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bruisedbananacounseling
CWK Counseling
Welcome to CWK counseling. See what it looks like to come in, sit down, and come on back.
Starting therapy can be scary. I want you to feel prepared and welcomed into our sessions. From door to door, we aim to please. :)
Supervision with me is collaborative, relational, and rooted in real conversation — not lectures.
If you’re looking for a supervisor who’s trauma-informed, practical, and a little bit funny, let’s connect. 🤍
Who's the brains behind CWK Counseling, PLLC?
That would be the funny and oh so handsome, Ken K.
Be suspicious of a therapist that only has one way of doing things.
At CWK counseling, I create a client specific experience that is relevant to your communication style, outlook on life, and sense of humor. I love to collaborate with you based on the knowledge I have.
These are my purse socks.
They match my cup, my phone, and my shoes.
I am always hot…
until I’m cold.
Ergo: the purse socks.
Relationships
Personality Disorder
Borderlines are some of the most beautiful and misunderstood people on the planet.
Borderline personality disorder is a trauma response when someone is chronically stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. In an effort to remain safe, people with BPD act impulsively and it can drastically affect relationships. At CWK, borderlines are welcome to come in and let it all hang out.
Not every toxic relationship means narcissistic abuse.
Let’s be honest — narcissism is real, and it’s also become a catch-all label we slap on anyone who hurt us.
So let’s talk about it.
What it actually means.
What it doesn’t.
And why overusing the word might keep us stuck instead of healing.
Trauma and Grief
Do you ever feel like you just can’t get it together? Maybe you have complex PTSD.
Complex PTSD is multiple exposure trauma over a period of time, while PTSD is a single incident trauma. CPTSD has similarities with PTSD but the difference is what happens long term. Long term traumas leave the brain inherently different than it was before the trauma.
When my sister in law died, grief became a verb. Grief became a state of being.
Grief is so incredibly complicated. It has no rules. It has no boundaries. It has no timeline. And it looks different for everyone.
When cancer hits, life splits into before and after.
Jenny’s diagnosis in 2019 changed everything. Triple negative breast cancer doesn’t wait—and neither did we.
Eating Disorders
Anorexia is the 2nd deadliest mental illness—right behind opioid use.
And no, you don’t have to “look the part” to be struggling.
Atypical anorexia is real—and often missed.
It’s not about vanity. It’s a coping skill.
Rooted in trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, control.
If this resonates, it’s time to talk. With a therapist. With a loved one.
It could save a life.
Binge eating disorder is the most common and least talked about eating disorder.
It affects 9 million people a year, over half of which already have a mental health diagnosis. Binge eating disorder is shrouded in shame and secrecy. It is a trauma response that requires healing
Eating disorder therapists don’t just treat the symptoms — we understand the deep, complex relationship between food, body image, and mental health.
We know how hard it is to even consider letting go of the thing that feels like your best friend and worst enemy.
Relationships
Boundaries aren’t about shutting people out — they’re about creating space
for healthier connections.
When you get clear on what you need
and what you’re no longer willing to
tolerate, you change the entire dynamic.
Codependency: The Cycle No One Wins
Codependency keeps everyone stuck — one person overfunctions, the other underfunctions, and both end up resentful.
Breaking free starts with one powerful word: No.
It’s uncomfortable, but it’s the first step toward reclaiming your life and letting others take responsibility for theirs.
Not everything is gaslighting.
Disagreement ≠ manipulation.
Let’s talk about what gaslighting actually is—and why getting clear on reality matters more than ever.
At CWK Counseling, we help you find your footing in a world that often feels upside down.
Enneagram
Think personality tests are cheesy?
Same — until I met the Enneagram.
It’s not about what you do — it’s about why you do it.
When you get to the why," you get
more grace for yourself and the people
who make you want to scream into a
pillow.
The Enneagram isn’t magic, but it’s
pretty dang close.
Ready to get out of autopilot and into real growth?
Ones — the Perfectionists.
They’ve got a to-do list for their to-do list.
They’re always striving, fixing, improving — but never feeling “done.”
That inner critic? Loud. And rude.
Growth for a One looks like choosing progress over perfection
(and maybe letting the towels be folded wrong just this once).
Twos — the Helpers.
They’ll remember your birthday, your dog’s birthday, and your Starbucks order.
But when your whole identity is tied to being needed…
it’s easy to forget you have needs too.
Growth for a Two means setting boundaries without a panic attack
and learning that love doesn’t have to be earned.
Threes — the Achievers.
Gold-medal winners in being impressive.
They got the memo early: success = worth.
Feelings? Nope. There's work to do.
But behind all that gold-star chasing?
A fear of failing, of not being enough
Growth for a Three looks like
learning that who they are matters more than what they do.
Fours — the Romantics.
They don’t just have emotions — they are emotions.
One minute they’re floating. Next minute? Existential puddle.
They’re always searching for what’s missing — but the truth is, they’re already whole.
Growth for a Four means realizing
you don’t have to suffer to be special.
Fives — the Investigator.
The brains behind the scenes.
They’ve got facts for everything — and probably a spreadsheet too.
But energy? Limited supply. Handle with care.
They ghost to recharge — not because they don’t care, but because people are a lot.
Growth for a Five means realizing
connection doesn’t always drain — sometimes, it fills.
Sixes — the Loyalist.
Elite-level worst-case scenario planners.
They’re running risk assessments 24/7.
But here’s the thing:
Most of the stuff they worry about? Never happens.
Growth for a Six looks like remembering they’ve survived every meltdown so far —and they’ll handle the next one, too.
Sevens — the Enthusiast.
They bring the energy, the ideas, the chaos — in the best way.
But here’s the secret:
All that planning? It’s a clever way to outrun the hard stuff.
Growth for a Seven means slowing down, feeling the feels, and realizing the present moment isn’t so bad.
Eights — the Challenger.
They are bold, protective, and deeply loyal.
Somewhere along the way, Eights got the message: “If I’m not strong, I won’t survive.”
So they learned to be fierce. To lead. To take up space before someone else could take theirs.
Growth for an Eight means knowing vulnerability isn’t weakness.
Nines — the Peacemaker.
You spend your whole life trying not to rock the boat.
Somewhere along the way, you learned: “If I stay small, I stay safe.”
So you mastered the art of going along to get along. You tuned out your own needs to keep the peace.
Growth for Nines means finding your voice and actually using it.
Mental Health
One of the biggest misconceptions about anxiety is that it is always negative.
When channeled well, anxiety is momentum!
What if anxiety was seen as a superpower for dynamic living?
At CWK, we look at life differently. Are you curious about moving from disabled to empowered?
Not everything painful is trauma.
Sometimes it’s just Monday.
But for real — trauma is about overwhelm. It’s not about how “bad” something looks from the outside.
It’s about what your nervous system had the capacity to handle at the time.
You don’t have to compare your pain to anyone else’s.If it changed how you see the world, yourself, or your safety — it matters.
And you’re allowed to heal from it.
I bring humor everywhere — even into therapy.
Because let’s be real: life is basically a group project you didn’t sign up for.
Laughter is brain magic.
It’s a spa day for your nervous system — endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin… all the good stuff without the hangover.
So the next time you’re laughing —
Just know your brain is giving you a big ol’ squishy hug.
Test anxiety isn’t about being unprepared — it’s about your brain going into survival mode over a #2 pencil.
If your heart races and your mind goes blank, you’re not broken — you’re overwhelmed.