ARISE Counseling Services

04/14/2026

Your boundary will be called “inconvenient”.
Draw it anyways.

Your boundary will be called “selfish.”Draw it anyways.

Your boundary will be criticized.
Draw it anyways.

No matter how peaceful of a transition you attempt in drawing boundaries with a toxic person, they will stay consistent.

They’ll gaslight, blameshift, deflect, or tantrum.

Don’t allow their reactions to be a distraction, stay on course. Because those who benefit the most from your lack of boundaries will be the first to disrespect them.

Boundaries are flexible and can be moved and adjusted.

Boundaries are relational lines we draw to protect ourselves but they’re also a way to protect relationships, creating safer, more honest connections.

Boundaries are the limits you set to protect your time, energy, and well-being.

Boundaries are how you teach others what is okay and what is not okay in your life.

12/19/2025

This is my #1 recommended book to many of my clients who are seeking peace and answers about their marriage. 

12/16/2025

A very good read when you’ve “tried everything” . This book has a tender approach to Trying Softer with your body, mind, and soul. Each chapter has interactive content and questions.

12/14/2025

Truth.

12/11/2025

12 days of my favorite books! Unsure how to deal with destructive patterns and overwhelming thoughts and emotions? Are you exhausted from trying so hard and looking to live more authentically you? These books are a great starting point.
Email for an appointment today.

12/10/2025

The holidays are here and navigating relationships can be challenging with difficult and problematic people.
Here are 2 of my favorite books when dealing with narcissistic individuals.
Looking for individual counseling, need help discovering if you’re in a narcissistic relationship? Link to make an appointment is in the comments.

12/09/2025

This client showed me a picture of herself taken a couple months before she started seeing me and she looked 10 years older. We are body, mind and soul. Along with the mental health benefits, counseling can also reduce inflammation, relaxes the central nervous system and in some cases, I’ve seen clients lose weight.

10/17/2025

Another client updated me this week since starting counseling:

Down 45 lbs
Down 100 points in cholesterol
Down 114 points triglycerides
Down 3 points A1C
She said it’s been a whole body experience! Yes!
We are not just body. We’re mind, body and soul.

10/15/2025

I have a client who’s lost over 110 lbs and 8 autoimmune diseases after recovering from an overt narcissistic boss and a covert narcissistic husband. (Whom both claim to be Christians)
Narcissistic abuse steals your worth, dismantling your sense of self, rendering you a shell of yourself.

09/24/2025

The word gaslighting is all the rage on social media right now. It’s not lying, nor a difference of opinion. According to Dr. Ramani in her book “It’s Not You, Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic Abuse”, “gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse that involves the gaslighter denying reality and dismantling a person’s sense of self by denying experiences, perceptions, emotions, and ultimately reality.” She goes on to say, “it’s designed to confuse you, and undermine your autonomy and sense of who you are.”
Victims of narcissistic abuse deeply struggle with self-doubt and self-blame, they’ve become a shadow of themselves, after years of being told how to feel, what to think, no longer trusting themselves.

10/15/2024

https://lifemodelworks.org/part-two-what-gen-z-needs-from-elders/

By Hannah Ploegstra

09/04/2024

Spoiler Alert 🚨
My husband I saw It Ends with Us this past weekend. Well done!
There are two movies I highly recommend for moms to take their daughters and sons to: It Ends with Us and I Know Where the Crawdads Sing. Both define abuse and healthy love in very different dynamics. Both movies end quite differently, and sadly not every girl gets out alive.
The twists in It Ends with Us, and no I didn’t read the book, is he’s well-educated, financially stable, appears to be extremely confident and gaslights her by “tricking her” about the abuse and helping her afterwards. The signs from the beginning are: his extreme display of anger, he never respects her nor her space, propositioning s*x within minutes of meeting her, he’s charmingly suffocating, can’t tell her what he loves about her when asked, he’s detached from real connection, and obsesses over an old friend. It’s definitely PG13.
Because of the nature of my business, I’m constantly having conversations with my girls, narcissistic behavior/abuse is real, even though there’s more awareness than ever. Unfortunately, we’re still getting tricked because they’re that good. And one has to engage to be exposed bc often the signs are very subtle, but begin to pile up. And they have wonderful excuses!
Lily displays how uncomfortable she is from the beginning but doesn’t quite understand her discomfort. Teaching girls to observe behavior, how their personal space is respected and how they feel around someone is a good place to start. The caveat for teenagers is maturity. Many are deeply insecure and will attach themselves quickly, and can become emotionally draining and manipulative. There’s a lot more I can say here, stay engaged, have the courage to ask questions, keep the door open, walk in grace with your teen, and observe, observe, observe.