When Your Inner Critic Sounds Like a Parent
TherapyFlow Blogging
Discover how your inner critic may echo parental voices and learn strategies to overcome this challenge. Thrive Therapy & Counseling is here to help.
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This blog is written by therapists in midtown Sacramento and focuses on the concerns and struggles of highly sensitive people (HSPs), LGBTQIA+ folks, and adults struggling with depression, anxiety or just trying to figure out what they want for themselves. There's help and hope through counseling and therapy!
Perfectionism as a Trauma Response: How Therapy Helps
TherapyFlow Blogging
Perfectionism is often rooted in trauma. Explore how therapy can uncover these patterns and guide you toward self-compassion, healing, and resilience.
Read MoreGrief Isn’t Linear: Coping With Setbacks in Healing
TherapyFlow Blogging
Grief is not a straight path. Setbacks are natural, but understanding them can ease your journey. Discover strategies to navigate these challenges and find peace.
Read MoreHow Therapy Helps Young Professionals With Burnout
TherapyFlow Blogging
Discover how childhood emotional neglect affects adults and explore therapeutic options with Thrive Therapy & Counseling in Sacramento. Learn practical strategies to heal and grow.
Read MoreQueer Mental Health: Finding Affirming Support in Sacramento
TherapyFlow Blogging
Discover how LGBTQ+ individuals in Sacramento can find affirming mental health support. Thrive Therapy & Counseling offers tailored therapy services to empower the queer community.
Read MoreChildhood Emotional Neglect: A Hidden Trauma
TherapyFlow Blogging
Discover how childhood emotional neglect affects adults and explore therapeutic options with Thrive Therapy & Counseling in Sacramento. Learn practical strategies to heal and grow.
Read MoreSeptember Stress Reset: Tips for HSPs
TherapyFlow Blogging
As summer fades and autumn approaches, many Highly Sensitive People feel heightened stress. Discover practical tips to reset and recharge this September with Thrive Therapy & Counseling's guidance.
Read MoreForgiveness - Focusing on Ourselves
Ileana Arganda-Stevens
The idea of forgiveness brings up strong feelings for many people, myself included. I struggle to write about it and to talk about it, which makes me think it’s important to try – even if I’m somewhat clumsy. We often shy away from topics that leave us unsettled or frustrated for their heaviness and lack of clarity. But in some ways, I think this can make things worse – robbing us of the opportunity to stretch our internal capacities to bear the messiness of our existence. Perhaps devoting a little bit of time here and there to heavier topics will build our mental and emotional muscles, so to speak.
Read MoreGhosting and the HSP
Joe Boyle
Have you ever gone on a handful of dates with someone, hopeful that the budding relationship would blossom, only to find that weeks later, none of your messages or calls to them are answered? Or has a friend at school suddenly cut off all communication with no explanation, and is now avoiding you in the community? Maybe you have felt such intense disconnection from someone that you can no longer maintain a relationship—yet the thought of reaching out to explain this to them fills you with so much dread that you’re considering just deleting their contact info and sweeping it all under the rug?
Read MoreRest: What Actually Restores Us?
Lauren Ash
A variety of things might come to your mind when you think about rest. Many of us likely have different definitions of what rest looks or feels like, and we may go about it differently based on our own understandings, backgrounds, and lifestyles.
Read MoreTeens and Mental Health Days
Ivy Griffin
The term “Mental Health Day” has grown in popularity over the past few years. This typically means taking sick time off work to treat our mental health with the same care and attention as our physical health. Whether the intention is to take care of a family member (or just spend some extra quality time), relax and sleep in to relieve stress, or to regroup after a long week, taking care of our mental health is now more important than ever.
Read MoreYou’re Not Lazy: Navigating ADHD & Executive Dysfunction
TherapyFlow Blogging
If you live with ADHD, you’ve likely heard the word “lazy” more times than you can count. Maybe it was when you forgot an assignment, struggled to keep up with chores, or procrastinated until the last minute. The truth is, ADHD and executive dysfunction have nothing to do with laziness. They are neurological differences that make planning, starting, and following through on tasks harder—not impossible, but definitely more complicated.
