journey towards healing with us
how we help
At Lux Counseling, we walk with people of faith through life’s many seasons, holding the messiness and hope of each chapter.
From college students, young professionals, and newlyweds; to postpartum moms, seasoned married couples, and those of any age who are sick of anxiety stealing their joy, we’re here to accompany you in finding restoration and peace exactly where God has you today.
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If you have walked with anxiety, you know the feeling. Your mind is running through every worst case scenario while the rest of your life is happening right in front of you and you are missing it. You want to be present but the unease is paralyzing at times. The racing thoughts, the overthinking, avoiding things that used to feel easy, the difficulty slowing down, the self-doubt that shows up even when things are going fine. It steals so much joy and is genuinely so confusing to navigate.
One of the most frustrating parts for someone who lives this is that you already know the worries are not always in line with your day to day reality. Even with that knowledge, it is hard to calm the "what ifs" and figure out how to live the life you are meant for in the midst of all the noise. Our therapists get that. We do not just hand you breathing exercises and call it a day. We work with you to get curious, understand you deeply, explore where your anxiety is coming from, untangle the patterns fueling the fear, and work with your nervous system in a way that is personal to your unique triggers and how it shows up in your brain and body. A huge part of feeling better over time is learning to communicate with yourself, interpret the fear signals it is sending you, and slowly practice the skills until you realize that you can indeed handle what life brings, because you know what to do if anxiety comes knocking. We want to help you get there.
Anxiety
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OCD, sometimes called the doubting disease, can be a beast. Anyone who has experienced it, or walked alongside someone who has, knows how overwhelming it can be to navigate intrusive thoughts you never asked for, the urge to compulsively respond to them, and the deep confusion of not feeling like you can trust your own mind. Is this OCD or is this my gut? The fear feels real. The threat feels urgent. And it can be accompanied by shame, sadness, and a kind of exhaustion that is hard to put into words. OCD is not what the stereotypes say. It is not about being “a neat freak” or double checking the stove. OCD goes deeper, it attacks what your heart values most, wrapping intrusive thoughts in the question "what does this mean about me" and pulling you into a cycle that can quietly take over more and more of your life. The relief never quite lasts long enough before the next thought comes rushing back and it is truly exhausting.
While OCD is recognized as one of the most difficult conditions to live with, it is also highly treatable, and understanding what is actually happening in your mind can change so much. Here is what we want you to know: the presence of an intrusive thought does not make it true, and it does not say anything about who you are. Our therapists are trained to help you identify the core fears driving the OCD cycle, learn to tell the difference between a real threat and a false alarm your brain is firing, and gradually face the things OCD has been telling you to avoid. We cannot eliminate uncertainty entirely, but you can build a life where fear and uncertainty no longer get to lead the way. It takes courage, but step by step, we would be so honored to walk this road with you.
OCD
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When you love your faith deeply but obsessive thoughts have wrapped around it and turned it into a source of "never enough" rather than peace, it can be really confusing. When reassurance from those you trust never seems to quiet the doubt for long before you need more reassurance to feel okay, you might be experiencing scrupulosity.
Scrupulosity can sound like a lot of what ifs. For example:
"What if I did not mean that prayer sincerely enough and need to say it again?"
"Am I sure I was kind enough to that person or did I fail them?"
“Did I discern well enough or am I making the wrong vocational decision?”
"What if I am actually a bad person and no one around me can see it?"
Unlike genuine moral reflection, scrupulosity attacks your ability to trust your own discernment. Reassurance from others helps for a moment and then the doubt comes rushing back. The standard keeps moving and can never quite be met. Over time it can pull you away from the very faith and community you love, leaving you exhausted, ashamed, and confused about what is actually you and what is scrupulosity.
Scrupulosity is a highly treatable form of OCD. It is not a spiritual failing. It is not a lack of faith. In fact it tends to attack what you who care the most, in this case your faith, morals, or ethics. The beautiful truth is that there is real freedom on the other side of this, living a life not led by fear or obsessive worry. Therapeutic approaches to this help you learn to tell the difference between what scrupulosity is demanding and what your faith actually calls you to, because they are truly not the same thing. With therapists who understand the Catholic faith and the psychology of scrupulosity, you are not alone. We would be so honored to walk alongside you as you learn to trust yourself and receive the same compassion God has always had for you.
