We’ve all heard of the benefits of therapy. But do you need to wait for a big, specific problem to start working with a therapist? We answer your most asked questions about therapy, why people work with a counsellor, and what you should know before starting therapy

Therapy. Our perception of what therapy is – and who it’s for – has changed drastically over the years. According to the Mental Health Foundation, around one in eight adults (12.1%) in the UK receives some kind of mental health treatment – just 3% of which is some form of psychological therapy. In the US, one in five adults (21.6%) are seeking out treatment for mental health issues. Yet many of us don’t realise that talking therapy isn’t just for when you are experiencing ill mental health.

Talk therapies can be helpful for anyone who is experiencing a tough time or who has emotional problems. Therapy can help you to reach specific goals in your life, reflect on your past, and to better understand who you are, what you want, and where you want to go. But you don’t need to have a specific problem, diagnosis, or even be struggling in order to see real benefits from working with a counsellor, therapist, psychotherapist, or psychologist.

Here, we answer some of your top questions on therapy and how working with a therapist can help you (even when you don’t have a specific problem).

Do you need problems to go to therapy?

You don’t have to have a specific problem, issue, or diagnosable mental health problem to go to (or benefit from) therapy. While many of us will wait until a major life crisis hits or we feel like we are struggling before we seek help, it is never too early to speak with someone.

You can work with a mental health professional like a counsellor or therapist to talk in general. Many people find that this can help them to sort out their feelings, release pent-up emotions, or even to discover underlying issues that they didn’t know were weighing in on their minds or actions. Speaking with a therapist can feel freeing, as you can talk about issues, events, experiences, or thoughts you haven’t felt able to share with anyone before.

Can happy people go to therapy?

It’s important to note that not only unhappy people seek therapy. Many people who would classify themselves as ha

Linguica or Kielbasa Sausage and Peppers Skillet

Sometimes the simplest recipe can taste the best! Linguica or kielbasa sausage and peppers only requires 5 ingredients and it doesn’t get any easier (or tastier) to get dinner on the table!

Cade spent 2 years serving as a missionary for our church, and he totally fell in love with the food there. I mean, how could you not, right?! It is SO good! I’m trying to add more delicious Brazilian dishes to our dinner rotation, and this linguica recipe is my latest! Cade says that it is spot on!

We used to visit a Brazilian restaurant every January here in Utah to celebrate Cade’s birthday but over the years it’s gone from delicious to downright terrible. So, I’ve started making more Brazilian recipes from home, kind of like our pao de queijo!

Linguica is so good but it can be a bit tricky to find so feel free to use any sausage like a kielbasa for example that you’d like! Just be sure to pair it with black beans and perfect white rice, or better yet, some feijoada!

Ingredients for Linguica Sausage and Peppers

Remember how 5 ingredients is all you need?! I am allllll about a recipe with minimal ingredient but still bold in flavor. Here is the list of things you will need:

• Linguica Sausage – a flavorful pork sausage that can be tricky to find sometimes, so you can substitute other sausages if you want – chorizo would be a good substitute or a kielbasa
• Mini Bell Peppers – I love how thin and sweet the mini bell peppers are, but you can totally use a full size bell pepper if you need to. I would do one yellow and one red.
• Green Bell Peppers – just remove the seeds and slice that baby nice and thin
• Red On

January 7, 2023

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m headed to Santa Fe with my sisters for a few days next weekend and I can hardly wait. It’s been far too long since our last getaway. Do you have a favorite spot in Santa Fe? Shoot me a note if there’s something new I should try.

ON THE BLOG this week: Crispy-edged baked green chile chicken burritos full of cheesy goodness are an easy-to-assemble mealtime hit, full of green chile flavor.

Potatoes, red and green bell peppers, and yellow onions are combined in a colorful and flavorful breakfast skillet that is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Loaded with flavor and just a hint of heat, these Italian stuffed bell peppers are filled with ground beef and rice, seasoned with plenty of Italian spices, and topped with cheese.

White bean and corn enchiladas with green chile sauce and lots of cheesy goodness serve as a meal or snacktime dip.

Naturally sweet and bursting with blueberry freshness, banana blueberry pancakes are a weekday breakfast must in our home. Are you wondering how to pull off pancakes on a busy weekday morning?? Check out all the tips in the post.

Warm slices of baked apples covered with cinnamon brown sugar streusel topping are all that’s required to make this easy apple crisp recipe.

