The Healing Cottage

06/16/2026

Post below by Amanda Hullum . She’s now accepting new clients for parenting sessions.

“I Can’t Wait for These Kids to Go Back to School…”
“Is school back in yet?”
“I can’t wait to send you back to school.”

I know many parents say it jokingly. Sometimes it’s spoken from genuine exhaustion or a moment of overwhelm. Summer can be a lot. The constant snacks, the messes, the noise, the sibling arguments, & the lack of personal space can leave even the most regulated parent feeling overwhelmed.

If we’re not careful, the words our children hear repeatedly can settle into places we never intended.

When a child constantly hears, “I can’t wait for you to go back to school,” they likely do not hear, “Mom is tired.”
They probably hear…
“You’re too much.”
“You’re a burden.”
“Life is easier when you’re gone.”

Children were never meant to carry the emotional weight of adult exhaustion.

Scripture reminds us…

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21

Our words help shape how our children see themselves.

The reality is that many of the struggles families experience during summer aren’t because children are a problem. It’s because the structure that helped regulate everyone throughout the school year has suddenly disappeared.

Children thrive with rhythm, predictability, healthy sleep, good nutrition, movement, responsibilities, and clear expectations. Heck, so do adults. When routines disappear, many children become dysregulated emotionally, physically, and behaviorally.
Parents become exhausted.
Kids become irritable.
The home feels chaotic.

Summer doesn’t need to be rigid, but it does need some order…

• Consistent bedtimes
• Predictable meal times
• Chores and responsibilities
• Outdoor play and movement (whatever you think is enough… add an hour to it)
• Limited screen time (I can’t stress this enough)
• Intentional downtime for parents

A well rested parent with healthy boundaries and moments to recharge is far more equipped to enjoy their children than a parent running on empty.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed this summer, don’t carry the guilt and frustration alone. Parenting was never meant to be done in isolation.

Need help creating healthy routines, addressing behavior challenges, or restoring peace in your home? I’d be honored to help.

Message me to schedule a parenting session. Sometimes a few practical adjustments can completely change the atmosphere of your home.

Summer is short…& there are only so many that we get with them.

Commit to making it a time that your children remember as a season where they were welcomed, planned for, celebrated, enjoyed, and loved well. ❤️

06/15/2026

June is PTSD Awareness Month, and I can’t think of a more meaningful time to share this with you.

My new book, I’m Not What Happened to Me: A Trauma-Informed Workbook to Help You Heal from C-PTSD, is now available on Amazon, and I am still sitting with the quiet wonder of how it came to be.

It started as a homework assignment. Somewhere in the middle of the work, it became something else entirely – a workbook woven through with bits of my own story, with an epilogue at the end that opens the door a little wider into where I have been and what I have learned.

So much of the pain we carry comes from believing that what happened to us is what we are. We believe that the wound, the abuse, is the whole story. This workbook was created to walk alongside you toward a different truth – that you are not what happened to you.

You never were.

If those words land somewhere tender in you today, this book was written for you.

The link to order is in the comments. Share it with someone who needs it.

05/03/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year’s theme is “More Good Days, Together.”

I love that. Not perfect days. Not healed-all-the-way days. Just more good ones.

Some of you know what it costs just to get out of bed some mornings. To hold it together through the carpool line, the meeting, the dinner you made even though you were running on empty. You’ve been carrying things quietly for a long time, and quiet carrying is exhausting work.
This month is a gentle invitation to stop and ask yourself the question that gets skipped most often: How am I, really?

Mental health isn’t a crisis-only conversation. It lives in the small things, in the sleep you can’t seem to get, the joy that stopped showing up, the way your shoulders stay tense and close to your ears. It lives in the relationships that feel strained, the memories you work hard not to think about, the version of yourself you remember being and wonder if you’re still in there somewhere.

You are .

Here’s what I want you to know about good days: they don’t always look the way you think they will.

Sometimes a good day is drinking your coffee while it’s still hot. Texting back the friend you’ve been avoiding. Saying no to something that was draining you. Sitting outside for ten minutes without your phone. Crying in the car and then walking inside anyway. Asking for help with one small thing. These aren’t failures of healing. They ARE healing, the slow and unglamorous kind that doesn’t make highlight reels but changes everything over time.

Progress accumulates quietly, the way morning light fills a room, not all at once but gradually, until you look up and realize you can see again.

Healing isn’t linear, and it isn’t as fast as you’d like it to be , but it is possible.

I see it happen in real time, in the quiet space of my offices, week after week. People who came in feeling broken finding that they are not, in fact, beyond repair. Just in need of someone to sit with them in the hard places.

