Therapy does not have to be open ended to be effective. ART Intensives offer a structured, time limited approach to trauma therapy for adults who want clear goals and meaningful resolution. Learn how Accelerated Resolution Therapy can support focused healing outside insurance driven models.

If you’re tired of your own brain, you’re not alone.
Overthinking isn’t random, and it’s not a personal failure. For many thoughtful, high-functioning people, it’s a nervous system strategy that once helped them feel safe. This article explores why your mind won’t shut off, why insight alone hasn’t helped, and what actually creates relief when overthinking becomes exhausting.

If you’ve been consistent in therapy, gained insight, and still feel anxious or reactive, you’re not doing anything wrong. For many high-functioning adults, therapy can plateau when understanding outpaces nervous system change. This post explores why that happens and what can help when insight alone isn’t enough.

You’ve done therapy. You understand your patterns. But you still feel stuck. If you’re wondering why therapy isn’t working for you anymore, this article explains the most common reasons and what actually helps when insight alone isn’t enough.

What if talking animals are showing us more than a viral trend?

In this reflection, trauma therapist Stephanie Butler, LMHC-S, explores UC San Diego’s AIC research and how dogs, cats, and other pets using FluentPet buttons reveal powerful lessons about consent, communication, and emotional healing. Through their stories, she shares how learning to listen to animals, our bodies, and each other can transform the way we heal.

Healing begins as a search for relief, but often becomes a search for meaning. As the nervous system settles, awareness expands, and the work of therapy can open the door to something deeper: a spiritual awakening. This isn’t about religion; it’s about remembering who you are when your body finally feels safe enough to listen.

Insight is powerful, but clarity is what sets you free. In this blog, I share why clarity matters more than “light bulb moments,” how the movie Labyrinth captures this truth, and why I built Clarity Counseling & Wellness around helping clients move from understanding to transformation.

Therapists are clients too. In “The Other Side of the Couch,” I share my own journey with PTSD after 9/11 and why that experience shapes the way I show up for clients today. If you have ever felt nervous about starting therapy, know that I understand what it takes to sit in that vulnerable seat and I value the courage it takes to begin.

Looking for ways to unwind and care for your mental health here on the Emerald Coast? From walking the sugar-white beaches of Fort Walton Beach to exploring hidden gems in Shalimar, our community is full of places that support self-care, joy, and healing. As a trauma therapist, I’ve gathered some of my favorite local spots from free nature walks, cozy cafés, playful skating nights, and even quiet corners like the library that remind us self-care doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.

Science and spirituality aren’t opposites. They’re allies. After 20 years as a trauma therapist, I’ve learned real healing happens when we stop forcing them to compete. Here’s why integration changes everything

Most people think healing has to be hard to be real. That if you’re not suffering, you’re not doing it right. But the truth is, therapy doesn’t have to hurt to work. In fact, the idea that struggle equals worthiness is often what keeps us stuck. Let’s talk about why; and how approaches like Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) can help you heal without reliving the pain.

You searched “therapist near me”… but did the right ones even show up?
Let’s talk about what those five-star ratings don’t tell you. In this post, I’m spilling the tea about reviews, ethics, and how search engines prioritize visibility over real alignment.

If you’re a client looking for meaningful care, or a therapist wondering how to stay ethical in a system that rewards popularity, this one’s for you.

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, answering questions, giving advice, even writing poems. So it's no surprise that some people are wondering: Is AI therapy just as good as real therapy? Or even, Is AI better than therapy with a person?

Read on to find out!

Let’s be honest: therapy is a big investment, emotionally, financially, and energetically. So it’s understandable to wonder:

“Why wouldn’t a therapist take my insurance?”

But here’s a better question:

What kind of therapy are you really getting when insurance is in charge?

One of the most common things I hear from people before they start Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is:

"I don’t even know where to start."

And my response? You don’t have to.

In fact, one of the reasons I love ART so much is that it works even when you don’t have a clear story or specific memory in mind. You don’t need to come in with your whole trauma history mapped out. You don’t have to explain every emotion you’ve been feeling. You just have to be willing to explore what’s showing up in your body and mind right now.

Let’s talk a little bit about the science behind trauma and why Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) actually works.

If you’ve ever wondered why some things still bother you even after years of therapy, or why your body reacts even when your mind says, “I’m fine,” you’re not alone. That’s the tricky part about trauma, it doesn’t just live in our thoughts. It lives in our nervous system.

So you’ve heard about Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and you’re wondering what actually happens in a session. First of all, it’s totally normal to feel a little unsure or even nervous before trying something new, especially something that’s different from traditional talk therapy. I want to walk you through what to expect so you can feel more grounded and comfortable walking into your first session.

If you’ve been researching trauma therapy, you’ve probably come across EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). It’s been around for a long time, and there’s a good reason for that, it works. I’ve used EMDR with clients, I’m trained in it, and I’ve seen it create meaningful change.

But if you’ve also seen me talk about Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), you might be wondering, “What’s the difference?”

If you’ve been poking around my site and wondering what exactly Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is, you are not alone. Most people have heard of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), but don’t realize that ART is similar, with a few key differences. One great thing about ART is that it is effective, it’s fast, and it doesn’t require you to rehash your trauma over and over again.

So let me break it down in a way that’s simple, conversational, and hopefully gives you a clear picture of what ART is and why I use it in my practice.

Perfectionism can form as a survival strategy; carefully spun from early wounds. This post explores how trauma may lie beneath the pursuit of "perfect."

Perfectionism often masks deeper wounds. Discover how it can be a learned survival strategy, and why healing the trauma underneath is key to change.