When I first started studying assessment concepts, reliability and validity sounded like they were basically asking the same question. They are not. The easiest way I've learned to separate them is this: Reliability = Can I count on the result to be consistent? If I use an assessment under

The more I study for the NCE, the more I realize I don't want to memorize a bunch of names, theories, assessments, and definitions just long enough to answer a test question. I want to understand why the answer is the answer. Because there is a difference between knowing that CBT focuses on t

I used to think protecting my peace meant avoiding drama. Now I realize it goes much deeper than that. For me, peace has started looking like not feeling obligated to explain every decision I make. Not answering everything immediately. Not allowing someone else's urgency to automatically be

One thing I'm learning about myself is that I don't show up the same way every day. And I'm finally okay with that. Some mornings I feel confident, focused, and ready to handle everything on my schedule. Other mornings, getting dressed, getting out the door, and doing what needs to b

There are days when believing God doesn't look especially spiritual. I don't wake up feeling inspired. I don't have some profound revelation. Nothing about my circumstances has suddenly changed. Sometimes I simply get up, get dressed, handle what needs to be handled, and remind myse

I used to think finding my purpose would feel obvious. Like one day everything would click, I would know exactly what I was supposed to do, and the rest of my life would finally make sense. That hasn't been my experience. Purpose has looked a lot more like trying something, learning, changin

I used to think healing meant getting to a place where certain things simply wouldn't hurt anymore. Now I understand it differently. Some things still hurt. Some memories still disappoint me. Some relationships didn't become what I hoped they would become. And there are things I've fo

Culture has taught me a lot about who I was supposed to be. What success should look like. What a “good woman” should tolerate. What relationships should look like. How much of myself I should give to family. When I should be married. How my body should look. How strong I should be. Even wh

I’ve learned that I can watch the same story as everyone else and walk away thinking about something completely different. I notice the relationship underneath the argument. The insecurity underneath the confidence. The grief underneath the anger. The family pattern that keeps repeating itself.

I used to believe that saying "yes" made me a loving person. So I kept showing up. I kept giving. I kept understanding. I kept making excuses for people because I knew everyone was carrying something. The problem was, somewhere along the way, I stopped making room for myself. I confused

I used to think peace would come when life finally slowed down. When people understood me. When relationships became easier. When work wasn't so demanding. When the uncertainty disappeared. But every time one problem was solved, another one took its place. That's when I realized I had be

There was a time when I thought having faith meant never questioning, never struggling, and always feeling spiritually strong. Life taught me otherwise. I've learned that being rooted in faith doesn't mean I never feel anxious. It doesn't mean I always know what God is doing. It doesn

For a long time, I believed I had to choose one version of myself. The professional therapist. The woman of faith. The deep thinker. The one who laughs too loud. The woman healing. The woman still figuring life out. I thought people would only accept one side of me. But the older I get, the more

Setting boundaries has not always made me feel strong or empowered. Sometimes it has made me feel guilty, anxious, and afraid that I am disappointing someone. I have questioned whether I was being selfish simply because I stopped making myself uncomfortable to keep everyone else comfortable. But d

For a long time, I questioned whether I was being too sensitive. I wondered whether I should stay quiet, calm down faster, or pretend something did not hurt just because other people were uncomfortable with my response. But my feelings did not come from nowhere. They were shaped by what I experie

Some chapters of my life have left me with more questions than answers. I have wondered why certain things happened, why some people were allowed to hurt me, and why God did not change the situation when I desperately needed relief. In those moments, it was difficult to imagine that anything meanin

One of the hardest experiences is being treated like you have no one. Like no one will stand beside you. Like no one will care what happened. Like they can do whatever they want because they believe you're powerless. But Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God draws near to the oppressed, th

Lately, I've been reminding myself that progress doesn't always look impressive. Some days, it looks like getting out of bed when your mind feels heavy. It looks like finishing your notes after a long day of seeing clients. It looks like drinking enough water, taking a walk, making one pho

For a long time, I thought progress would feel exciting. I imagined it would come with certainty, confidence, and obvious milestones. Instead, this season has felt much quieter. As a therapist, I've realized that healing doesn't always look like dramatic breakthroughs. Sometimes it looks l

People sometimes assume therapists have self-care all figured out. We don't. I'm still learning what it looks like to care for myself consistently, especially during busy weeks when my schedule is full and everyone needs something from me. I've realized that my best sessions usually do