If you’ve been on the fence about reaching out for support, let this be your nudge. You are not too far gone. You are not too complicated. You are not a burden. You are a human being made for wholeness, and wholeness is still available to you.

“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.” Isaiah 61:1

04/24/2026

I watched Trust Me: The False Prophet on Netflix last night, and I sat with the sad truth of it long after the screen went dark.

Spiritual abuse is real. It hides in holy language. It wraps control in the robes of “anointing,”and it silences the ones who dare to say, “Something is wrong here.”
I know something of that power and control that gets exerted in the name of God.

There were seasons in my own life when I stood against it, when I named what was being done in the name of God, when I made leaders angry because I refused to make their comfort and lies more important than someone’s safety. Standing for what is right in unholy spaces can cost you deeply. The ones who hold spiritual power do not always receive truth-tellers with grace. Actually, they never do. I’ve been called “Judas” and “Jezebel” among other things. I’ve been threatened and ostracized. Let me tell you from experience you can stand up against spiritual abuse and you can heal.

If you have been wounded by a church, a pastor, or a spiritual authority who used their position to diminish, control, shame, or silence you, I want you to know something quite true: what was done to you was not God. The One who formed you does not weaponize your faith against you.
Spiritual abuse leaves layered kinds of wounds. Wounds woven into theology, into prayer, into the very places you once ran for refuge. Healing from it requires someone who understands both the clinical and the sacred.
That and more is the work we do at The Healing Cottage.
You are allowed to heal. You are allowed to question. You are allowed to name what hurt you, even when it wore a collar or carried a Bible.

You and your story are safe here. 🌱

04/04/2026

🚨 AUGUSTA / CSRA 🚨

While the crowds gather and the world turns its eyes toward The Masters Tournament, there’s a reality most people don’t think about…

Trafficking activity often rises during major events. It happens daily right here in the CSRA, esp during The Masters.

It happens in our hotels. Our neighborhoods. Our city. My heart hurts considering the amount of people who are hurting in our community while so many others are participating in one of the greatest historical events each year.

Pay attention to red flags:
• Someone who won’t make eye contact or seems afraid to speak
• A person who looks coached, controlled, or overly monitored
• Confusion about their location or inconsistent answers
• Visible signs of neglect, fear, or abuse
• Frequent traffic in and out of a room or location
• Major age discrepancies in “relationships”

If you work in hospitality, food & beverage, transportation, or service industries … this matters even more.

You are on the front lines this week.

• Hotel staff: notice repeated room traffic, guests who refuse housekeeping, or someone speaking for everyone
• Servers & bartenders: watch for controlling behavior, someone ordering for another, or guests who seem afraid
• Drivers (Uber, Lyft, shuttles): pay attention to passengers who seem disoriented, monitored, or not in control of their destination
• Cleaning crews & event staff: trust your instincts if something feels off

Trafficking doesn’t always look obvious.
It can involve women, men, and even children…many of them U.S. citizens, despite what television shows, being exploited through manipulation, pressure, or force.

⚠️ If something doesn’t sit right … don’t ignore it. It’s better to say something & be wrong than to ignore it.

📞 National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
📱 Text “HELP” to 233733

You can stay anonymous. Speaking up could change…or save…a life.
Posted. By Amanda Hullum

03/21/2026

This is a gentle space to breathe, create, and enjoy a peaceful afternoon with others. You do not have to be artistic to come. Just bring yourself, and we will provide the supplies.

Our next gathering is March 29th from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM at 119 N. Belair Rd, Evans.

The cost is $25 per session, for ages 18+.

To reserve your spot, call Emma Jane Haffey, LMSW, at (913) 547-0863.

We would love to welcome you. Come make something beautiful in a calm, supportive space.


🌱

02/21/2026

Having angry explosions?
Feeling depressed and anxious?
Unable to connect emotionally?
Feeling like s*x with your spouse just isn’t enough?

As documented on Gary Wilson’s “Your Brain on P**nography,” website, over 85 studies link p**n use to poorer mental-emotional health & poorer cognitive outcomes—with another 80 studies linking p**n use to less s*xual and relationship satisfaction.

Most people think p**n has no effect on them or their relationships. However, research says it reaches much further into your mental and emotional health.

• Higher rates of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress
• Greater loneliness and lower life satisfaction
• More relationship dissatisfaction and poorer attachment quality
• Increased social withdrawal and lower real-life bonding
• Attention and concentration problems
• Lower self-esteem and body image dissatisfaction
• Greater impulsivity and compulsive behaviors
• Adolescents reporting more conduct problems and emotional difficulties

For example, people who did not use p**nography reported lower mental distress and loneliness than users.

