Mental Health Blog
Advanced Counseling of Bozeman believes you are your own best healing resource — and you don’t have to do it alone.
Explore our blog for perspectives and tools to support your journey toward better mental health and lasting wellbeing. We believe in using evidence-based, heart-centered methods and trusted, effective modalities to achieve the peaceful, purposeful, and fulfilled life that you deserve.
Acquaint yourself with the work of our experienced clinicians and see if their work speaks to you.
Building Healthy Phone Habits in Times of Crisis
Our phones keep us connected — but they can also keep us anxious. This post explores how constant scrolling and news updates can heighten stress, and offers three simple ways to create healthier phone habits. A reminder that balance, not avoidance, is what helps us stay informed and grounded.
Like the Trees in Autumn, We Turn: Embracing Seasonal Change with Grace
Seasonal change isn’t just happening outside — it’s happening within us too. Fall has a way of stirring reflection, unease, and quiet transformation. This piece invites you to slow down, honor what’s shifting, and embrace change with the same patience and grace we see in nature.
Simple Tools for Stress Relief
Stress is part of being human, but it doesn’t have to take over your day. With a little awareness and some simple tools, you can shift from feeling overwhelmed to feeling grounded.
Clearing Up Misinformation About Autism
Autism has long been surrounded by myths and misinformation. This post unpacks what science actually shows — dispelling the false links to vaccines, Tylenol, and parenting — and highlights genetics as the primary factor. It also explores how sensory sensitivities shape health experiences for autistic individuals and why accurate information and empathy matter more than ever.
Anxious Generation: Why This Book Matters
Reading The Anxious Generation shifted how we parent — less screen time, more freedom, and a lot more joy. By loosening fear and giving kids space to grow, we’ve seen our children become happier, more capable, and more connected. This book has been life-changing, and I recommend it to every parent I know.
School Support: Understanding 504 Plans and IEPs
If your child is struggling in school, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Schools offer formal supports like 504 Plans and IEPs — tools designed to remove barriers and help kids succeed. Both require a team approach, and as a parent, your voice matters most. Advocacy starts with asking questions and putting requests in writing — because no one knows your child better than you.
The Seven Core Issues of Adoption: What Adoptees Want You to Understand
Adoption is often celebrated as a story of love and belonging — and it can be. But it also begins with loss, which shapes an adoptee’s lifelong experience in complex ways. Sharon Kaplan Roszia and Deborah Silverstein’s Seven Core Issues of Adoption highlight themes like loss, rejection, identity, and intimacy — not as flaws to “fix,” but as natural responses to adoption. Naming these issues opens the door to deeper understanding, healing, and connection for adoptees and the people who love them.
Book Review: Will I Ever Be Good Enough? by Karyl McBride
Will I Ever Be Good Enough? by Karyl McBride explores the lasting impact of maternal narcissism and offers a clear roadmap for healing. It’s a powerful resource for anyone navigating patterns of self-doubt or striving to break free from family dynamics that no longer serve them.
What It’s Like When Your Teen or Preteen Starts Therapy with Me
Starting therapy can feel like a big step for both kids and parents. My approach with teens and preteens begins with building trust, meeting them where they are, and giving them tools they can carry for life — like self-advocacy, healthy boundaries, and clear communication. Therapy isn’t about “fixing” your child, it’s about helping them grow into themselves with confidence and resilience.
Mood-Boosting Activities That Cost Nothing
Taking care of your mental health doesn’t have to be complicated — or costly. Small, free actions like stepping outside, dancing to your favorite song, or sending a kind text can reset your mood and bring a little more light to your day.
Embracing Seasonal Change: How Shifting Weather Affects Our Mental Health
Seasonal shifts don’t just change the weather — they can change how we feel. From less daylight to disrupted routines, it’s common to notice shifts in mood, energy, or focus. The good news? By tuning in and caring for yourself through these transitions, you can move with the seasons instead of feeling stuck in them.
A Little Background on the Nervous System
Your nervous system is always working to protect you. Sometimes it kicks into fight-or-flight, other times it shuts down, and sometimes it settles into calm and connection. None of these states are “bad” — they’re signals. By paying attention and responding with curiosity, you can support your body and strengthen your sense of safety.
Couples and Compromise
Compromise is rarely perfect — everyone gives something and everyone gets something. What matters most is feeling understood and respected. Drawing on Gottman’s research, this post walks through three practical steps to help couples identify core needs, find flexible areas, and create workable compromises, even when values feel at stake.
How I Talk to Myself During an Anxiety Spiral
Ever find yourself in an anxiety spiral, stuck in worst-case scenarios? Liz shares her personal go-to strategies for naming what’s happening, grounding in the present, and challenging racing thoughts. Her simple self-talk tips show how spirals can become signals to slow down — not stop signs.
Components of Healthy Relationships and How to Build Them: Part 3 of 5
Conflict isn’t a sign of a broken relationship — it’s a normal part of being human. What matters is how we handle it. Avoiding conflict often breeds resentment, while addressing it with empathy, calm communication, and a willingness to compromise can strengthen connection.
Components of Healthy Relationships and How to Build Them: Part 2 of 5
Healthy boundaries are essential to strong, supportive relationships. Whether with partners, family, friends, or coworkers, boundaries help us protect our well-being, build trust, and prevent resentment.
Back to Basics: Nutrition, Sleep, and Mental Health
Your brain’s health isn’t just shaped by therapy or mindfulness — it’s built on what you eat and how you sleep. Nutrition fuels focus, mood, and resilience, while quality sleep restores your mind and body. When one is off, the other suffers, and so does your mental health. Small, consistent shifts in your meals and bedtime habits can create a powerful ripple effect toward feeling clearer, calmer, and more balanced.
Your Nervous System is Working Overtime — And it’s Draining Your Energy Bank
Feeling completely wiped after a tough day, even if you never broke a sweat? That’s your nervous system burning through energy reserves. Learn how to spot the signs, understand the science, and use simple tools to help your body reset, recharge, and recover.
Full Moon, Big Feelings? Why Kids Might Feel a Little More Dysregulated During Solar Shifts
Ever notice your kids get extra energetic, sensitive, or emotional around a full moon? While science doesn’t fully back the idea that lunar phases directly change behavior, the shifts in routines, energy, and expectations during this time can make a difference. Learn why these changes can throw off kids’ regulation — and get practical tips to help everyone feel calmer, sleep better, and enjoy the magic of the moment.
Focused Attention: A Practice for Mental Well-being
Mindfulness is more than a buzzword — it’s a skill that can reduce stress, improve focus, and bring a greater sense of calm into daily life. In this post we explore what mindfulness is, how it’s used in therapy, and simple ways you can start practicing it today.