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Just Try Counseling Blog
This mental health blog is a mix of reflections, insights, and real world observations about therapy, online counseling, and everyday coping strategies.
I write about what I notice in my work, in life, and in the messy in-between moments that shape us.You’ll find posts on topics like anxiety, stress, relationships, self-awareness, and personal growth, but don’t expect a one-size-fits-all guide or a list of “shoulds.”
Therapy isn’t about thinking the right way; it’s about exploring what’s real and useful for you. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and I hope something here helps you feel seen, supported, or a little more grounded.
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Why Is Change So Hard and Why Motivation Alone Is Not Enough
As the year winds down, conversations about change begin to surface almost naturally. Whether or not you care about resolutions, people reflect on the past year, consider what has shifted, and think about what they hope the next season might look like. Even if you never formally create a list of goals, someone will inevitably ask what you want to work on or what changes you hope to make. Many people feel frustrated by the idea of resolutions, and that frustration often leads
Jessica Schladt
4 days ago4 min read
Why Do I Always Feel the Need to Be Productive?
If you have found yourself asking, why do I always feel the need to be productive , you are not alone. This is something I have been hearing a lot over the past few months, and the timing is not accidental. Especially during the holiday season, everything feels more compressed. Time feels tighter. Expectations feel heavier. And the pressure to always be doing something mounts. For many people, there is a constant internal urge to get something done. Laundry. Paperwork. Cleani
Jessica Schladt
Dec 214 min read
Online Therapy: What People Actually Mean When They Search
Online therapy can feel confusing when search terms like “therapist near me,” “telehealth,” or “virtual counseling” all seem to mean different things. Here’s what people are really searching for and how to find the right online therapist, no matter where you live. Why This Topic Matters Right Now If you’ve ever opened Google and typed “therapist near me,” “online therapy,” or “virtual counseling,” you’re not alone. That might even be how you found this post! When people look
Jessica Schladt
Dec 144 min read
When (and When Not) to Be Assertive With Family: Holiday Edition
The holidays have a way of pulling family relationships right to the surface. Even if someone comes to therapy without any intention of talking about communication or relationships, those topics still come up; we are all in relationships with people in some form. Friends, partners, coworkers, and of course… family. During the holiday season, those family dynamics often get louder. Expectations, whether cultural, generational, or unique to your own family, tend to pile up quic
Jessica Schladt
Dec 74 min read
Why the Holidays Feel More Stressful as an Adult and How to Listen to Your Needs
For some people, the holiday season is a joyful, sparkly, heart-warming time of year. If that’s you, I’m genuinely happy for you. I hope your weeks are filled with ease, connection, and moments that feel good. No notes. Many people don’t experience the holidays that way. If you fall into that camp, you’re far from alone. For a lot of adults, the holiday season brings expectations , forced joy , financial stress , travel headaches , or a calendar so packed that downtime feels
Jessica Schladt
Nov 303 min read
Making Friends as an Adult: Why It’s Hard and How to Build Real Connections
Making friends as an adult is definitely a challenge. It’s something many people don’t realize when they’re kids or even young adults, but once you hit your mid-20s, 30s, or 40s and notice your social circle getting smaller, it’s easy to panic and think, “Is something wrong with me?” Meanwhile, TV shows and movies love to portray groups of five or six adults who do absolutely everything together. And while that might be true for some people, I’ve found that those big friend
Jessica Schladt
Nov 244 min read
Why Sleep Matters for Your Mental Health (and Why It’s Not Always Easy to Get Enough)
As I’m writing this, I’m slightly sleep-deprived thanks to particular creatures in my home who do not grasp the importance of sleep for others. Sleep isn’t just something I talk about with clients; it's something I'm actively navigating myself. This morning, I noticed my frustration tolerance was lower, my irritability was higher, and I was leaning toward negative conclusions and all-or-nothing thinking. And honestly? This is extremely common when a person is sleep-deprived.
Jessica Schladt
Nov 183 min read
Honoring Veterans: Acknowledging the Many Stories Behind Service
Every Veterans Day, we pause to honor the people who have worn the uniform, individuals who chose to serve for countless reasons. Some joined to follow in their family members' footsteps. Others saw it as a calling to serve their country. Some sought stability, education, or opportunity. Whatever brought them to the military, each person’s journey and sacrifice holds meaning. But service, and being recognized for it , doesn’t feel the same for everyone. For some, wearing the
Jessica Schladt
Nov 112 min read
Mind Mapping for Mental Health: A Simple Way to Journal When You Feel Overwhelmed
Mind mapping is my favorite journaling technique when my mind feels cluttered or overwhelmed. It’s one of the best tools I’ve found for mental health journaling , especially when you need to dump out everything swirling around in your head. I first discovered mind mapping back in high school during a creative writing exercise, and it’s stuck with me ever since. Sometimes our thoughts, emotions, and worries are so tangled that it’s hard to make sense of them. That’s where mind
Jessica Schladt
Nov 102 min read
Let's Talk About Journaling Part 3: Using Prompts
Journaling can take endless forms. The important thing is that there’s no right way to do it. There are completely unstructured ways where you can just open up your journal and start writing. If you feel free to do so, please write to your heart’s content. What I’ve found in my work, particularly among people new to journaling, is a desire for more structure. Structure can help bring focus, and it can also help when people need assistance finding the words to express themselv
Jessica Schladt
Oct 304 min read
Let’s Talk About Journaling Part 2: 8 Suggestions How to Start
Before diving into specific journaling techniques, Journal to the Self: Twenty-Two Paths to Personal Growth by Kathleen Adams, M.A, gives eight suggestions that, regardless of how you journal, are helpful to follow. She emphasizes multiple times that there is no “right” way to journal. There are no rules; journaling can happen in whatever place, time, materials, mood, etc. that you want it to take place. At the same time, a touch of structure can be beneficial so Adams sugge
Jessica Schladt
Oct 232 min read
Let's Talk About Journaling Part 1: Why to Give it a Try
Earlier this year, I completed a continuing education class entitled "Incorporating Journaling and Expressive Writing into Clinical Practice". When talking about coping strategies, journaling is one of those I occasionally get eye rolls over. The largest pushbacks I get are concerns around privacy, time, or just not knowing how to start. My hope in taking the class was to learn some strategies to shine a better light on the journaling process. And the class helped! The prese
Jessica Schladt
Oct 162 min read
Reading Reflections on Change
You should expect my blog to be eclectic. I am going to write about the things I notice, the things I’m thinking about in relation to therapy, and some generalized coping strategies. Topics will jump around. Do not use these posts as a road map of what you “should” or “shouldn’t” be doing. If you have one session with me, you will know I’m not about trying to help you think the “right” way anyhow (bc for most things there is no “right” way etc etc). Maybe more on that later.
Jessica Schladt
Oct 82 min read
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