Veterans Day: Honoring Service—and the Strength It Builds

Every Veterans Day (November 11), we pause to honor the people who wore the uniform. The public often hears about the invisible wounds of war—PTSD, depression, moral injury, traumatic brain injury, suicide risk. Naming those realities matters. But there’s another side of the story that deserves equal attention: for many, military service also cultivates protective mental-health strengths—resilience under…

http://navarrotherapy.com/2025/11/11/veterans-day-honoring-service-and-the-strength-it-builds/

Real-life “NPCs”: why people sometimes move on autopilot — and what you can do about it

You’ve probably joked about people who seem like video-game characters: they show up, follow a script, react the same way every time, and vanish. Calling someone an “NPC” (non-player character) is funny — but there’s a real, simple explanation behind that feeling: most of us run a lot of our lives on autopilot. That’s not because people are empty or fake.

http://navarrotherapy.com/2025/10/13/real-life-npcs-why-people-sometimes-move-on-autopilot-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

Parenting Our Childhood Instead of Our Children

The other day in session, I heard a phrase that stopped me in my tracks:“Parents are parenting their childhood instead of their children.” It wasn’t from a book or podcast — it came directly from a client.And what made it even more interesting is that, like many of my clients, this person is also a therapist. We often end up exchanging perspectives in a way that deepens both of our understanding of human behavior.

http://navarrotherapy.com/2025/10/09/parenting-our-childhood-instead-of-our-children/

Falling in Love with AI: A Psychotherapist’s Perspective

As a psychotherapist, I’m already noticing a rise in clients discussing emotional attachment—even romantic feelings—toward artificial intelligence (AI) companions and chatbots. While this may sound like science fiction, recent studies show that people can and do develop bonds with AI that resemble human relationships. For some, this brings temporary comfort. For others, it exposes deeper issues with attachment,…

http://navarrotherapy.com/2025/10/02/falling-in-love-with-ai-a-psychotherapists-perspective/

5 Minutes to Change the Way You Stress

I’m a big fan of Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford University who has done remarkable work explaining how the brain and body interact. Recently I watched one of his presentations on fear, and he mentioned a study that really stuck with me: just five minutes a day of voluntary stress can dramatically reduce involuntary stress. As a therapist and a parent, that caught my attention.

http://navarrotherapy.com/2025/09/24/5-minutes-to-change-the-way-you-stress/

CBT for Chronic Pain: A New Service at Navarro Counseling

I’m excited to share that I have officially completed training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP) and received my certification. As someone who has personally lived with chronic pain, I know how deeply it affects not just your body, but also your emotions, thoughts, and daily life. That’s why I am so grateful to now offer this service at Navarro Counseling.

http://navarrotherapy.com/2025/09/15/cbt-for-chronic-pain-a-new-service-at-navarro-counseling/

Navarro Counseling Now Offering EMDR-focused Therapy

I am thrilled to announce that I have completed my EMDR Core Skills Training and can now offer this transformative therapy at Navarro Counseling. My own EMDR experience was life-changing, allowing me to reprocess hidden memories. EMDR helps with both major and minor trauma, facilitating healing and emotional control.

http://navarrotherapy.com/2025/09/11/navarro-counseling-now-offering-emdr-focused-therapy/

A Parent’s Punishment Blog: The Coincidence We Can’t Ignore

The post highlights alarming trends in youth mental health, suggesting a potential link to social media use. Suicide rates have surged significantly, along with increases in depression, self-harm, and bullying. The author urges parents to reflect on these statistics and their implications for children's well-being and mental health.

http://navarrotherapy.com/2025/09/09/a-parents-punishment-blog-the-coincidence-we-cant-ignore/

parenting, adolescent development, teen behavior, child development, gratitude, emotional regulation, perspective-taking, father involvement, fatherhood, parental self-care, family communication, parent coaching, boundaries, emotion coaching, relationship repair, teen independence, family therapy, behavior management, gratitude jar, caregiver support navarrotherapy.com/?p=4170

http://navarrotherapy.com/2025/08/30/understanding-ignorant-selfishness-in-kids/

Weekend’s heating up? Learn Floridian‑approved strategies—hydration, beach therapy, mind‑body cool‑downs—to protect your mental health! #SouthFlorida #HeatWaveWellness

http://navarrotherapy.com/2025/07/25/beat-the-weekend-heat-mental-health-tips-for-south-florida-this-friday-beyond/