I am the queen of multitasking. As a mom of young kids, a therapist, and a practice owner, there is almost always more than one thing happening at once. I’m writing an email while making lunch. Listening to a voice memo while folding laundry. Thinking through my schedule while getting someone dressed. Responding to a message while standing at the kitchen counter. And sometimes, I wear my ability to multitask like a badge of honor. Look at how much I can get done. But one quie

If you’re a people pleaser, boundaries can feel terrible. Not necessarily because the boundary itself is wrong—but because somewhere along the way, you learned that keeping other people happy was part of your job. So when someone is disappointed by your boundary, it can feel like evidence that you did something wrong. As a therapist—and a recovered people pleaser—here’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned about boundaries: Someone being unhappy with your boundary does not

This afternoon I was sitting in my backyard watching my toddler play. He was wearing a shirt that didn't match his shorts. One of his shoes was completely soaked because he had stepped in the dog's water bowl for fun. And, for reasons only toddlers can fully explain, he had a pool floatie wrapped around his waist...over his clothes. He walked around smiling, completely unbothered. He wasn't wondering if the neighbors thought he looked ridiculous. He wasn't worried that his ou

Today, my daughter got into the car after one of her extracurricular activities and excitedly announced: "Mom, I made a new friend!" Naturally, I asked how it happened. Her answer? "I asked if she wanted to be my friend, and she said sure." That was it. No overthinking. No replaying every interaction beforehand. No wondering if she was funny enough, cool enough, or interesting enough. She simply wanted a friend, so she asked. And honestly? I couldn't stop thinking about it

Have you ever found yourself spiraling after a single thought? Maybe you sent a text and didn't get a response right away. "They're mad at me." Maybe your boss asked to meet with you. "I'm in trouble." Maybe your child is struggling. "I'm failing as a parent." Maybe you felt anxious in a social situation. "Everyone noticed how awkward I was." The thought pops into your mind, and before you know it, you've accepted it as fact. But what if that thought isn't true? One of the mo

Hot take: Sometimes the problem isn't your anxiety. Sometimes it's all the things you're doing to try to make it go away. Stay with me. You notice a strange symptom and immediately Google it. You ask your spouse if they think it's serious. You scroll through Reddit looking for someone with a similar experience. Eventually, you convince yourself everything is probably okay and feel a wave of relief. Until an hour later when the doubt creeps back in. Or maybe it's not health an

Have you ever opened your computer and realized you have 47 tabs open? A few are playing music. One is frozen. Several have little notification bubbles demanding your attention. Some are important, some aren't, and you're not entirely sure which is which anymore. You know you should probably close a few, but you're afraid you'll forget something important if you do. Technically, everything is still working, but it's slower. More frustrating. More overwhelming. And eventually,

When we talk about boundaries, people often imagine building walls, cutting people off, or creating distance. But healthy boundaries aren't about pushing people away. They're about choosing where you stand. Imagine you're at a swimming pool. Someone you care about is in the deep end. They're struggling. They're overwhelmed. Maybe they're angry, chaotic, demanding, or constantly pulling you into their emotions. Maybe they're making choices you don't agree with, refusing help

For some teens, the end of the school year brings excitement, freedom, and a much-needed break from busy schedules, homework, tests, and social pressures. Summer often looks like sleeping in, spending time with friends, vacations, sports, camps, and slower mornings. But while school may pause for the summer, mental health challenges don’t always take a break. In fact, for some teens, summer can actually make emotional struggles feel more noticeable. Without the structure and

This week, my daughter rode her bike without training wheels for the first time. If I'm being honest, I don't think I was the brave one. She was ready before I was. As we stood in the driveway, I found myself flooded with all the thoughts that come so naturally to parents: What if she falls? What if she scrapes her knee? What if she gets scared? What if she gets hurt? I was gripping the back of her bike, wanting just one more practice run, one more lap, one more opportunity

If you’re struggling with intrusive thoughts, constant overthinking, checking, reassurance seeking, or fears that feel impossible to “shut off,” you are not alone; even if it feels that way. Many people with OCD carry a tremendous amount of shame about what’s happening in their minds. They often worry: “What if these thoughts mean something about me?” “Why can’t I just stop thinking about this?” “What if people knew what goes on in my head?” “What if I’m the only person strug

You’ve been thinking about reaching out… but something keeps holding you back. Maybe it’s not one big reason.Maybe it’s a bunch of small ones that add up. So if this is you, we want you to hear this: You can start therapy even if… …you don’t know what to say. You don’t need to come in with the “right words” or a perfectly organized story. It’s okay to say, “I don’t even know where to start.”That’s actually a really common place to begin. …your problems don’t feel “big enough

When life feels heavy, starting can feel harder than staying stuck. Our newest blog, written by practice owner Nikkie Evans, reflects on why the mountain often looks biggest at the beginning — and how support can make the climb more manageable. If you’ve been considering therapy, this one’s for you. 💛

As we come to the close of 2025, there’s often a quiet (or not-so-quiet) pressure to look back and measure ourselves. Did we do enough? Did we grow enough? Did we become the version of ourselves we hoped we would be? At Creating Progress, Not Perfection, we want to gently offer something different as this year wraps up: permission to pause without judgment. Reflection Doesn’t Have to Be Harsh So often, reflection turns into self-criticism. We replay what didn’t happen, wha

It was our third trip to the monkey bars that afternoon. My 4-year-old is still too short to reach them on her own, so I lifted her up so...

The Closet, the Chaos, and Why Therapy Feels a Lot Like Both Written by a Therapist Who Regretted Cleaning the Playroom (For a Minute)...

Let me set the scene: It’s 5:15 p.m. The baby is crying, the toddler just poured cereal all over the living room rug, your partner texted...

At Nikkie Evans PLLC, we deeply value professional growth and collaboration—because the more we learn, the better we can support our...

Therapist’s Insights: Reflecting on Our Book Club Discussion of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

What is Internal Family Systems (IFS)? At its core, IFS is based on the idea that every individual has a “Self” that is whole, centered,...