As women, we encounter the weight of the world with the highest expectations and often little advocacy. I offer compassionate therapy for women working through transitions in life. Whether you are starting a new career, just had a baby, struggling in your relationships with friends, or experiencing health challenges, I am here to provide a safe space to explore a new perspective, express without judgement, and discover how the past in impacting the present. It's your hour, just for you. To Book a Session: TEXT Heather @ 314-307-5755 OR Email: itsyourtimetherapy@proton.me *I will respond within the same day

In a safe, supportive and compassionate environment, your teen and I can begin to identify, explore and address the thoughts, feelings and issues that are fueling unwanted thought patterns and self punishment. We live in a media-saturated world that often shifts our children's self-image and even self-worth, creating a new level of comparison to another life more brightly painted than our own. Together we will explore various ways to express what is on your child's heart, whether it's writing, painting, drawing, talking, or gaining power by learning about the problem at hand, we will find a creative way to communicate. Parent involvement is welcomed and encouraged at the child's discretion. At a minimum, I keep the parent up to date on topics discussed while honoring confidentiality. The more a child is willing to bring the parent to session when needed, the deeper the healing process tends to be for both parties. Let's chat over a commitment free 30 minute consultation to ensure I am the right fit for your family. TEXT Heather @ 314-307-5755 OR Email: itsyourtimetherapy@proton.me *I will respond within the same day

This hour is for you. This is your time to hit the reset button for your mind and soul. Our space is judgment free and the number one priority is always you and your child’s best interest. Sometimes we need someone outside of our circle for this kind of support. Our time together will be productive with tools to take with you and a fresh perspective. Seeking counseling for this reason does not mean you haven’t tried your hardest, or you don’t love your child with everything in your being…it means just the opposite.

According to Wikipedia, anger is defined as wrath or rage, an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived hurt or threat. When we feel angry our bodies are pushed into high gear, releasing a chemical known as Norepinephrine (NE)…the SAME chemical that ignites our fight or flight response. Believe it or not, fear and anger are core emotions in the human body. We aren’t meant to live without them. Then why does anger get in the way of life so much and feel so wrong? Lots of reasons! Did you know that when we react to anger, it is a learned response? It’s the response we watched the adults in our childhood use when things went wrong. We then stored it away for our own rainy days. Oh, so it’s my dad’s fault I can’t control my temper! Well, not exactly. While anger is presented through a learned response, it doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. Let’s imagine the brain with an upstairs and a downstairs. The upstairs brain (prefrontal cortex) is responsible for all things good, like regulating emotions, maintaining stress, and keeping us sane. The downstairs brain consists of a tiny little almond shaped structure, called the amygdala. It likes to take charge, keep you out of danger, and will pull your hand away from a hot stove if needed. This is the same hangout place as our fight or flight response. While it seems like the happening part of the brain, it is our job to control the messages it sends to our upstairs brain. You see, anger is a secondary emotion. That means it’s not the first emotion you feel, but rather the second. Think of it like an iceberg…while easy to see and grandiose in nature, there is an even larger piece of ice under the surface. Our anger is just the tip of the iceberg. It can be fueled by different emotions at different times, such as feeling disappointed, lonely, embarrassed, tired, stressed, or (my favorite) hangry. Recognizing what you are actually feeling is half the battle to how you then react once that anger emotion starts to emerge to the surface. Therapy can help you identify triggers and learned behavior from childhood. If it is a child who is in therapy, well they have the advantage of catching patterns early and learning coping skills to carry with them into adulthood. Remember, anger is normal and happens to everyone. Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth before your downstairs brain creates havoc on your upstairs brain.

Since the beginning of time, our human bodies have been equipped to handle danger. As our society continued to evolve, so did our source of threatening situations. We went from confronting wildlife, heights and the elements of water, to reacting to stressors such as work, school, or parenting. When you put it that way, it makes you think “Well those are different things to be stressed about compared to in the past…” Yes, yes, they are, but the same nervous system (specifically the sympathetic nervous system or Fight or Flight) that has been delivering messages to and from our voluntary and involuntary pathways before proper civilization, exists in us today! So, for example, let’s say you are taking a casual hike through Yellowstone National Park. The scenic trail is breathtaking. To the right you see rolling green pastures with mountains just beyond the horizon. To the left, you notice a waterfall cascading down the differently colored rock…. you pause to take in the sounds of the water crashing into the stream below, the smell of the green pasture, and the feeling this brings. The sky is blue and the air is crisp. Right now, your body is regulated. Your heartbeat and breathing are at a steady pace, your eyesight is engulfing the view and nothing is too loud or too soft. Your parasympathetic nervous system (the regulator) is handing out high fives to the rest of your body. All of a sudden, a grizzly bear enters your path and is looking right at you. Where did he come from?! He stands on his hind legs and roars! You freeze…you are no longer in a tranquil state. Your pupils dilate, your heart begins to race, you start to sweat, and all of your senses are heightened to the max! This is your body entering the fight or flight response (anxiety attack). The sympathetic nervous system is saying “you either stay here and act like your dead, fight the bear, or you get the he** out of here and FAST!” This is what a panic attack feels like. Anxiety disorders are produced when we have overly frequent, intense, or inappropriate activation of this fight or flight reaction to various stressors in life. The messages traveling throughout our body, primarily from our brain to our stomachs are yelling “We have a problem here! Like a BIG problem! You better get back up!” Pretty soon, your body can no longer identify a big stressor from a small stressor and it goes into permanent protective mode just to stay safe. When treating anxiety in therapy, education and understanding the purpose and function of this fight or flight response is the key to disarming it. This is the last phase in a modern / everyday anxiety inducing encounter believe it or not. First comes the trigger and ability to identify it, from there you can either avoid the stressor or confront it, and the results then reflect what has happened up until that point. Once you avoid and seek shelter, your brain is relieved and your body begins to thank you by settling down, however this is the food that feeds panic. Through therapy, you learn how to identify the triggers and regulate the feeling to “Abort! Abort!” so that when you are faced with the same stressor in the future, your fight or flight response is left malnourished and once again, your parasympathetic nervous system can hand out high fives.

