Start Breaking Bad Habits Today - January 2nd, 2025

Habits form when we consistently repeat an action over a sustained period of time. This creates efficiencies that may actually be useful. A significant portion of our daily routine is done without much thought, so habits free up our brains to focus on other tasks. But not all habits are healthy. We form bad habits because they have short-term benefits, and we ignore the long-term consequences for this momentary payoff. The more enjoyable the instant gratification, the harder the bad habit is to break.

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Managing Grief During the Holidays - December 19th, 2025

According to popular music, Hallmark movies, and holiday greeting cards, this time of year is filled with peace, joy, and good tidings. But for many who have lost a loved one, that picture isn’t entirely accurate. Instead of joy, we feel sadness. Instead of peace, we feel anxiety. If you or someone you know is coping with loss this season, it’s important to remember that healing is a process. With significant loss, grief may always be present. However, it does dull with time as we learn to do life in new ways without that person.

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Are You SAD? Seasonal Affective Disorder: Who it Affects and How to Combat It - December 5th, 2025

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of major depression with a seasonal pattern that affects most people in winter, but it can happen at any time of year.

Winter can bring snowflakes, snowmen, peace, joy, and good tidings. But for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), winter can also bring serious depression. Each year, around 5% of people in the US experience SAD. This is more than just a case of the blahs and can have a major impact on a person’s ability to function.

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Holiday Family Gathering Survival Guide - November 21st, 2025

Family get-togethers would be easy if it weren’t for our families. As much as we love them, they’re often the people who can drive us on the shortest trip to crazy. While some of us long for extra time with our family, others dread those get-togethers. If the thought of a difficult family member gets your blood pressure rising, it’s time to accept the facts. You can’t change them. But you can change the way they affect you.

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Spiritual Wellness: Your Meaning and Purpose - November 7th, 2025

Spirituality is the term often used in regard to matters of faith, the human spirit, and beliefs about a higher power or powers. While in the past spirituality was generally believed to be a personal matter, changes in cultural and societal norms have shifted this dynamic and the role of spirituality in overall physical and mental wellness is recognized in healthcare, education, and the workplace. In fact, organizations such as the Center for Disease Control and the American Cancer Society even recognize the role of spirituality in a wide range of areas, from treating cancer to overcoming tobacco dependence.

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Breaking Free of the Abuse Cycle: Recognizing the Hidden Chains - October 16th, 2025

Kaitlyn stared at her reflection, struggling to recognize herself. "You're lucky I love you enough to tell you the truth," echoed her husband Matt's words. Victims of domestic abuse face unique challenges in seeking help, often struggling with societal stigma and disbelief.

The cycle began subtly. During the tension-building phase, Matt would question her every decision. "Are you sure that's what your boss said? You always misunderstand things." Small doubts planted like seeds grew into forests of uncertainty. Kaitlyn's once-confident business decisions became paralyzing exercises in self-doubt.

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When Marriage Counseling Isn't the Answer: Understanding the Role of Relationship Advisors - October 3rd, 2025

The decision to seek help for relationship challenges takes courage. While marriage counseling is often the go-to recommendation, there are situations where a different kind of support – specifically, guidance from a Relationship Advisor – may be more appropriate and potentially life-changing.

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Join the Fight to Help Reduce Suicide - September 18th, 2025

September Is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: Let’s Stand Together — Grand Rapids Edition

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a vital opportunity to raise awareness, share hope, and activate support within our communities. At Amplified Life, we believe awareness leads to healing—and connection can truly be life-saving.

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5 Tips for Reducing Household Stress - September 9th, 2025

Relational stress is something we all face, whether in marriages, friendships, or family life. Left unchecked, it can spill over into every area of life—work, health, and emotional well-being. At Amplified Life, we help families recognize the signs of stress and create healthier, calmer connections.

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Return to School Check-Up: Is Your Child Ready to Return to School? - August 20th, 2025

As summer winds down, many moms feel a mix of excitement and anxiety about sending their children back to school. New routines, social pressures, and academic demands can bring up big feelings — both for kids and parents.

At Amplified Life Counseling & Coaching, we know you want your child to feel confident, resilient, and ready to thrive. But sometimes, a little more support is needed.