What I’m CRAVING: This Chocolate Cream Pie by Valerie’s Kitchen is what chocolate-loving dreams are made of. I haven’t had a chocolate pie in ages and this one needs to happen soon!

My FAVORITE THING this week is the Misen vegetable peeler. (link HERE) My friend Rebecca gifted it to me a few weeks ago and if I’m honest, I wasn’t convinced I’d love it. (I’ve never been a big fan of the Y-shaped peelers in the past.) She was right though. This one is a keeper. It’s wicked sharp and comfortable to use.

What I’m WATCHING: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (link HERE) If I’d been asked half an hour into this movie what I thought of it, I’d have said “serious cringe” and I was about to turn it off. However, I was watching with my kids and we wanted to give it a chance. 

Luckily, it turned out to be an excellent watch. In a terrific mix of the expected a

Hellooooo. Happy Friday! How are you? I hope you’ve had a wonderful week so far! The kids headed back to school this week and as much I want to say YAY I finally got work done and we’re back in a routine, nope. I missed them like crazy and I hate waking up early, so there ya go.

We did go out with a bang and had a wild card girls’ day on our last day of winter break. I took pieces of paper and wrote options on them for the day and the girls picked randomly from each set. (I saw the idea go around TikTok a while back and thought they’d like it!)

They ended up picking eegee’s for lunch, Round 1 (a huge arcade), Starbucks, Mildred & Dildred (the best local toy store) and a board game (we played Zingo and Old Maid). P told me I was a fun mom. *cry emoji*

This weekend is Liv’s birthday (11! HOW?!), Annie with the family, and getting ready for a lil trip we’re taking next week. I’d love to hear what you have going on this weekend!

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Read, watch, listen:

What’s the most helpful thing a therapist ever told you?

Matilda

We’ve all been waiting anxiously for Matilda’s release on Netflix and while I expected it to be good, I did not expect it to be that good. The music is epic (“Revolting Children” is on repeat and P has memorized 90% of the dance moves), and the storyline is amazing. Expect a tiny bit of crass language and bullying, but it had an overwhelming message of bravery, positivity, and the power of love/kindness.

Wednesday

Liv had been wanting to watch Wednesday since her friends have seen it, so after doing a bit of research (and determined no major adult themes, just scariness), I figured we could watch it together. We both loved it! It was intense,

When your child reaches life’s key crossroads – such as approaching GCSEs or further education – a good idea of what makes them tick makes the process a whole lot simpler

Can you relate to a moment when you were younger when something just clicked? Perhaps you picked up a new hobby, stumbled across a book about something you’d never heard of before, just happened to walk into the room when a fascinating documentary was on the television, or were sitting in a classroom and suddenly everything the teacher was saying made sense.

Finding the things that ignite our passion, dreams, and imagination can set us up for a lifetime of discovery, intrigue, and fulfilment. Of course, as you would expect, things we’re passionate about do change throughout our lives. But, for young people, having a clear idea of what brings them joy can make those key life crossroads (such as choosing GCSEs, further education courses, and careers) that much easier to navigate.

That said, sometimes nailing down precisely what that is can be a challenge. So, to help, we’ve gathered together 30 questions that you can use as prompts to help get the conversation started, and uncover their passion.

1. Do you enjoy being challenged?

2. Describe your perfect day.

3. What is something that you could talk about for hours?

4. Which people in your life do you admire, and why?

5. What subject or activity do you most look forward to doing at the moment?

6. What do you believe are your best qualities?

7. Do you like working on your own, or with other people?

8. Do you ever lose yourself in an activity and ignore the rest of the world?

9. Describe a time you felt most proud of yourself.

10. Are there any activities or subjects you find draining?

11. If money were no object, what would your ideal career be?

12. What is something that you have always wanted to try?

13. What are five of your strengths?

14. What are some of your favourite hobbies?

15. If you couldn’t fail, what would you try?

16. Do you feel any pressure to take a certain route in life?

17. What do you need help with?

18. Describe a perfect day at school.

19. Have you ever watched a film, or read a book, that changed the way you think?

20. What do you find easy?

21. What do you want to be doing in five years' time?

22. Have you ever enjoyed something that you didn’t think you were very good at?

23. Is helping others important to you?

24. What achievement would younger you be most proud of?

25. What causes or charities are you passionate about, and why?

26. Do you like doing practical, hands-on things?

27. What is your favourite compliment to receive?

28. Who do you find inspirational, and why?

29. What do you want to get better at?

30. If you could change something about the world, what would it be?

Interested in input from a professional? Youth life coaching could help. Connect with a professional using the Life Co