Blogs For Your Personal Growth

Inspiration, Empowerment, Education, Tips, and More from Meredith Van Ness, LCSW.

Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

Happy 2022! Resources for Your Best Year Yet

My hope is the tools and resources below will help you to take a moment, a few moments or even longer to do some of your own personal reflection and goal setting.

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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

December Journal Prompts for end of year and closure to 2021

Research shows that a daily gratitude practice increases feelings of happiness and fulfillment. It also improves self-esteem, empathy, and mental strength overall, creating a greater sense of calm. Even in tough times, practicing gratitude can open our hearts to the present moment and allow us to find joy in everyday experiences. This helps us let go of expectations and shifts our focus from life’s shortcomings to the generosity it provides.


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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

November Journal Prompts for Gratitude

Research shows that a daily gratitude practice increases feelings of happiness and fulfillment. It also improves self-esteem, empathy, and mental strength overall, creating a greater sense of calm. Even in tough times, practicing gratitude can open our hearts to the present moment and allow us to find joy in everyday experiences. This helps us let go of expectations and shifts our focus from life’s shortcomings to the generosity it provides.


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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

October Journal Prompts for Feeling Connected

Research and studies support that spending time on meaningful relationships helps you cope with stress and anxiety more effectively and also helps lower your chances of facing some types of stress in the first place. Connection can also help increase our sense of belonging and purpose, and improve our self-confidence. Bottom line is that human connection is good for our health!


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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

World Gratitude Day

Even in tough times, practicing gratitude can open our hearts to the present moment and allow us to find joy in everyday experiences. This helps us let go of expectations and shifts our focus from life’s shortcomings to the generosity it already provides.

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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

Celebrate September and Journal Prompts

September is a great time to revisit goals and accomplishments for the year 2021. It’s always hard for me to set goals or start new things in the summer, so here is to fall and starting a new season with routine and structure. Whoot Whoot!!!


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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction, sleep therapy Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction, sleep therapy Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

What is Sleep Therapy?

Do you ever find it hard to get a good night’s sleep—tossing, turning, difficulty falling, and staying asleep?If you experience a troubled sleep pattern that is chronically or clinically significant, you may be suffering from insomnia. The effects of this lack of sleep include low productivity, poor memory, irritability, loss of concentration, and strained relationships with others. Sleep therapy can help to ease these symptoms.

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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

How to ‘WOOP’ Your Life

Although it may sound funny at first, WOOP is an acronym for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. Clever, right? Developed by Dr. Gabriele Oettingen—a professor and researcher who spent 20 years studying the science behind goal setting and positive thinking—this mental practice is an optimal way to help motivate us to attain our various life goals.

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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

July Journal Prompts for the Summer Season

Summer is my very favorite season. Everything feels lighter for me in the summer. I feel at ease and I have a lot of fun. In light of being in full summer mode now, let’s take some time for reflection on having fun and enjoying the beautiful, long summer days.


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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

June Journal Prompts for Gratitude

I for one am so grateful to have gotten my kids through the school year! This was no easy task with homeschooling and working and running my business. In light of this success I wanted to take this month to spend some time reflecting on what we are grateful for.

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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

Beyond Superwoman: Navigating High-Functioning Anxiety

High-functioning anxiety shows up for people in overdoing, overthinking, and overperforming. Recognizing that you suffer from high functioning anxiety is tricky because often times it feels productive or even beneficial. On the surface, you may come off as organized, high-achieving, proactive, and outgoing but you may be suffering in silence.

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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

May Journal Prompts for Personal Growth in Spring

I view the month of Mayl as a time of revival and rebirth. The weather is starting to change, and it makes me feel hopeful for the future. It shows me that nothing lasts forever, so I have to keep working towards my goals.

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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

Motherhood During Quarantine: How to Practice Mindfulness

In the midst of a pandemic, regardless of whether you’re a mom or not, this is the perfect time to learn about a simple, everyday practice that can help alleviate your stress and anxiety.

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Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching Vision, Goals, Planning, Purpose, self-love, Stress, Gratitude, Happiness, Mindfulness, Direction Meredith Van Ness Therapy + Coaching

March Journal Prompts for Reflection and Self Growth

Journaling helps to offer insight into our daily lives when we are amidst the daily hustle and bustle and don’t always have time to reflect in the moment.

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