When it comes to seeking personal growth or emotional support, both counseling and life coaching can be beneficial, but they serve very different purposes. My focus is counseling because it offers the depth, safety, and professional foundation that many people need to experience lasting change.

What Life Coaching Offers
Life coaching focuses on helping individuals set and reach personal or professional goals. It’s action-oriented and often emphasizes motivation, accountability, and structure to help people create external change such as improving performance at work, clarifying career direction, or developing new habits.

Life coaching can be valuable for individuals who are emotionally well and simply want direction or encouragement. However, it’s important to note that life coaching is not a mental health service. Life coaches are not required to hold advanced degrees or state licenses, and are not bound by ethics or regulations guiding their practice.

What Counseling Provides
Counseling, by contrast, is focused on emotional well-being and mental health. It provides a safe, confidential space to explore experiences, patterns, and emotions that may be creating distress or holding you back. Counseling supports both healing and growth helping clients manage anxiety, depression, trauma, and other challenges through evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and mindfulness techniques.

Sessions are led by a licensed mental health counselor who has completed a master’s degree or higher and is bound by strict ethical and legal standards as well as ongoing education requirements. This professional training ensures that counseling is guided by research, clinical expertise, and a deep commitment to client safety and confidentiality.

Why Counseling Matters
While both coaching and counseling aim to help people create positive change, counseling goes deeper. It doesn’t just focus on setting goals it helps uncover why certain patterns, emotions, or behaviors show up, and offers strategies to work through them in sustainable, healthy ways. Counseling helps you build insight, strengthen coping skills, and move toward a more balanced and peaceful life.
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If you’re feeling stuck, anxious, or overwhelmed or simply want a supportive space to understand yourself better, counseling offers a compassionate, professional path toward growth and healing.

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1. Accept That Change is Inevitable: Change is a natural part of life. Accepting this fact can help you approach it with a more positive mindset. Instead of resisting change, try to embrace it as an opportunity for growth.
2. Stay Flexible: Flexibility is key when dealing with change. Be open to new ideas and approaches, and be willing to adapt to new situations. The more flexible you are, the easier it will be to navigate through changes.
3. Set Realistic Expectations: Understand that change often comes with challenges and setbacks. Setting realistic expectations can help you avoid frustration and disappointment. Be patient with yourself and others as you navigate the transition.
4. Seek Support: Don't be afraid to lean on your support network. Talk to friends, family, or colleagues about your feelings and concerns. Sharing your thoughts and emotions can provide valuable perspective and comfort during times of change.
5. Focus on What You Can Control: Change can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it's essential to focus on what you can control. Identify the aspects of the situation that you have influence over, and channel your energy into those areas.
6. Take Care of Your Well-Being: Change can be stressful, so it's crucial to prioritize self-care. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, and practicing relaxation techniques like mindfulness or meditation. Taking care of your well-being will help you better manage the challenges of change.

Remember that everyone responds to change differently, and it's okay to seek professional help or guidance if you find it particularly difficult to cope with a specific change or if it significantly impacts your mental health.

I wish you a healthy Fall season and look forward to seeing you when the time is right for you. 
 
Warmly,
​Tracy Hunt, MSEd, LPCC
Owner, Turning Inward LLC
​Supporting adults 18+ through anxiety, stress, life changes, grief, and depression with compassionate counseling.
937-321-9794

​I wish you a healthy Spring and look forward to meeting you when the time is right for you. Until then….
 
Tracy Hunt, MSEd, LPCC
Owner, Turning Inward LLC
“Gentle Support for Difficult Times”
937-321-9794
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I’m a big fan of baby steps, so no New Year Resolutions for me. Rather, I prefer and suggest steady steps in the direction you want to go. The following steps may prove helpful in your personal goal attainment:

1. Prevent overload by eliminating as many distractions as you can.
2. You can’t do more than one thing at a time. It takes time for your brain to switch between two things, so stop trying to multitask.
3. Relieve your mental load by putting tasks and worries on paper instead of overthinking.
4. When you’re avoiding a task, think of the benefits of getting it done to stop procrastinating.
5. Zone out with exercise. Physical activity increases dopamine which drives your brain, but let your mind wander while exercising to re-charge your concentration.
6. Reduce clutter. A messy environment steals your brain’s attention making it difficult to focus.
7. Seek quiet. Research shows auditory distractions can be disruptive to a brain that’s trying to focus.
8. Sipping coffee or tea may help increase your ability to focus BUT be mindful most people need 6-10 hours to metabolize caffeine so have it early in the day.

*Adapted from “How to use science to focus at work.” wired.co.uk

Late summer and early fall are a favorite time of year for many in Ohio, especially if you enjoy less humidity, the beauty of fall leaves, hoodies, and enjoying a warm beverage in crisper air. 

But for some, the shorter days and increasingly gray skies have a negative impact on mood and energy.

If you know late autumn and winter tend to be difficult for you, September is a good time to start caring for yourself a little more intentionally.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), AKA depression with a seasonal pattern, can bring changes in mood, energy, sleep, appetite, motivation, and our desire to connect with others.

Here are a few gentle ways to prepare.

Take care of your body
The basics really do matter. Aim for a consistent sleep schedule and 7-9 hours of sleep. Move your body in ways that feel good...walking, stretching, yoga, yard work, shooting hoops, or whatever works for you.

And when you can, get outside during the daylight. Natural light helps regulate our internal clock, and even a cloudy day is an opportunity to get outside.

Nourish yourself with regular, balanced meals, and if caffeine affects your sleep, consider cutting it off earlier in the day.

