Living Well Blog Category

Honoring Liberation, Light, and Love: Reflections on Juneteenth, theSolstice, and Pride Month

At Living Well Psychotherapy, we know that healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It unfolds in context—in the stories of our ancestors, in the wisdom carried by our bodies, and in the quiet rhythms of the Earth. This June offers us a sacred convergence: Juneteenth, Pride Month, and the Summer Solstice—three distinct, yet deeply connected invitations ...
a woman sitting in a chair by a fire pit

A Wind-Down Ritual for Restful Summer Nights

Summer is full of brightness, movement, and activity—but even joy can become overstimulation. By the time the sun sets, many of us are still buzzing. Sleep doesn’t just happen—it’s something we arrive at with intention. Here’s a simple, sacred wind-down ritual: This isn’t another item on your to-do list. It’s your body’s way of saying:“This ...
a woman with headphones around her neck

Box Breathing: A Calm Corner for Your Mind

Imagine you’re sitting somewhere quiet—a sun-dappled porch, your favorite spot on the couch, or the stillness of your car before walking inside. You place one hand on your chest or belly. And you breathe, slowly and intentionally. This is box breathing, a simple technique that calms the nervous system and brings you back to your ...
$200 Discount

3rd Annual Belly Monster Healing Retreat: Healing Through Grief

Grief is an energy we all carry, and more often than not, it settles deep within us—especially in our bellies, where emotions are stored and processed. That’s why we call our retreat Belly Monster—a space dedicated to acknowledging, honoring, and releasing this held grief so healing can truly begin. For a limited time, we’re offering ...
Gut Health

Is Your Grief Affecting Your Gut?

Grief and how it messes with our gut: How Grief Affects the Vagus Nerve:Grief triggers a strong emotional stress response, which can activate the vagus nerve. This can lead to a “fight, flight or freeze” response, where the vagus nerve is constantly engaged, even when there is no real danger. Digestive Issues: The vagus nerve plays ...
Expert Depression Treatment near Wilmette, IL

Tools To Live Well in Challenging Times

At Living Well, we deeply respect and care for ALL individuals, irrespective of their citizenship, race, gender, economic status, or sexual orientation. Our mission is rooted in love, and we strive to spread this love throughout our world, making everyone feel valued and respected. You are an integral part of this mission, and we are ...
Martin Luther King Jr

Dr. King Jr.’s Legacy of Love

We honor your memory, and your dream Dr. King Jr. Love is the path to light & hope! On this special day, we celebrate the life and legacy of a truly remarkable leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His unwavering spirit, a beacon of hope in the face of hate and discrimination, continues to inspire ...
Blank Book

Setting Vision for 2025

One practice we like is setting visions. We do it for meetings, projects, people – anything really! With the New Year underway, it’s a great time to take a moment to think about WHO and HOW we want to be this year. What is visioning?  Visioning is: Visioning can be useful in almost any situation. ...
Couple on their phones

Managing Executive Dysfunction and Adult ADHD

Those of us who have lived with executive dysfunction can often feel like a tangled ball of challenges. These can intricately affect how we manage emotions, motivation, and behavior in everyday life. Adults grappling with these invisible hurdles often struggle with conditions such as ADHD, autism, depression, and more. This week, we will focus on ...
Holding Each Other

Grief: Not a Solo Journey

Written by: Elyse Naples, LPC with Ruth Minnick, NCC, LPC Grief can be sad, angry, silent, powerful, or beautiful. All in all, grief is complicated–An understatement. Grief is not meant to be a solo journey, It can be very lonely and isolating. Those who have experienced loss know the powerful effects it can have on our ...

At Living Well Psychotherapy, we know that healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It unfolds in context—in the stories of our ancestors, in the wisdom carried by our bodies, and in the quiet rhythms of the Earth. This June offers us a sacred convergence: Juneteenth, Pride Month, and the Summer Solstice—three distinct, yet deeply connected invitations … Read more

a woman sitting in a chair by a fire pit

Summer is full of brightness, movement, and activity—but even joy can become overstimulation. By the time the sun sets, many of us are still buzzing. Sleep doesn’t just happen—it’s something we arrive at with intention. Here’s a simple, sacred wind-down ritual: This isn’t another item on your to-do list. It’s your body’s way of saying:“This … Read more

a woman with headphones around her neck

Imagine you’re sitting somewhere quiet—a sun-dappled porch, your favorite spot on the couch, or the stillness of your car before walking inside. You place one hand on your chest or belly. And you breathe, slowly and intentionally. This is box breathing, a simple technique that calms the nervous system and brings you back to your … Read more

$200 Discount

Grief is an energy we all carry, and more often than not, it settles deep within us—especially in our bellies, where emotions are stored and processed. That’s why we call our retreat Belly Monster—a space dedicated to acknowledging, honoring, and releasing this held grief so healing can truly begin. For a limited time, we’re offering … Read more

Gut Health

Grief and how it messes with our gut: How Grief Affects the Vagus Nerve:Grief triggers a strong emotional stress response, which can activate the vagus nerve. This can lead to a “fight, flight or freeze” response, where the vagus nerve is constantly engaged, even when there is no real danger. Digestive Issues: The vagus nerve plays … Read more

Expert Depression Treatment near Wilmette, IL

At Living Well, we deeply respect and care for ALL individuals, irrespective of their citizenship, race, gender, economic status, or sexual orientation. Our mission is rooted in love, and we strive to spread this love throughout our world, making everyone feel valued and respected. You are an integral part of this mission, and we are … Read more

Martin Luther King Jr

We honor your memory, and your dream Dr. King Jr. Love is the path to light & hope! On this special day, we celebrate the life and legacy of a truly remarkable leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His unwavering spirit, a beacon of hope in the face of hate and discrimination, continues to inspire … Read more

Blank Book

One practice we like is setting visions. We do it for meetings, projects, people – anything really! With the New Year underway, it’s a great time to take a moment to think about WHO and HOW we want to be this year. What is visioning?  Visioning is: Visioning can be useful in almost any situation. … Read more

Couple on their phones

Those of us who have lived with executive dysfunction can often feel like a tangled ball of challenges. These can intricately affect how we manage emotions, motivation, and behavior in everyday life. Adults grappling with these invisible hurdles often struggle with conditions such as ADHD, autism, depression, and more. This week, we will focus on … Read more

Holding Each Other

Written by: Elyse Naples, LPC with Ruth Minnick, NCC, LPC Grief can be sad, angry, silent, powerful, or beautiful. All in all, grief is complicated–An understatement. Grief is not meant to be a solo journey, It can be very lonely and isolating. Those who have experienced loss know the powerful effects it can have on our … Read more