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September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

When was the last time you showed yourself kindness? For many, it feels much easier to extend compassion to others than it does to turn it inward. We cheer on our friends, we comfort our children, we support our partners—but when it comes to ourselves, we often slip into criticism, judgment, or unrealistic expectations.

At PsycHealth Services, we remind our clients often: self-compassion isn’t selfish—it’s necessary. It is the foundation for resilience, balance, and genuine emotional well-being.

Understanding Self-Compassion

Psychologist Kristin Neff, a leading researcher on self-compassion, describes it as treating yourself with the same care and concern you’d offer to someone you love. It involves three core components:

  1. Self-kindness: Replacing harsh self-criticism with understanding.

  2. Common humanity: Recognizing that imperfection and struggle are part of the shared human experience.

  3. Mindfulness: Meeting your thoughts and feelings with presence, without exaggerating or ignoring them.

When practiced consistently, self-compassion doesn’t make us weak or indulgent—it makes us stronger.

Self-Care vs. Avoidance

A key part of self-compassion is knowing how to care for ourselves in healthy ways. Too often, people confuse self-care with avoidance, and the difference is subtle but important:

  • Self-care is intentional and restorative. It helps us return to life’s challenges with renewed energy. Examples include attending therapy, journaling, exercising, meditating, or spending time with a supportive friend.
  • Avoidance is about escape. It may look like scrolling endlessly through social media, binge-watching shows to distract from responsibilities, or putting off tasks due to fear of failure. While it offers temporary relief, it often compounds stress in the long run.

Self-care nurtures growth. Avoidance delays it.

At PsycHealth Services, we help clients untangle this distinction so they can make choices that truly support healing rather than fuel cycles of stress and guilt.

A Simple Way to Practice Self-Kindness

One of the simplest tools we share with clients is this: change the voice in your head.

When you notice self-critical thoughts like:

  • “I should be doing better.”
  • “I’ll never get this right.”
  • “I can’t afford to make a mistake.”

Pause. Place a hand on your heart, take a breath, and ask yourself:

“What would I say to a dear friend in this exact situation?”

Chances are, you wouldn’t respond with judgment. You’d offer encouragement, patience, and understanding. That same grace is what you deserve too.

Self-Compassion in Therapy

In our work with clients, we see how perfectionism, stress, and self-worth are deeply connected to the lack of self-compassion.

  • Perfectionism tells us we must earn our worth by doing everything flawlessly.
  • Stress convinces us there’s no time to pause for our own needs.
  • Low self-worth whispers that we don’t deserve care or kindness.

In therapy, we help people:

  • Recognize and challenge the inner critic.
  • Learn practical self-care strategies that truly nourish.
  • Build healthier boundaries and expectations.
  • Strengthen a compassionate, balanced view of themselves.

Through trauma-informed, compassionate care, we empower clients to replace pressure and shame with understanding and resilience. Over time, this shift doesn’t just reduce stress—it builds a more confident, grounded sense of self.

Why Self-Compassion Matters

Self-compassion isn’t about letting yourself off the hook or avoiding accountability. It’s about recognizing your humanity, accepting your imperfections, and treating yourself with the dignity you deserve.

When you practice self-compassion:

  • You build resilience in the face of stress.
  • You recover faster from setbacks.
  • You strengthen your emotional health.
  • You model kindness for others in your life.

It’s not indulgence—it’s emotional hygiene. Just as we brush our teeth to protect our physical health, self-compassion protects our mental and emotional health.

Our Commitment at PsycHealth Services

We reaffirm our dedication to providing trauma-informed care and crisis intervention services. We understand the complexities of emotional pain, and we work with individuals and families to create a safe, confidential space for healing.

Our approach is rooted in:
✔️ Compassionate listening
✔️ Evidence-based therapy techniques
✔️ Mindfulness and stress-reduction practices
✔️ Personalized support tailored to each person’s journey

No one should have to struggle alone.

A Gentle Reminder

If you’ve been struggling with perfectionism, stress, or self-worth, you are not alone. Healing begins with the simple but powerful act of offering yourself compassion.

At PsycHealth Services, we’re here to walk with you. Through individual and couples counseling, we provide a safe, supportive space to explore these struggles, unlearn self-critical patterns, and build a life rooted in balance, resilience, and hope.

You deserve kindness—not just from others, but from yourself too. 💙

📞 Call us at 708-990-8221 or visit psychealthinc.com to learn more about our counseling services.

🗓️ Flexible scheduling
📍 In-person therapy in Oak Brook
💻 Secure virtual sessions across Illinois
✅ Insurance accepted: Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Humana, Magellan, Optum, Tricare, United Healthcare, and more.*

💙 This September, let’s stand together for suicide prevention.
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