Understanding how ADHD affects executive functioning can help you reframe the narrative. Instead of blaming yourself for being “lazy,” you can begin to see your challenges in context and explore strategies that work with your brain, not against it.
Read MoreShame and Embarrassment for HSPs
Ileana Arganda-Stevens
For people who identify as highly sensitive or empathic, intense embarrassment and shame might be particularly difficult experiences. Making a mistake can be followed by intense physical sensations and emotions: your face gets hot, your heart rate spikes, and sometimes you may even want to disappear. While this is normal and might even feel manageable for some, people who are highly sensitive may struggle to recover from these feelings.
Read MoreTherapy for LGBTQ+ Adults in Sacramento: Finding Support That Feels Safe
TherapyFlow Blogging
For many LGBTQ+ adults, therapy is not just about managing anxiety, depression, or stress—it’s about finding a place where you feel safe, affirmed, and fully seen. Too often, LGBTQ+ clients have experienced misunderstanding, judgment, or even harm in healthcare settings. That’s why choosing a therapist who provides affirmative, inclusive care is so important. Therapy should be a space where your whole identity is honored and supported.
Read MoreHow Brainspotting Can Help With Chronic Overwhelm
TherapyFlow Blogging
For many people, overwhelm feels like a constant state of being. It’s more than just a busy week or a stressful deadline—it’s the sense that your nervous system is always running on high, leaving you exhausted, irritable, and stuck. If you’ve tried to “think your way out of it” without success, you’re not alone. Overwhelm often lives in the body as much as the mind, which is why traditional coping tools sometimes fall short. This is where brainspotting can help.
Brainspotting is a therapeutic approach that accesses the mind-body connection directly. By working with the brain and nervous system, it helps release stored stress and trauma that fuel chronic overwhelm.
Read MoreTrauma Responses or Personality Traits? How to Tell
TherapyFlow Blogging
Have you ever wondered whether a part of your personality is “just who you are” or if it’s a response to something you’ve been through? Many people struggle with this question, especially when habits like perfectionism, emotional withdrawal, or people-pleasing feel deeply ingrained. Distinguishing between personality traits and trauma responses can be tricky, but it’s an important step toward healing.
Read MoreWhy Affirmative Therapy Matters for LGBTQ+ Clients
TherapyFlow Blogging
For LGBTQ+ individuals, finding the right therapist can make all the difference. While any therapist may be trained to address anxiety, trauma, or depression, not all understand the unique challenges LGBTQ+ clients face. Affirmative therapy goes beyond acceptance—it actively validates and supports LGBTQ+ identities while addressing the impact of discrimination, marginalization, and internalized stigma.
Affirmative therapy is not a niche preference; it’s a vital approach that helps LGBTQ+ people feel safe, seen, and empowered in therapy.
Read MoreSetting Boundaries With Less Guilt (Yes, It's Possible)
TherapyFlow Blogging
For many people, the idea of setting boundaries comes with an uncomfortable side effect: guilt. Saying “no,” asking for space, or voicing personal needs can feel selfish or even risky. Yet without boundaries, relationships often become draining, overwhelming, or one-sided. Learning to set boundaries with less guilt is not only possible—it’s an essential step toward healthier connections and greater self-respect.
Read MoreAnxiety in College Students: When to Seek Help
TherapyFlow Blogging
College is often described as one of the most exciting times of life, filled with freedom, new opportunities, and personal growth. But for many students, it also brings high levels of stress and anxiety. Balancing academics, social pressures, work, and future goals can feel overwhelming. While some stress is expected, there’s a point where anxiety begins to interfere with daily life and well-being. Knowing when to seek help is an important step in protecting your mental health.
Read MoreBack-to-School Anxiety: Tips for Teens & Parents
TherapyFlow Blogging
The start of a new school year can bring excitement, but it can also stir up anxiety for both teens and parents. Shifts in routine, academic pressure, social dynamics, and worries about the unknown can make this transition feel overwhelming. If your family is experiencing heightened stress as summer ends, you’re not alone. Many families in Sacramento and beyond are working through similar struggles. The good news is that back-to-school anxiety can be managed with awareness, support, and intentional coping strategies.
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