I’m a counselor, counselor supervisor, and parenting facilitator/coordinator passionate about mental health — especially when it comes to helping families navigate coparenting. My focus is on reducing the stress and conflict that can impact both adults and children. Subscribe and join over 1,000+ newsletter readers each week.
Mental Health Awareness Month… and what I’ve been working on behind the scenes
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🌿 Welcome Back to The Reset Room Last week, we talked about emotional regulation— …and the power of choosing not to escalate. This week, we’re zooming out a bit. Because it’s May—Mental Health Awareness Month. This was the perfect time to unveil something I have been working on for about 2 years... the launching of the nonprofit Hopeful Horizons Outreach Since 2020 and Covid's entrance into our society mental health awareness has grown in so many ways…, However, so much more needs to be done! Because even with more conversations… 👉 not everyone has access to the help they need. 🌟 A Pattern I Couldn’t Unsee Over the past couple of years, I started noticing something… Not just once—but consistently. In sessions. People weren’t getting help when they needed it. Not because they didn’t want to… …but because they couldn’t. Families driving hours just to get to an appointment. And underneath all of that… 👉 a lack of access. In rural Texas, this isn’t rare—it’s reality.
And this part matters: Mental health struggles don’t wait. But access to care often does. 🧠 Awareness Without Access Isn’t Enough We’ve made progress. People are talking more. But awareness alone doesn’t solve the problem. Because knowing you need help… and actually being able to get help… are two very different things. 💛 Why This Month Matters (And Why This Moment Matters) Two years ago, I started asking: What would it look like if we could actually close this gap? Not just talk about it… That’s where Hopeful Horizons Outreach began. And after a lot of time, work, and vision… it’s officially here. Hopeful Horizons is a nonprofit serving 13 counties in the Eastern Texas Panhandle, created to: ✔ Provide counseling to those who are uninsured or underinsured Because mental health care shouldn’t depend on where you live. And it shouldn’t only be available when things reach a breaking point. If you want to learn more or be part of what we’re building: 👉 Visit our website: [hopefulhorzonstx.org] Even sharing this with someone else helps more than you know. 🔹 One Personal Reset This week, I want you to notice something simple: 👉 Where in your life or a loved ones' life are you or they waiting until things feel “big enough” before addressing it? Stress. Mental health isn’t just about crisis. It’s about awareness before the crisis. The earlier you notice… 🔹 Coparenting Reset Mental health awareness also needs to be taught preventatively for the coparenting population. Did you know???? 👇🏻 Children exposed to high-conflict coparenting are significantly more likely to struggle with anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation later in life. 👉 It’s not the separation that harms kids most—it’s the conflict. 🔹 This Week’s Challenge Pick one small moment this week where you would normally push through stress or ignore it… For coparents-- pay attention to your coparenting relationship and ask yourself-- "Are my reactions and words to my coparent modeling self-regulation that brings calm and comfort to my child/children"? …and start addressing these things earlier. It doesn’t have to be big. Just intentional. Because awareness isn’t just something we talk about… 👉 it’s something we practice. Next Week… We’re continuing Mental Health Awareness Month 👉 stigma. Not just the stigma from others— but the internal beliefs that say:
Because sometimes… the biggest barrier to mental health It’s what we’ve learned to believe about needing help in the first place. Please go check out the Hopeful Horizons Outreach website and follow the Hopeful Horizons Outreach Facebook page as we will be posting more information and updates there. Happy Mental Health Awareness Month!!! 💚 --Tina 🤩 |
Tina Souder, M.Ed., LPC-S
I’m a counselor, counselor supervisor, and parenting facilitator/coordinator passionate about mental health — especially when it comes to helping families navigate coparenting. My focus is on reducing the stress and conflict that can impact both adults and children. Subscribe and join over 1,000+ newsletter readers each week.
🌿 Welcome Back to The Reset Room As stated last week—May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Today I want to talk more about the stigma associated with "getting help" or "going to therapy". So many people think that counseling is reserved for people that are so mentally unstable they are unable to work or function in life and everyone around them already knows it too. However, it could not be further from the truth. Everyone has heartache.... Everyone will feel "off", anxious and depressed.......
🌿 Welcome Back to The Reset Room Last week, we talked about defensiveness—how quickly it shows up, and how powerfully it can shut down connection. This week… we’re taking it one step further. Because even when you understand defensiveness… 👉 in the moment, when someone says something disrespectful, rude, or deeply hurtful… it still feels like you need to react. Like you need to: ✔️ Stand up for yourself✔️ Set the record straight✔️ Make sure they know exactly how wrong they are But what if… 👉...
🌿 Welcome Back to The Reset Room Last week, we talked about defensiveness—how quickly it shows up, and how powerfully it can shut down connection. This week… we’re taking it one step further. Because even when you understand defensiveness…👉 in the moment, when someone is really harsh or even just plain rude....... it still feels like you need to react. Like you need to:✔️ Stand up for yourself✔️ Set the record straight✔️ Win the argument But what if… 👉 the real win isn’t in what you say...