blog post around Thanksgiving. I threw back the idea, how about one entitled, “Just Another Gratitude Post?” I thought it was slightly original, giving a take on gratitude but also leaning into the fact that you probably see lots of the same types of articles this time of year. She brought me back to the ground when her reply was, “I think that was the exact same title you used last year.” Sure enough, she wa

A few days ago Andrew and I started watching a movie on Netflix. It had a decent trailer and we were excited about the divergence from our usual tv programming. A few minutes into the movie I could just tell this was not my cup of tea. So the question became - do we give up and watch something else or stick it out? We had already spent a chunk of time - previewing several movies, reading reviews, and watching the beginning of the movie. What would you do? Do you tend to s

I’m going to make a pitch to you. Please know that I hate making pitches; I’d rather give you some information and let you decide on your own, but I will be straightforward that I believe what I am about to pitch is good and healthy for many people that will decide not to do it. Go on a retreat for your relationship! In fact, please join me at a couples retreat here in Chelsea in September or December this year. I actually think you might be a bit less likely to sign up sinc

How we react to painful thoughts and feelings will be one of the most defining aspects of how we live our lives. For the past few months, I have been exploring values and how to better live them out. A few months ago we explored how to connect with values on a daily basis and last month we dove into how to address problems that get us stuck and unable to live out values. Now it is time to put it together in the nitty-gritty moments where we experience painful thoughts or feel

In February, I wrote about pursuing values. This month I want to focus on how to think about the broad intersection of problems and values before we turn to next month to put it all together. When we dissect problems, there are four elements that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy finds are in most problems: Entanglement with Thoughts, Life-draining Actions, Struggle with Feelings, and Avoiding Challenging Situations. Read below for a brief activity around those four elements.