Posts by Dawn Gaden, M.A., LPC, NCC:

Recently we took a family trip, a road trip. Twenty-four hour drive in a vehicle with the entire family: husband, and children – all boys – 17, 15, and 12 year old twins. All boys! You read that right! I deserve a gold star just for that! How about a…

We all have a story. The history of our family, what we were taught, messages we held on to and placed value and meaning to. This story plays out on a subconscious level, without our awareness. Not really surfacing unless we decide to see it, uncover the hidden messages that…

You can create every day to be just about what you intend it to be. Yes it takes effort. Yes it will be hard sometimes. Yes it will challenge your old beliefs. Say YES anyway! It will be worth it. Imagine feeling excited about getting up in the morning and…

Joe Dispenza, Author of the book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, states that your personality creates your personal reality. What does that mean? Well let’s first define our personality. Many say that our personality is who we are, there’s no changing it, it’s cemented in, like our genes. Well,…

The feeling of depression draws this image in my mind: you are at the bottom of a well. It is dark, musty, dirty and there is no way out. The only way is to claw your way out. Fingernails dig into the wet slimy bricks barely able to get a…

What if you had within you to have all the joy, love, happiness that you want in your life? Sure you think that’s impossible. Society has taught us to look at external sources for our sense of joy, belonging, acceptance, and self-worth. Aren’t we worth while human beings just because…

We often talk about life being out of balance or trying to create balance in life. You’lll often hear people talk about mother/wife balance, or work/life balance. How long do those moments of balance last? It’s like a teeter totter in the park, you remember! As a child we recruit…

I Have Cancer. The words “you have cancer,” send shivers down the spine. And each time you brave yourself enough to share your story, you see the looks of terror in people’s eyes that mirrored yours on that life-changing day. Maybe you continue to move forward feeling that “cancer saved…

Hmmm, you say? So you are thinking to yourself ‘if I’m not happy it’s my fault. There is something wrong with me, I’m doing something wrong.’ Let’s get something straight right away, there is no blame here! Absolutely none, no room for the blame game in the game of life!…

What would life really look like if you stopped the excuses? All those reasons you tell yourself on why you stay in a job you hate, how your partner makes you miserable, how you are always broke. The list goes on right? On and on! I know, I have a…

Our lives were meant to be joyful and full of love. Counseling, coaching, energy work and yoga, are all tools that will keep our feet grounded, our minds clear and our hearts grateful.” Read: Back to Basics, Depression 101 When asked about our health, we tend to think of our…

I have been in the mental health field for a long time. I have always wanted to be a counselor, to help others. I was the kid in high school that knew exactly what I wanted to go to college for. I was the one that studied like crazy and…