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The ABC's of Helping Kids Prepare for Back-to-School Season - August 8th, 2025

As summer comes to a close, our team at Amplified Life Counseling & Coaching here in Byron Center knows many families are gearing up for the return to school.

Whether your child is excited, nervous, or somewhere in between, this transition can be a big deal. We’re here to help! As a local, trusted provider of child counseling services for Byron Center Schools and other area schools, we want to share some practical ways you can support your child’s mental and emotional health this season.

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Keeping Your Cool this Summer: Helping You & Your Kids Stay Grounded - July 17th, 2025

Summer’s supposed to be all sunshine and laughter—school’s out, the pool’s open, and your calendar’s overflowing with “fun.” But let’s be real: all that action can leave both kids and parents feeling burned out, anxious, or just plain blue.

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Keeping Your Cool in the Heat of Summer - July 2nd, 2025

Summer is supposed to be the season of sun, fun, and relaxation. But let’s be honest: for a lot of people, it’s also the season of frayed nerves, blown routines, and way too many things on the calendar. Between school breaks, kids’ events, travel plans, sweltering heat, and the pressure to “make the most of it,” summer can sneakily become one of the most stressful times of year.

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Mental Health Care for Men - What Works Best - June 18th, 2025

When it comes to mental health, the conversation often lumps everyone together. But men’s mental health is a different animal—shaped by biology, culture, and the weight of expectations. For too long, stigma and misunderstanding have kept many men silent, and even today, men are less likely to seek help and more likely to struggle in isolation. Understanding what makes men’s mental health unique is the first step toward better support, better treatment, and, ultimately, better lives.

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Living with PTSD & CPTSD - June 4th, 2025

Fear is part of what keeps us alive. It’s hardwired—meant to protect us in moments of real danger by kicking our bodies into high alert. But for people with PTSD or complex PTSD (CPTSD), that alarm system goes off regardless of whether there’s any actual threat. It’s like being stuck in a loop, forced to relive the worst moments, even when the world says you’re safe. One's mind and body is in a near constant state of agitation, activation and edginess.

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Unlock Your Best Self: The Power Duo of Fitness & Counseling - May 21st, 2025

The Science of Integrated MindBody Fitness: Merging Clinical Counseling with Physical Training

The integration of mental health counseling and physical training represents a significant advancement in our understanding of human performance and wellness. When these disciplines are united through evidence-based principles of excellence, such as those outlined in Jim Murphy's Inner Excellence, the impact on overall well-being becomes particularly powerful.

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Love Isn't Always easy...But Always Worth it - May 7th, 2025

Ever wonder why some people seem to have it all figured out? Jim Murphy's Inner Excellence isn't just another self-help book gathering dust on your shelf. It's science in action.

What's fascinating is how Murphy stumbled onto something huge: his blueprint for peak performance perfectly aligns with what researchers are now discovering about our minds. Think of it as your brain's owner's manual – just written decades before scientists could prove why it works. 

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Stress Power? - April 16th, 2025

This month is Stress Awareness Month. That racing heart and quick breathing aren't your body betraying you - they're actually your inner superhero powers activating! 

Your stress response is like your personal bodyguard, releasing chemicals that prep you for action. But here's the thing: while a little stress can be your friend, life sometimes throws more at us than we can handle. Job changes, loss, relationship struggles - we've all been there.

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Balancing Your Life to Avoid Burnout - April 2nd, 2025

“Balance is not something you find; it’s something you create.”— Jana Kingsford, Time Management Author

When we think of the good ol’ days, we often cast a rosy hue on what once was. But when it comes to work/life balance, chances are our parents didn’t have a great one. It helped that they also didn’t have cell phones, internet, or social media, so when they were not at work, they may have been more mindfully engaged in the present. But they also lived in a world where working long hours was a sign of dedication and success.

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Love Isn't Always Easy...But It's Worth It - March 20th, 2025

Maintaining Healthy Couple Relationships: Relationships affect our lives on a daily basis, and they all require effort to stay healthy. While starting a romantic relationship can be hard, building one for the long-term can be an even bigger challenge. Events inside and outside of the relationship make it necessary for both individuals to adapt and grow, while also respecting, caring for, and compromising with the other person.

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