Our Blog
A Life Well Lived (Part 1)
The month of October always gets me thinking about the lives of the Saints and what it means to be holy. I suspect that is because many of my favorite Saints have feast days in October - St Therese, St Francis of Assisi, St Faustina, St John XXIII, St Carlo Acutis, St...
Speak, Friend, and Enter
“Do not go alone. Take such friends as are trusty and willing.” (Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring) Let’s talk about friends! Not the popular 90’s TV show, but the actual relationship between two people. I wonder what comes to mind as you think about the word...
New Year, New Me…Right?
Welcome to a new school year! It’s time for fresh composition books, unsharpened Ticonderoga pencils, new classes with new possibilities, and unexplored horizons. We may have the same backpacks, shoes, and academic pressures as last semester, but God reminds us, “His...
Surface Pressure of Family Systems: Emotional Weight in Hispanic Culture
Rich Hispanic culture shines through many clients I see and work with. As with every culture, it has preset cultural values. Some families exhibit few of the values and others carry the whole gamut in their family functioning. They are not all the same, nor are they...
Discernment: What’s my vocation? (3/ 3)
Welcome to the final installment of our discernment series! In our first two posts, we considered how faith, morals, values, and vocations inform our discernment as well as some practical steps we can take in the discernment process, such as prayer, free will,...
Discernment: How to Discern Well (2/ 3)
Welcome back! If you are just tuning in to our discernment series, I encourage you to check out our first post - Discernment: Covering Your Bases - where we considered how our faith, morals, values, and vocations help inform our decision-making. We also discussed some...
Discernment: Covering your bases (1 / 3)
You are called to be a priest! Just kidding. I cannot answer that question for you; however, I do believe God wanted you to find this post. Whether you are considering the priesthood, marriage, or the prospect of moving to a new city and buying a pet hedgehog, I pray...
Letting Go of Anxiety about Anxiety
Anxiety can feel like an overwhelming pressure whenever it flares up. Consistently, clients speak about being unable to break from the direction these pressures are pushing them towards. And just as consistently do counselors hear the client being bothered, upset, and...
EMDR Therapy: What Is It, How Does It Work, and Should I Try It?
What Is EMDR? EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach recognized by major health organizations, including the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association. EMDR was...
Bounce Back from Beryl: Moving from Stress and Frustrations to Grace and Gratitude
Ever since Hurricane Beryl charged through the greater Houston area last Monday on July 8th, leaving a trail of flattened fences, scattered tree debris, and downed power lines, many of us have been overwhelmed with a variety of feelings: from stress and frustrations...
Trauma, Triggers, and EMDR Therapy
Expressions such as “I’m traumatized” or “it triggered me” are common expressions most have heard in our present-day society. For some of us, we may not fully understand what these comments truly mean. In this post, we share some basic information about what trauma...
A Catholic Counselor’s Reflection on Teaching – Fall Term 2023
In the fall of 2023, a new chapter began in my professional journey as I stepped into the role of an Adjunct Professor at Houston Christian University, a place that holds a special place in my heart as my Alma Mater. It was a moment of full circle, returning to the...
A Catholic counselor’s take on the stress of the Christmas holidays
Christmas--Oh, the Humanity! Christmas is a time that truly reveals our humanity. It is a celebration of Christ entering our human experience, which does not simply refer to God becoming man; rather He really enters into our humanity—with all its beauty,...
The Importance of Good Sleep Hygiene for the Entire Family
What is sleep hygiene? Sleep hygiene is all about the healthy routines or habits that we practice before bedtime to help ourselves get a good night’s sleep. Sometimes we have to make adjustments to the things we do during the day and just before bedtime in order to...
An Introduction to Anger
Anger’s Bad Reputation Yelling, cursing, pacing, headaches, throwing things, punching walls, hurling insults, and hitting others are some of the ways people express anger. These expressions have an explosive or hostile quality that often yield negative consequences....
Memento Mori: Remembering death, so to value life
“So teach us to number our days so that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) As pumpkins, jack-o'lanterns, and skeletons come out, the spooky vibes of Halloween fill the streets. Autumn fills the air with the excitement of pumpkin spice, treats, and costumes....
How “Being” More Becomes a Source of Strength for Moms
The world of diapers, making school lunches, running from place to place, and juggling a massive to-do list is often the life of the mother. We work so hard to serve those around us, so this idea of “being” sounds like a far-off idea that can in no way be reality....
How to Prepare for Your First Counseling Session
So you finally decided to take a leap and schedule a counseling session. Good for you! It often takes courage to reach out for counseling support and we look forward to journeying with you. Whether it's your first time in counseling or you have done this before, you...
Navigating Family during the Holidays
In an ideal world, when we get together with our families, everyone would be in a good mood, everyone would get along, and we would all have a wonderful time. Unfortunately, reality is often different. Many times, getting together with extended family means trying to...
Making the Most of Singleness: Part 2
When I was single, one of my closest friends, who was already married, shared with me that she looked back on the years when she was single as one of the most fruitful times of her life. She said she felt very close to God because she was able to spend hours a day in...