Stay connected
When we're tired or feeling low, it's easy to withdraw.

Try not to wait until you feel better to connect with others. Call a friend. Have coffee with someone. Take a walk together. Join a class or book club. Invite someone over.

Connection doesn't have to be complicated in order to be beneficial. 

Create some cozy
I love the Danish concept of Hygge - creating warmth, comfort, and coziness in everyday life.

Pull out a favorite book. Make a warm drink. Light a candle. Put on your favorite music, sweatshirt, or socks. Sit by the fireplace. Cook something comforting.

Whatever helps your space feel like a place you want to be, make a little more room for that this season.

Be gentle with yourself
If fall and winter are difficult for you, don't beat yourself up over it. 

Instead of "Why am I like this?" or "I should be doing better," try:
"This is a challenging time for me. What do I need right now?"

Sometimes it's enough to notice what helps you feel more like yourself and make a little more room for those things.

And sometimes more support may be needed. If seasonal changes significantly affect your mood, ability to function, or relationships, consider talking with a mental health or healthcare professional. Effective treatments are available.

Don't wait until you're struggling
Get some daylight.
Move your body.
Get enough sleep.
Connect with supportive others.
Create some coziness in your space.
Be gentle with yourself.

And if you need more support, reach out.

The gray days will come and go. Be gentle with yourself while you move through them.

Tracy Hunt, MSEd, LPCC
Turning Inward Counseling
Ohio Counseling for Adults
www.turninginwardllc.com

​Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a form of psychotherapy (or ‘talk’ therapy).
It is well researched and has been scientifically validated making it an “evidenced-based treatment”. It focuses on the client’s current difficulties and what is maintaining them. CBT helps treat depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health concerns.
 
CBT is a collaborative treatment with active involvement from both therapist and client. Working together, the therapist helps the client recognize problematic thinking patterns and helps the client explore and identify more realistic ways of viewing situations. 
 
Homework can be a component of treatment which may include articles to read, relaxation exercises, daily or weekly goals, worksheets to complete, practice identifying unhelpful thinking, and learning to make connections between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. 
 
CBT is generally considered a short-term therapy with the number of sessions ranging from 5-12 sessions depending upon the individual, their needs, and their commitment to practicing what they learn in their sessions in real life. 
 
As a mental health professional, I really like using CBT with clients as it provides a quick treatment and tools to help ease anxiety, depression, symptoms of trauma and other mental health concerns. CBT teaches coping techniques, that once learned, can continue to be of help throughout your lifespan. Some mental health professionals say that CBT should be taught in school, and I couldn’t agree more.
 
If CBT is a treatment approach that interests you, feel free to email me at [email protected]. All the best!  
 
Tracy Hunt, MSEd, LPCC
Turning Inward LLC
https://www.turninginwardllc.com

In today’s fast-paced world, multitasking is often worn like a badge of honor. Employers may list it as a required skill. Productivity culture praises it. Many adults in Ohio tell me they feel pressure to constantly juggle tasks, emails, conversations, errands, parenting, and work responsibilities...all at once!

But here’s the truth: multitasking is for computers, not humans.

The Origin of “Multitasking”
The term multitasking originated in the 1960s during the rise of computer technology. It described a computer’s ability to process multiple tasks simultaneously.

Somewhere along the way, we adopted that same expectation for ourselves.
But humans are not computers. Our brains are designed to focus on one task at a time. When we try to split our attention, we aren’t actually multitasking, rather we are task-switching. And task-switching comes with a cost.

Why Multitasking Increases Stress and Anxiety
If you don’t believe multitasking doesn’t work, consider this: How many things can you truly finish at the exact same moment? Completion only happens one task at a time.

When your focus is divided among multiple responsibilities, your nervous system shifts into a stress response. Many adults I work with in individual therapy across Ohio report feeling:

• Overwhelmed
• Mentally scattered
• Irritable
• Drained at the end of the day
• Unable to fully relax

​This may actually be a simple working definition of stress:
Having too much to do and too many things to focus on at once, without the capacity to complete them one at a time.

When we constantly divide our attention, our brains never fully “arrive” anywhere. There is no sense of resolution, only interruption.

The Mental Health Benefits of Single-Tasking
Now imagine this instead:
You focus on one task.
You give it your attention.
You think clearly.
You complete it.

There’s a natural rhythm to single-tasking. It allows your mind to settle. You can relax into the process. You reach a resolution. You experience a sense of completion.

And that completion? It’s regulating for your nervous system.

Adults who practice focusing on one task at a time may notice:

• Reduced anxiety and stress
• Improved concentration
• Greater productivity 
• Less mental fatigue
• More satisfaction at the end of the day

Single-tasking isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing things with intention.

Practical Ways to Stop Multitasking
If you live in Ohio and feel chronically overwhelmed, here are a few small shifts to try:

• Finish one email before opening another
• Silence notifications while working on a task
• Schedule focused work blocks
• Physically write down tasks so your brain doesn’t hold them all at once
• Pause and ask: “What is the one thing I’m doing right now?”

Even small changes can significantly reduce stress.

Slowing Down Is Not Laziness, It’s Regulation
In therapy at Turning Inward Counseling, I often help adults explore how productivity, pressure, and perfectionism contribute to stress and anxiety. Many of us were taught that doing more at once means we are high performers. 

But, being scattered is not the same as being effective.

You are allowed to focus.
You are allowed to complete one thing at a time.
You are allowed to move at a human pace.
Aah, doesn't that feel better.

Tracy Hunt, MSEd, LPCC
Turning Inward Counseling
Individual self-pay therapy for adults in Ohio
www.turninginwardllc.com