Colors of Austin Counseling

11/03/2026

What does it mean to build a healthy relationship with yourself? 💭

In this week’s episode of Colors Out Loud, COAC therapist Alex Birch explores solidarity with the self and how we can cultivate trust, honesty, and emotional safety within ourselves.

Through an intersectional, anti-racist, and decolonial lens, Alex discusses how systemic oppression can shape our internal narratives, the difference between shame and guilt, and why emotions like anger can offer important insight.

They also share how grounding practices, self-compassion, and supportive communities can help us reconnect with ourselves and navigate the complexities of healing. 🌱

🎧 Listen to the full episode of Colors Out Loud wherever you get your podcasts!

10/31/2026

Before we say goodbye to October, we wanted to highlight our spooky (and meaningful!) October wall, created by our LMSW and play therapist, Alexis Turner! 👻🎃

This month’s theme was “Don’t Ghost Your Mental Health!” 💜

Clients and visitors were invited to reflect on feelings they may have been ignoring, identify ways to care for themselves, and write their thoughts on little paper ghosts to add to our haunted house. Of course, there were some sweet treats and grounding goodies along the way! 🍬

A little reminder as we close out the month: Just because we ignore a feeling doesn’t mean it disappears. Making space to acknowledge our emotions is an important part of caring for our mental health.

Happy Halloween from Colors of Austin Counseling! 👻🧡

10/30/2026

Sometimes, the best way to explain ADHD is to show what it actually looks like. 🧠

What started as a forgotten task turned into an honest look at the everyday realities of living with ADHD.

For ADHD Awareness Month, Lina shares how ADHD can affect executive functioning, from working memory and task initiation to the pressure of wanting to get things just right.

ADHD is more than difficulty paying attention. Its impact can show up in ways that aren’t always visible or understood.

Want to learn more? Lina and Roy explore ADHD, cultural differences in diagnosis, and their own experiences with later diagnoses in Episode 3 of Colors Out Loud. 🎙️ Listen at the link in bio!
And if you’re wondering about

ADHD isn’t a character flaw, and it’s never too late to better understand how your brain works. If you’re wondering about yourself, we’re here to help you explore what you’re experiencing and figure out next steps. 💜

10/29/2026

We’re hiring, and applications close November 20.

Our Clinical Internship Program trains the next generation of affirming, anti-oppressive therapists. Now we’re looking for the person to lead it.

This is a full-time role for a licensed Texas clinician who loves supervision as much as the therapy room. You’ll keep a 20-hour caseload, lead our partnerships with Master’s programs, guide intern selection and onboarding, support our intern supervisors, and sit on COAC’s Leadership Team.

Who we’re looking for:
• Fully licensed in Texas (LCSW, LPC, or LMFT)
• 7+ years of experience supervising Master’s-level clinical interns
• Deeply committed to social justice, cultural humility, and trauma-informed care

The details:
• Starts January 2027
• Estimated $73K–$87K a year
• In person at our Berkman Dr or Marathon Blvd office
• COAC pays 50% of health insurance premiums and covers malpractice insurance

Apply through the link in our bio by Friday, November 20.

Know a supervisor who’d be perfect? Send this to them. The best people for this role are often the ones who aren’t looking.

10/28/2026

‘So they just... play?’

Yes, and that’s the point. Kids usually don’t have the words for what they’re carrying yet. Play is how they get there.

In play therapy, a trained therapist uses toys, sand trays, art and games as the language. A child might replay a scary moment with figures in the sand, or practice being in charge when everything at home feels out of control. The therapist tracks what the child keeps coming back to and helps them find new ways through.

Play therapy can help kids (often ages 3–12) with:

- Big feelings, meltdowns, or shutting down
- Grief, divorce, or a move
- Anxiety and school worries
- Stressful or scary experiences
- Changes in behavior no one can quite explain

Parents are part of it too, with regular check-ins so you know what’s happening and how to support it at home.

COAC has dedicated play therapy rooms and clinicians trained to work with children. Link in bio to ask about openings.

10/27/2026

What happens when grief doesn’t come with a clear ending?

In this episode of Colors Out Loud, Maria Gregg explores ambiguous loss and what makes it different from more recognized forms of grief. She breaks down Dr. Pauline Boss’s two types of ambiguous loss, shares a story about why closure can help the brain process loss, and opens up about her own experience of going no contact with family.

Maria also talks about why estrangement grief can feel especially complicated, the difference between external and internal hope from Stephanie Sarazin’s Soulbroken, and ways to live with ambiguity through radical acceptance, naming the loss, private rituals, and meaningful support.

She closes with a reminder that grief takes time, and that healing rarely happens in isolation.

Out now. Listen at the link in bio.

10/26/2026

Myths that keep couples out of therapy:

“You only go when it’s already over.” Couples wait an average of six years of being unhappy before getting help. The earlier you come, the more you have to work with.

“The therapist will take sides.” In couples therapy, the relationship is the client. Our job is to help you both feel heard, not to pick a winner.

“Strong couples don’t need help.” Strong couples often come precisely to stay strong through a new baby, a move, grief, or a job change.

“It’s just about communication.” Sometimes. Often it’s what’s underneath: old hurts, family patterns, culture, money, and stress your bodies are still holding.

“Couples therapy doesn’t really work.” Decades of research show it meaningfully reduces relationship distress for many couples.

And one more a lot of us grew up with: “We don’t take our business outside the house.” Getting support isn’t betrayal. It can be how you protect what you’ve built.

COAC offers couples therapy with clinicians who understand how culture, family and identity shape a relationship. Link in bio to request a consult.

10/25/2026

The Full Moon in Ta**us invites us to reflect on intimacy, safety, and the power we share in our relationships. 🌕🌹

With the Moon opposing the Sun in Scorpio and retrograde Venus ruling this lunation, this full moon may bring up questions around security, pleasure, trust, freedom, and what it really takes to feel close to someone.

This is an intense and powerful full moon centered on relational dynamics. It can highlight where power feels uneven, where fear shapes how open we let ourselves be, and which relationships still align with who and where we are in life.

This is a moment to notice the difference between obligation and choice, and to remember that what is meant for you does not need to be forced or defended.

Swipe through for the astrological weather, reflection questions, and astro advice for this Full Moon in Ta**us. ✨

For more astrology content, follow Jené at Ensouled Insight ✨

10/23/2026

10/23/2026

Control rarely starts with a hit.

It can look like:

- Checking your phone, or needing your passwords
- Controlling the money, or making sure you don’t have any of your own
- ‘Who were you with?’ every single time
- Slowly pulling you away from friends and family
- Threats about your immigration status, your kids, or ‘telling everyone’
- Making you feel like you’re the one who’s overreacting

This is coercive control. It’s abuse even when there are no bruises. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

If this sounds like your relationship, you’re not overreacting, and you don’t have to leave today to deserve support. Advocates can help you think through safety at your own pace.

SAFE Alliance (Austin), 24/7: call 512-267-7233, or text “SAFE” to 737-888-7233

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788

If you’re in immediate danger, call 911. If you’re thinking about ending your life, call or text 988.
If someone may be monitoring your phone, consider looking at these resources from a safer device.