Blog Posts

Category: Addiction

How Honesty Can Save Your Relationships

“Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living and truth loving.” ~James E. Faust When we talk about honesty in relationships, our minds often go straight to deception–to lies, to manipulation, to ruined relationships. We think about honesty in relationships in terms of whether someone lies to their partner

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april fools

Jokes Aside: The Power of Laughter

“Laughter heals all wounds, and that’s one thing that everybody shares. No matter what you’re going through, it makes you forget about your problems. I think the world should keep laughing.” – Kevin Hart Do you know how powerful smiling and laughing is?  While it takes 47 muscles to frown, it only takes 13 to

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st pattys day luck

Feeling Powerless? Let’s Not Leave it Up to St. Patrick!

“Luck only exists if you create it yourself. Create the opportunities.” ― Mwanandeke Kindembo We all have times where we feel powerless, helpless, and at the mercy of our life circumstances. Maybe we have experienced a devastating loss or we are going through a difficult transition, and we just feel stuck. At such times, we

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Perfectly Imperfect: Overcoming Perfectionism One Day at a Time

“Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough.” — Julia Cameron Several years ago, my friend made a quilt for her brother for Christmas. Because she is a novice sewer, she shared

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When the Pain of Relationships Dampens Valentine’s Day

When your heart is broken, you plant seeds in the cracks and you pray for rain.” — Andrea Gibson Valentine’s Day is nigh upon us. It is a day of love, hugs, happiness, chocolates, roses, and romance…but for some, it is anything but that. Some of us are struggling with finding or maintaining a meaningful

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mindfulness meme

Mindfulness: Good for the Body, Mind, Soul & So Much More!

“The mind is just like a muscle– the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets, and the more it can expand.” – Idowu Koyenikan We live in such a busy world. We fold the laundry while dinner cooks and we coach children through homework. We plan our days while driving and listening to an

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growth mindset

There’s No Limit to What We Can Set Our Minds To Do!

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” ~Abraham Lincoln Christina is one of millions who follow popular DIY accounts on Instagram and other platforms where average home spaces are transformed. At one point, it dawned on Christina that she was waiting for her husband to add accent walls, floating shelves, and

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When Holidays Bring Not-So-Jolly Memories

“You’re not the same. You’re not supposed to be the same. You’re supposed to be different. This isn’t something you will ever forget.” ~ Daisy Whitney Holidays are often portrayed as being joyous, holly, and jolly, but for many, it is a time of overwhelming sadness and painful reminders of past losses. For some, getting

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gratitude in hard circumstances

Finding Gratitude in Hard Times

“Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” –Doris Day Several years ago, I went to my friend’s parent’s home and I will never forget the experience. I knew they had struggled with unemployment and money issues for many years yet the feelings of love and warmth in that home overwhelmed me and have stuck with me

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connection through groups

Finding Connection Through Groups

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” –Helen Keller This month I found the courage to do something that I have been wanting to do for a while… I started a men’s group in my private practice. In the last few years, I have realized that my clients, especially those

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grief avoidance

5 Ways You’re Not Facing Your Grief

“So it’s true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.” ~ E.A. Bucchianeri One day life is great, things are normal, the sun is shining and your laughter comes freely. Then, not a split second later, you are faced with a loss so deep you do not know

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MENtal health picture

MENtal Health: How are the Men in Your Life Doing?

“Men suffer a lot behind the mask of manliness.” —Vineet Aggarwal Last week I went out for TexMex with my closest friends. While we enjoyed our chips and salsa, everyone went around the table giving little updates about themselves and their families. When we got to my newlywed friend she told us how coparenting with

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Melissa Cluff, MS, LMFT, CSAT

Melissa Cluff is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in North Texas, providing face-to-face and telehealth therapy options to clients in Texas.