GirlTalk Therapy welcomes Ariane Reis Corcoran as our summer practicum student from Texas State University. We'll be adding Ariane's bio on our website, but here's an early preview:

"Ariane Reis Corcoran is a native Austinite with a passion for working with children, adolescents and families.  She is currently a graduate student in Texas State's Professional Counseling program nearing the end of her studies.  Ariane has a bachelor's degree in International Relations from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and taught pre-school for five years before becoming a licensed childcare Director at a local NAEYC-accredited school.  

Ariane is currently in the Practicum and Internship phase of her Masters degree program and is thrilled to be working with GirlTalk Therapy this summer."

Ariane will be co-facilitating the Northwest Middle School Group with Tracy Tanner this summer. The group runs on Tuesday evenings from 5:45-6:45. Ariane will also contribute to our GirlTips during her internship!

In honor of Maya Angelou's recent passing, we recognize young women, like Ariane, and the hard work they put in to better themselves and the people around them. Here's a quote from Ms. Angelou:

We all have the power to decide how we would like to be defined - regardless of our age, upbringing or past. In adolescence, it can sometimes seem that we make one mistake and it haunts us forever, marking us and determining who we are. However, by holding on to the mistakes or poor choices we make, it limits the possibilities for our future. Letting go and forgiving yourself is never easy, but it is possible. One woman's shares her journey and advice on the website tinybuddha.com. She breaks down the process of shedding criticism and judgment into 4 steps:

- Bring Your Feelings to the Surface

- Share Your Feelings with Someone Close to You

- Surround Yourself with the Right People

- Remind Yourself Who You Are

Try this exercise today in an effort to move forward and decide how you will be known:

* Write down 3-5 qualities that you would like to be "known" for...maybe they are similar to the quote above or maybe they are totally different. No matter what these characteristics are, they are important to you!

* Underneath each quality write 2-3 ways you can "live it out." These are actions you will take to show to others, but more importantly to yourself, that this is who you are.

* Keep this paper somewhere that you can see on a daily basis. Keep track of ways that you have exemplified these qualities on a daily basis. Focus on these strengths in an effort to minimize the mistakes that will be made along the way.