Scrupulosity
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Spiritual perfectionism is different from scrupulosity, though the two can look similar on the surface. Where scrupulosity is driven by fear of sin and obsessive doubt, spiritual perfectionism is rooted in a deeply held belief that love, acceptance, and worth must be earned through flawless performance, including in your faith life.
It can sound like striving to pray perfectly, serve without limits, never disappoint God or the people around you, and holding yourself to a standard of holiness that leaves very little room for being imperfectly human. You might even recognize that the bar you have set is unrealistic, and yet something in you cannot seem to let it go.
The exhaustion is real. The shame when you fall short is real. And the tender irony is that the very pursuit of goodness can quietly become a barrier to receiving the grace and love that were never something you had to earn in the first place.
Spiritual perfectionism is not a character flaw and it is not something to be ashamed of. It often develops as a way of seeking safety, control, or belonging. You were not made to earn your way to peace. We would be honored to journey towards freedom from earning with you.
Spiritual Perfectionism
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Perfectionism is not about having high standards, but rather about what happens inside you when those standards are not met. At its core, perfectionism is the belief that your worth is tied to your performance, and that love, belonging, and safety are things you have to continually prove yourself worthy of rather than things you already have.
It can show up in obvious ways, like redoing work until it feels right, avoiding things you might not be good at, or struggling to rest when something feels unfinished. But it also shows up in quieter ways, like the inner critic that narrates your day, the difficulty receiving a compliment, or the nagging feeling that no matter what you accomplish it is never quite enough.
Perfectionism often starts as a coping strategy. At some point it made sense to be excellent, to be in control, to never drop the ball. And it may have even served you well for a season. But over time it has a way of narrowing your life, keeping you in your head, and making it hard to be fully present to the people and moments right in front of you.
The good news is that perfectionism is not who you are. It is a pattern, and patterns can change. You do not have to lower your standards to heal from perfectionism. You may need to journey through untangeling your worth from your performance. And that is exactly the kind of work we love doing alongside people here at Lux.
Perfectionism
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Having your life be upended by either a planned or unplanned transition is enough to impact even the most regulated person. We love partnering with our clients and helping walk through and find meaning in a life transition. Whether the transition is a break up, new marriage, having a baby, starting a new job, college semester, moving or something else; having some built in support from a therapist can make a huge difference when big changes are unfolding.
Life Transitions
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There is so much to say about the college years– college is a unique, sometimes challenging, transition filled, and always transformative time in life. It’s a season of figuring out who you are, while navigating the ever-changing dynamics and transitions of campus life, family of origin dynamics, and future career aspirations. Things like roommate dynamics, comparison or people pleasing, insecurity or body image struggles, stress, discernment anxiety, as well as friendship and relationship difficulties are just a few of the challenges many college students are trying to figure out!
These college years are when you naturally lean into more self reflection, taking ownership over who you are, how you think and live, what you believe and ultimately who you will become. In fact, about 74% of mental health diagnoses begin by age 24, which means many college students first notice hard to navigate symptoms during these college years! This is such an important time for understanding your mental, emotional, and relational health and investing in habits that you will take with you far beyond graduation.
We have a huge heart for college students in the thick of it, who want to take ownership over what they’re experiencing on the journey of becoming the best version of themselves.
College Student Mental Health
Moms, you are the heart of your family and your value is immense. You love in ways that change the lives of the people around you, often in quiet, hidden, everyday moments. Your mental, emotional and relational wellbeing matters and naturally overflows to the people you love most.
Whether you’re a seasoned mom of many or stepping into motherhood for the first time, our therapists are honored to be part of your support system through pregnancy, postpartum, and the years of motherhood that follow.
Being a self regulated and resilient parent takes practice, especially when daily triggers surface or when the demands feel constant. Moms experience countless transitions both internally and externally, and each shift can bring up many dynamics in themselves and their family.
During pregnancy and postpartum, those shifts are even more profound. There are physical changes, emotional and hormonal fluctuations, evolving relational dynamics, and the complete lifestyle transformation that comes with welcoming a new baby. It is an extraordinary, sacred gift and at times, a lot to hold.