We’ve made it quick and convenient for you to manage your blog from anywhere. In this blog post, we’ll share the ways you can post to your Wix Blog. Blogging from the Dashboard On the dashboard, you have everything you need to manage your blog in one place. You can create new posts, assign categories, adjust SEO and more. Click Create New Post to get started writing, adding images and formatting your post. Blogging from the mobile app Write posts, reply to comments, and manage your blog all on the go. Download the Wix Owner App from the dashboard to get started. Blogging from your published site Did you know that you can blog right from your published website? Once you publish your site, go to your website’s URL and log in to your site with your Wix account. There you can write and edit posts, manage comments, pin posts and more. Just click on the 3 dot icon ( ⠇) to see all the things you can do.

Got questions about counseling? Find answers in our Q&A section. Get expert advice from a counseling professional at 7710 Carondelet Avenue, Clayton, MO. Q & A DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE, WHY NOT? DO YOU HAVE A SLIDING SCALE? WHAT HAPPENS IF I NEED TO CANCEL OR RESCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT? Q&A Insurance While I do not take insurance, I am more than happy to provide you with a receipt that you can submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. Since coverage varies widely from policy to policy, there is no guarantee that my services will be reimbursed in full or in partial by your insurance company. However, some of my clients do report receiving partial reimbursement. Counseling sessions do qualify as medical expenses for the purpose of lowering your taxable income. Sliding Scale I have a limited number of openings for Sliding Scale clients. Contact me for more info! Cancellation / Rescheduling If you need to cancel or reschedule please do so within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment. If this need is not communicated within 24 hours, the card on file will be charged the rate of the full session.

Get in touch with our counseling professional to schedule a session at 7710 Carondelet Avenue, Clayton, MO, USA. Start your journey to wellness today! Schedule a Session 7710 Carondelet Avenue, Clayton, MO, USA Email: itsyourtimetherapy@proton.me Call or TEXT @ 314-307-5755 Name Email Phone Address Subject Message Submit Thanks for submitting!

At Heather Frost Counseling, we incorporate Mindfulness as a modality into every session as needed. This is meant to rejuvenate your mind and body from anxiety. We will practice breathwork and grounding to calm our nervous system, we will lean into yoga stretches and muscle relaxation to become more in tuned with our body, and we will incorporate painting to further explore our creative energy. Keep a Curious Mind Have you ever noticed your brain jumping from one thing to the next like a monkey exploring the jungle? I call it "monkey brain". Our brains are incredibly busy creating several movies for a single story. A story we play over and over in our minds about events that have occured in a single day! We then create "what if scenarios" which then lead to anxiety and even panic. Mindfulness is a practice that asks your monkey brain to slow down, take a deep breath, and just be. It allows for curiosity that seems to have left us in the dust since childhood. To explore being present while setting your brain free from high activity, is an artform in and of itself. *Mindfulness is incorporated into each counseling session on an as needed / requested basis What does it look like to practice mindfulness? We will use a collaborative tool box that includes stretching, breath control and awareness, body scanning, and visualization. We will practice the artform of grounding to gain control of our anxiety as well as muscle relaxation to better appreciate the true feeling of calmness. At times painting will be incorporated as a meditative and therapeutic exercise to ignite creative exploration. What are the benefits of mindfulness and what is it?? Mindfulness is simply a state of awareness, but I like to think of it as holding ourselves accountable to what is allowed in our lives. Benefits include: Reduced Rumination - studies have shown repetitive thoughts of worry or concern are linked to high anxiety and depression. Reduced Anxiety - Studies have shown that mindfulness shifts people's ability to use emotion regulation strategies in a way that enables emotion selectively with altered brain function. Boosts Working Memory - increased ability to cognitively store small amounts of information for longer periods of time. Example: listening to a sequence of events in a story while understanding what the story means. Increases Focus - higher attention spans and cognitive flexibility. Less Emotional Reactivity - engage less emotionally and more with cognition. Let's Connect Get in touch with a complimentary consultation with me Text @ 314-307-5755 or Email @ itsyourtimetherapy@proton.me