What is trauma bonding? This phenomenon is more commonly known as Stockholm Syndrome. Trauma bonding occurs when a victim caught in the abuse cycle becomes dependent on their abuser physically, psychologically, and socially, making it more difficult to escape the abuse as time goes on. As a therapist, I have done research on the abuse cycle because to me, it’s...[ read more ]

I wrote this post a year ago on Father’s Day on my personal blog. Given that it’s still relevant, I am sharing it here, as I know for many, Father’s Day carries with it a lot of pain and brokenness. I kept the post in present tense. *** Prior to getting married last year, I didn’t give much thought to...[ read more ]

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Last week, I found myself reflecting back to my earliest memories of mental illness. The first instance that came to mind probably occurred when I was around 11-years-old. My mother was dating the man that would later become her husband. Brian had a son a few years younger than me and I remember my...[ read more ]

For this last post for Counseling Awareness Month, I'm excited to share a book review of Samuel Pollen's The Year I Didn't Eat. What is the book about? Max is a 14-year old in the 9th grade. He has friends, a supportive family, and a dog. But a year ago, someone disrupted life as he knew it. Her name is...[ read more ]

For today's Counseling Awareness Month post, I am excited to share my interview with award-winning author, Laleh Chini. Laleh is the author of Climbing Over Grit, which has recently won The Canada Book Award. Before we get into the interview, I'd like to share a brief summary of the book, as I've had the pleasure of reading it. Climbing Over...[ read more ]

For today's Counseling Awareness Month post, I'm excited to share an interview that I did with Shalanda Jackson, LCSW. Shalanda is the owner of J Group Counseling Services, a private practice for psychotherapy where she offers individual counseling and group counseling. I understand that you do group therapy for anger management. Tell the readers about what that group is like...[ read more ]

For today’s Counseling Awareness Month post, I am sharing a guest post that I did for Mental Health at Home about play therapy. Check it out! https://mentalhealthathome.org/2019/04/22/emerging-blogger-series-johnzelle/ If you enjoyed this content, feel free to buy me a coffee to support the blog and podcast. Be sure to sign up for my email list, to receive new articles and podcast episodes direct to...[ read more ]

Recently, my wife asked me if I had ever heard of PANDAS. Since I hadn’t, I began to do some research on the topic and I thought I’d share some of what I learned with you. PANDAS/PANS PANDAS stands for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections. As the name suggests, it’s a neurocognitive condition that seems to be...[ read more ]

To continue with Counseling Awareness Month, I was excited to interview Dr. Lakesha Roney, LPC. She is currently the clinical coordinator at The Health Brigade, which is a local free clinic that offers a ton of great services to the underserved. In addition, Dr. Roney runs a group practice for psychotherapy, Inner Self Counseling & Consulting. Dr. Roney is the...[ read more ]

Today, I’m excited to share the insights that I gained from my interview with Mark Loewen, therapist and owner of Launchpad Counseling in Richmond, Virginia. Mark is a husband, father, and licensed professional counselor (LPC) who specializes in working with LGBTQIA+ adults. Mark, talk about the resurgence of homophobia and feelings of being unsafe in a post-Trump world. “The political...[ read more ]