Willow Oak Counseling

08/25/2026

💜 Where Do You Carry Your Emotions? 💜

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself: Where do I carry my emotions in my body?

Where does it tug the most?
Where does it feel the heaviest?
Where does it feel the lightest?

Our emotions don’t just live in our thoughts—they can show up in our bodies, too. A tight chest, a nervous stomach, tense shoulders, or even that light, warm feeling that comes with happiness and safety.

Working with children and giving them the skills to recognize what they’re feeling, notice where they feel it in their bodies, and put those emotions into words is one of the most powerful tools we can give them.

When children learn that all emotions are okay to feel—and that they can talk about them—we help build emotional awareness and healthy coping skills they can carry with them throughout their lives. 💜🌳

Willow Oak Counseling
Helping children understand what they feel, one emotion at a time.

07/14/2026

Please help us with welcoming, Amanda Birge, RCSWI to our team. ⭐️⭐️

03/10/2026

01/02/2026

I have officially reopened my in person slots! The month of December I was out of office much longer than expected, and I appreciate the ones who were understanding during that time. Happy New Year and looking forward to another amazing year of meeting clients where they are at and working together!

12/10/2025

New space, same support. GROW is now located inside the SWANN Collaborative at 105 S. Florida Avenue, 33803! We’ll start seeing clients in our new space this Monday, December 1st. We’re still putting the final touches on everything (hello, half-unpacked boxes), but we’re already feeling right at home.

08/21/2025

Your childhood trauma did not make you stronger.
It made you a people pleaser.
It made it impossible for you to give up on people.
It made you exhaustingly empathetic.
It made you constantly feel responsible for problems you didn’t create.
It made you feel everything in extremes.

But here’s what you need to know:
Your trauma does not define your worth.
You are not broken, you adapted to survive.
And now, you are allowed to unlearn the patterns that once kept you safe.
You are allowed to set boundaries, to rest, to say no, to choose you.
You don’t have to carry what was never yours to hold.
Your sensitivity is not a flaw, it’s evidence of your depth, your humanity.

You are not too much.
You are not too needy.
You are someone who loved hard in a world that didn’t always love you back.

And that? That makes you brave.
You’re allowed to rewrite the story.
You’re allowed to heal loud.
And you’re allowed to take up space, just as you are.

09/16/2024

Sept. 15-21 is Child Passenger Safety Week. Cars are the most common form of transportation but also they are the leading cause of death for children. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2022, a total of 756 children died in passenger vehicles and more than 120,000 were injured. Many of these deaths and injuries are a result of children being in the wrong type of car seat or not restrained.

Make sure that your children are always in the correct seat for their height and age as car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers according to NHTSA. Also, always strap them in before you start driving.

09/02/2024

September is National Su***de Prevention Awareness Month!!

No matter who you are… please always remember:

You are loved.
You matter.
You are enough,
And your life is worth fighting for.
You are worth fighting for.
Please please talk to someone. Anyone.

💚🫂