It’s no surprise that couples come into therapy when they are at the height of their distress. They don’t get there overnight. Frequently, people have been having relationship difficulties for a long time, months, sometimes years. Relationship struggle is typically marked not only by the presence of conflict, but by the absence of small, daily…
The Wildflower Blog
Venture into the heart of therapy with the Wildflower blog. We delve into topics that matter, blending therapeutic expertise with genuine stories of hope and transformation. *Please note that our blogs are designed to inform only and are not intended to diagnose or treat mental health disorders.
Therapist Spotlight: Elise Barrington, MA
Elise is a psychotherapist at Wildflower. In her clinical practice, Elise draws on Emotionally Focused Therapy, the Satir Growth Model, Relational Cultural Theory, and existential therapy. Elise works with adolescents, adults, couples, and family structures experiencing disconnection related to alienation, depression, anxiety, grief, loss, transitions to parenthood, and identity transformations. Elise has experience in addressing…
5 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Metaphors We Love
If you spend any time with a therapist who is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), you will notice something striking: they like to speak in metaphors. You might hear about switch that can be flipped on or off, or an experience of getting caught in quicksand, or someone standing in a hole with…
12 Commitments We Make to Every Client in Trauma Therapy
Every therapist brings a different perspective to trauma work, and every person’s story, nervous system, relationships, and life experiences are unique. While therapy itself looks different for every client, there are a handful of commitments that guide the way our therapists approach this work at Wildflower. They shape how we listen, how we build safety,…
The Wildflower Bookshelf: Our Team’s Summer Picks
Is there anything better than a book on the beach? We think not. We asked our team to share what books they have been getting lost in. The resulting list is a wonderfully eclectic collection of fiction, non-fiction, clinical material, and other favorites. Enjoy! Fiction & Contemporary Reads Non-Fiction & Memoirs Clinical & Professional Resources
The Freedom of Radical Acceptance
Most of us spend an incredible amount of energy fighting reality. We argue with traffic. We replay conversations that already happened. We wish our partner communicated differently. We think our children should appreciate us more. We tell ourselves we shouldn’t feel anxious, sad, overwhelmed, or lonely. We wish our body looked different. We wonder why…
The Only Way Out of Anxiety Is Through It: Exposure and Response Prevention
There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from managing anxiety instead of living your life. Rehearsing the conversation you’re avoiding. Circling back to check the stove, the lock, the windows. Ruminating on a thought you can’t shake. Avoiding situations that make you uncomfortable. Googling symptoms. Struggling with anxiety can feel like a full-time job.…
Let’s Not Forget About Dads: Paternal Mental Health
On Father’s Day we celebrate dads with humorous cards, gifts, and family gatherings. But beneath the lighthearted celebration sits something rarely named out loud: many fathers experience real, diagnosable mental health struggles during pregnancy and the first year of parenthood, and those struggles are widely overlooked. Most public attention around perinatal mental health has focused…
Pride Month: Resources for the LGBTQIA+ Community
At Wildflower, we are committed to creating affirming, trauma-informed spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, and families. In recognition of Pride Month, and as part of our ongoing commitment to antiracism, social justice advocacy, and inclusive mental health care, we’ve compiled a collection of resources, organizations, crisis supports, educational tools, and community directories for LGBTQIA+ communities…
The Architecture of Grief: Giving Language to Loss
Most of us learned to recognize grief only when death occurs, marked by visible mourning and the communal support of condolences and shared meals. Death rituals facilitate meaning-making and serve as a container for overwhelming emotions. However, grief is embedded in an expansive landscape of loss that does not fit neatly into that picture. Grief…