Therapy can be a grounding space to process the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Helping you experience more freedom, clarity, and authenticity in your life and relationships.
In addition to care for moms in general, during pregnancy and postpartum, approximately 20% of pregnant and postpartum moms experience significant mental health struggles in the vulnerability of the perinatal time– whether in the form of postpartum anxiety, depression, OCD, or another presentation. Feeling unlike yourself and out of control with your mental health in a season that demands so much can be overwhelming and isolating. We are here to support you and create an actionable plan of care for you and your family to be well. We deeply believe in the value of mothers taking care of themselves and have witnessed the overflow of that care onto their families.
Many of our therapists at Lux have received training from Postpartum Support International, equipping us to confidently support moms through pregnancy, birth, including birth trauma, postpartum, and life with a new baby. We are deeply honored to champion you and your family in this season.
Maternal Mental Health
We are committed to holding space for mothers and fathers as they navigate the complexities and beauties of bringing new life into the world. We are also committed to walking with couples navigating the longing and grieving that come with infertility and loss. We are honored to walk alongside you as you navigate this experience.
In addition to supporting mothers navigating the transition into motherhood, we are also honored to work alongside couples together as they enter parenthood or navigate the transitions associated with becoming a parent. It is important to note that up to 18% of fathers experience postpartum mental health struggles.
Couples therapy during Infertility, Pregnancy, and Postpartum:
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Couples therapy is an investment in one of the most precious gifts, your marriage. Your relationship’s health is pivotal to your entire family’s wellbeing, and yet research shows that most of us wait until things “get bad” before we bring in extra support. Our relationships can be incredibly complex to navigate in various seasons as two flawed people seek to build a life together; in sickness and health, for better or worse, in richer and poorer. When you and your spouse notice challenging dynamics emerge, hurtful patterns of communication, emotionally charged reactions, or family of origin conflict impacting your relationship; it can be difficult to know where to turn for support that is both respectful to your spouse and supportive to your growth together. In couples therapy at Lux, you can trust that we will champion and build up your relationship, with utmost respect for your marriage and a firm hope for the restoration that is possible for your vocation. Whether you’re dating, engaged, newlyweds or a seasoned married couple, we are honored to support your relationship.
Couples Therapy
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Trauma and past wounds can shape your life in ways that are painful, confusing, and incredibly hard to navigate alone. For some, this looks like intrusive memories, nightmares, or always feeling on alert. For others, it may feel like never fully relaxing, feeling unsafe in your own body, or constantly bracing for something to go wrong.
You may find yourself disconnected from your emotions or overwhelmed by them. You might avoid certain people or situations without fully knowing why. Trust may feel risky. Your body may stay in survival mode long after the danger has passed. And the weight of shame, unworthiness, or negative beliefs are just some of the ways trauma can impact daily life and relationships.
At Lux Counseling, our therapists are deeply honored to hold space for our clients’ stories and to walk alongside them on their journey towards healing.
Trauma
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All of our therapists at Lux Counseling are Catholic, and our personal relationships with God are important to us. This sometimes brings comfort to clients who are looking to work with someone with shared faith. We offer a safe landing place for our clients to express both the joys and struggles that can come with their spiritual life, in a nonjudgmental and professional setting. If you ever want to incorporate your personal faith into sessions, our therapists are happy to do so, upon request. We of course honor if a client prefers not to incorporate their faith into sessions as well.
Faith-based Counseling
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Do you feel like your emotions are running the show, leaving you feeling out of control? Noticing unpredictable emotions such as sadness, irritability, or anger can be hard to understand. Maybe you feel like you need to constantly distract yourself out of a fear of what sitting with your emotions could bring up. Our therapists offer a secure environment for clients to explore and cultivate a deep self-awareness of their emotional selves. We work to help you achieve greater contentment, stress management techniques, and a strong skill set to regulate emotionally. We prioritize empowering our clients to enhance their self-esteem, fostering belief in their ability to thrive amidst the internal and external stressors in their lives.
Emotional Regulation
However, this can provide insight into some of the areas where we have significant experience in treatment.