Other studies found frequent users had more depressive symptoms, poorer quality of life, and worse overall health status.

Longitudinal research also linked exposure to later depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction over time.

This does not mean every viewer experiences severe problems. It does mean the brain, emotions, and relationships are involved far more than culture tends to acknowledge.

I often see clients assume the struggle is “just a habit” until they explore the roots of it all further. The brain treats repeated high-intensity s*xual stimulation as a regulation strategy. Over time it can replace connection, coping, and emotional processing. More and more young men are experiencing ED due to their p**n addiction.

If you or your partner feel more numb, irritable, distant, distracted, or less satisfied with real connection, this may be worth exploring rather than minimizing.

You can read the full research summary here:
https://www.yourbrainonp**n.com/relevant-research-and-articles-about-the-studies/p**n-use-s*x-addiction-studies/studies-linking-p**n-use-to-poorer-mental-emotional-health-poorer-cognitive-outcomes/

Awareness is not shame.
Awareness is the first step toward freedom.

Our CONQUER Men's Group meets every other Monday night 6:30-8pm if you want to find freedom.

**n

Many people who cease using p**n for an extended period of time report mental & cognitive benefits, such as improved concentration & focus

01/14/2026

Two groups are starting again soon …one for men and one for women.

If you’ve been carrying shame, anxiety, or the weight of betrayal, you don’t have to do it alone.

✨ FOR MEN: The Conquer Program ©
A group for men who feel stuck in a cycle of temptation, guilt, and shame, focused on becoming a man of integrity and learning how to be a healthy spouse.

Starts: January 12, 2026 • Time: 6:30pm • Meets: Biweekly on Mondays
Includes: All material provided • Cost: $50 per session
Register: [email protected] | call/text (706) 339-1020

🌿 FOR WOMEN: Up From The Ashes!
A women’s group for overcoming infidelity & betrayal. Support, education on betrayal trauma, and tools for rebuilding safety, boundaries, and self-esteem.

Starts: February 8, 2026 • Time: 6:30p–8:00p • Meets: Biweekly
Includes: All materials provided • Cost: $40 per session
Register: [email protected] | call/text (706) 564-7827
Facilitated by: Amanda Hullum

📍 Location (both groups): 119 N Belair Rd, Evans, GA 30809

Spots are limited so message us or use the registration info above to save your place.

01/07/2026

Our new Prayer Tree is up in the office at The Healing Cottage. 🤍

The tree at Christmas was so well received we decided to put one up for all year long.

Clients and visitors can write a prayer, a goal, an intention or a hope for healing request and place it on the tree.

Some are detailed, some are just a few words, and some (like a child’s handwriting) I can’t fully read… but God can.

Each morning and evening, I pause and pray over every single request on these branches.

If you’d like prayer, you’re welcome to add a card the next time you’re here. If you don’t come in, post below, or message me and I’ll include your request on our tree and pray for you and yours too!

01/02/2026

New Year, New You?

A fresh year is the perfect time to practice something that’s both hopeful and science-backed: you can shape the way your brain looks at life. This happens through neuroplasticity. It’s your brain’s built-in ability to rewire itself based on what you repeatedly focus on.

Your attention is training your brain

Your brain is always strengthening the pathways you use most. When you intentionally pay attention to what’s good, safe, meaningful, or hopeful, you reinforce the circuits connected to reward, connection, and emotional regulation. Over time, it becomes easier to access calmer, more positive states…not because life is perfect, but because your mind is getting better at seeing the full picture.

Small habits build strong “positive pathways”

Practices like gratitude, mindfulness, prayer/reflection, or positive self-talk are repetitive mental workouts. Just like exercise strengthens muscles, consistent positive focus strengthens the brain’s ability to notice, feel, and return to what’s good.

The opposite happens too

When stress, fear, or negative thinking becomes the default, the brain adapts to that as well. It gets faster at scanning for threats and problems. It’s a brain doing what it’s trained to do.

Changing your “default setting”

The goal isn’t to deny hard things. It’s to actively train your attention so your brain learns: “Yes, that’s hard… and there’s also hope, support, meaning, and possibilities here too.” With consistency, you can shift your internal “default” toward resilience.

A simple New Year practice to start today

Each day, write down:
• 3 good things (even small ones)
• 1 thing you handled well
• 1 thing you’re looking forward to

New year, new you doesn’t have to mean a total overhaul.

It can be one small daily choice that slowly reshapes your brain…and your life. ❤️‍🩹

Comment “RENEW” below if you’d like to start renewing your mind daily. ✍🏻

#2026