Ann Arbor Counseling Associates

  Ann Arbor is full of driven people like teachers, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, and university professionals who pour energy into their work and others. But when achievement becomes identity, burnout can follow quietly. You may notice exhaustion, cynicism, or a fading sense of accomplishment. Burnout isn’t just about long hours; it’s about  chronic misalignment  between your values and how you spend your energy. Start by identifying what matters most like family time, creativity, rest, and ensure your calendar reflects those priorities. Learn to say “no” with kindness but firmness. Boundaries are not selfish; they preserve your capacity to care. Therapeutically, addressing burnout involves recognizing early warning signs: physical fatigue, irritability, or emotional numbness. Mindfulness, cognitive reframing, and compassion-based practices help you slow the cycle of overextension. Sometimes, professional identity makes it hard to  ask for help . But therapy of...

  Have you been finding it difficult to get on with your life after what happened to you or worry about your child moving on? Many people have survived traumatic life events or Adverse Childhood Events (ACE’s). These can range from childhood sexual or physical abuse, neglect, problematic family situations. But these can also occur later in life in many forms of being in an abusive relationship, surviving a sexual assault, living as a refugee, being involved in a violent act or witnessing one, getting involved in a terrible car accident, or fearing for the loss of your life or liberties.  Our trauma-informed therapists are trained to help clients cope with these emotional and physical symptoms of trauma and all of its forms. We can help. Are you feeling triggered by certain people or situations and can’t seem to control your emotional or physical reactions? When a disturbing event happens to us, or you witness disturbing events, they can get filed away in our brain th...

  Michigan winters can make home feel smaller, and screens often fill the space where daylight used to live. Phones, tablets, and streaming can bring comfort, but overuse can quietly drain energy, disrupt sleep, and dull real connection. Research shows that too much screen exposure increases cortisol which is the body’s stress hormone and that screen time can shorten attention spans. Many families notice more irritability and less presence at home, even when everyone is “together.” Consider creating  intentional digital boundaries . Try phone-free dinners, set device curfews an hour before bed, or dedicate Sunday mornings to screen-free activities. Families in Ann Arbor might explore local indoor spaces like the Hands-On Museum, ice skating at Buhr Park, or simply a board-game night. These moments allow genuine laughter to return. Therapy can also help uncover what drives our digital habits. Sometimes excessive scrolling masks loneliness, perfectionism, or  anxiety . When...

  1. Our   Patient Coordinators   are real people, they are your first point of contact and work with you to match you with a therapist that meets your needs  Oftentimes, when signing up for therapy with a Big Tech Telehealth Industry Platforms you are given a questionnaire to determine how to match you with a therapist.  With any questionnaire or survey, there are always going to be things that do not quite fit a check-box. After requesting services at AACA, a patient coordinator follows up with you to determine which of our therapists would be a good fit for you. They also walk you through completing any paperwork needed to start therapy at our practice. 2. We keep your information and medical data  protected Your information is not sold to third-party vendors. It can be difficult to understand what is within the long privacy statements included when you enroll with a bigger tech-based mental health organization. AACA follows HIPAA guidelines to protect y...

Are you feeling lost, drained, and overwhelmed by your toddlers behavior? Have you tried everything to get your kid to listen but their defiance has left you feeling hopeless? Does your kid or teens disruptive behavior make it impossible to enjoy time together? You are not alone. Whether you are a new parent, are preparing for parenthood, or have a few years experience, parenting is tough. We offer parenting support  counseling  for all types of parents. Life can present obstacles that make parenthood even more difficult. You might feel like you don’t have enough support to succeed whether from a partner, extended family, or community. Your upbringing with your own parents may be one you don’t want to repeat but feel lost as to how to be the parent you hoped you would be.  You want the best for your child but how do you implement a loving, accepting, and patient house when you are constantly feeling overwhelmed and unprepared? Counseling for ...

Does it feel like you, your partner and your children are disconnected? Is your family suffering as a result? Are you worried that your family life is not what you hoped it would be? Does each person in the family spend time isolated in their own space, absorbed with media or other things besides each other? Perhaps you are caught in cycles of conflict that you all cannot seem to escape. Maybe you know longer do much of anything together, such as having dinner with all family members present. It can be stressful to come home every day and feel like you are alienated from the ones you love, or feel like you are walking on egg-shells to avoid another conflict. No matter how hard you try, you and your partner and children can’t seem to understand one another. Many people start to feel alone in their own families after a period of time has gone by where connecting to one another has been difficult. Are you finding it hard to hold the family together during this difficult time? Things happe...