Bonnie Healey LCSW

06/19/2026

Starting another long trip home, this time on a very rainy morning. The first part of going home will be a 3-hr charter bus ride. I feel so old saying this - I remember a time where traveling anywhere in the Army always meant a school bus-style bus. We still use them in BCT and AIT settings, but it used to be that was all we had period in all settings.

I’ll be seeing a client in-person at HMC for the first time in over a year next Thursday, and I’ll decide on at least one in-person client day each week at that time. If anyone has been wanting in-person sessions, this is a great time to reach out and send your preferences so I can plan the right days/hours for scheduling. Our indoors office spaces are always available, and we also have some nice outdoor therapy spaces as well now that we are in the warmer months.

Here’s our scheduling contact info:

[email protected]
(267) 528-9037 or (267) 528-6997

06/19/2026

06/16/2026

✨ Meet the Team Tuesday ✨
At Hope and Meaning Counseling, our team is passionate about creating a supportive and compassionate space where individuals and families feel heard, understood, and empowered 💙

This week, we’re excited to introduce Bruna, one of our incredible clinicians and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor! 👋 Since beginning her career in the mental health field in 2015, Bruna has been dedicated to helping individuals navigate life’s challenges while supporting healing, growth, and meaningful change.

Bruna earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from Temple University and has had the privilege of working with individuals across a variety of settings, including community-based services, family reunification programs, outpatient therapy, and substance use treatment. Throughout her career, she has supported individuals facing complex and difficult circumstances by helping them access resources, build effective coping skills, and move toward lasting healing.

As a Haitian woman, Bruna brings a culturally informed perspective to her work and recognizes the importance of honoring each person’s unique experiences, values, and background. She also brings personal insight into infertility treatment and aspects of the postpartum journey that are not always openly discussed. These experiences have deepened her empathy and strengthened her commitment to creating a supportive, understanding environment for individuals and families navigating similar experiences.

Outside of therapy, Bruna enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and large extended family. She also enjoys braiding and styling hair—especially for her nieces—and loves helping them feel confident, empowered, and proud of who they are.

We’re grateful to have clinicians like Bruna on our team who bring compassion, authenticity, and dedication into the work they do every day 🌿

06/11/2026

What matters more – your long-term goals or your short-term desires? This was the question I asked myself when everyone decided to go out for fast food for lunch. I had deliberately packed my own lunch this morning because I knew I wanted to save money so that I could get ahead on my mortgage payments. I made a commitment to myself to live frugally for a few months so that I could pay off the mortgage soon. What mattered more, the commitment I made to myself or being social?

It’s easy to follow our long-term goals when we don’t have short-term temptations in front of us. When those temptations come up though, they make it hard to stay focused on the long-term goals. As a therapist who practices Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), I know that if I can tie a motivation to my values, then I’m more likely to follow my goals. It starts with knowing what my values are first. Financial independence is one of my values; it makes sense that I would choose to pay off the mortgage as a long-term goal. Why is financial independence a value for me? Because financial independence makes me feel secure. In this example, security is the motivation to pack a lunch and save money. A long-term goal that is in line with my values is easier to reach when I can pair it with a motivation that matches the way my values make me feel. This is why we need to know what our values are and why we these values in the first place. We have the values that we have because we like how we feel when we’re living according to those values. While I like being social because it’s fun and it feels good, it isn’t exactly a value. Being social is more of a way that I like to live my life, it’s not exactly a driving force that defines me.

I did stay back with my sandwich and I actually got some work done during lunch, that wouldn’t have happened if I had gone out with everyone else. I look at it as if a small sacrifice came with a reward – I got caught up with some of the work I needed to do so now I can enjoy the rest of the day however I want. And there is pride in knowing that I am a small step closer towards that long-term goal because I chose my values over a fun temptation.

I feel like I am at my best when I live my life according to ACT principles and methods, and this is why I bring ACT into a lot of my work as a therapist. It’s an easy thing to look up on the Internet, there are a lot of resources that can show you how to incorporate ACT concepts in your everyday life. There are also many other therapists out there who practice ACT; it’s been a well-known, evidence-based practice for several years. I think people can learn it on their own through self-study, I also think that connecting with a therapist helps.

06/09/2026

/PRNewswire/ -- CAQH, the trusted data connector at the core of healthcare, announced that it is now owned by twelve shareholder companies affiliated with the...

06/05/2026

Really happy that annual training at (insert specific Army installation that no one ever wants to go to) is giving me at least two opportunities to swim! I’ve loved swimming ever since I was little. I have no idea what it is about swimming (just like I have no idea why the pool looks green 🤪) but I know it’s always made me feel happy.

I think there’s a physical activity for everyone - something’s out there that feels good for you, something joyful. It’s long been known that physical activities are good for improving mental health - when you physically feel better, you’ll often feel emotionally better too. Physical activities will give you something to do and that’s great for managing depression and anxiety – those two conditions tend to worsen when you have empty time to do nothing but ruminate and worry. If you ever do group activities like running clubs, adult sports leagues, etc. – then you’re also getting out there and meeting people and being social which also improves mental health.

Sometimes I ask people what it is that they like to do and they honestly don’t know because it’s been so long since they’ve done anything physical. And that’s okay, it’s a starting point. I think it helps just to Google things like “physical fitness near me” or maybe something more general like “different kinds of exercise”. There will be a ton of ideas that pop up, and you don’t have to do everything that you see – it’s good just to take a look at different things and notice how you feel when you think about different kinds of exercise. What seems interesting to you, what makes you feel more curious, what makes you feel confident when you look at something and think “I can do that”.

For a lot of of us, the first step to physical fitness isn’t actually going out there and doing something, it’s going to be looking at different ideas and finding something we want to try out. And maybe trying something out can lead to committing to it later on, and that’s where you might find your life changing in positive directions. I tell people to pay attention to their interests and go from there – follow what feels like it might be a good idea without placing any pressure on yourself to do anything performance-wise. Performance comes in time, at your own pace, when you feel ready for it. If you’re just getting started, take it easy and look at it as an interesting thing to do, not something that you need to pressure yourself to do in a certain way – and I think that’s the key to incorporating physical fitness into your life.

06/03/2026

Okay, the place I’m going to next is definitely not my nearest military installation, but I’m looking forward to it as it is a new place to me and I like going places that I haven’t been to before.

I will be out for a few weeks, returning to work as normal on Monday, June 22. Lots of people can do things in my absence while I am out though; HMC always keeps on going with or without me there. Here is who to contact:

Scheduling, billing and all other admin needs:
[email protected]
(267) 528-9037 or (267) 528-6997

There is immediate availability for MEPS waiver assessments, go to:
https://hopeandmeaning.com/military-assessments/
Click on “schedule an assessment”, submit your information and our admin staff will reach out and get you set up.

I’ll see everyone when I’m back!

05/28/2026

Peace looks like…my pasture at home. True story - I’ve never once been inside the fence. Not once! I’ve just looked at it from the outside, and that’s enough to make me feel content. Knowing its mine is a comfort, it’s an untouched piece of land that I can keep to myself or share with whoever I want to share it with. Right now, I share it with my neighbors’ sheep and goats. Someday down the road, who knows? For today though, I love looking at this little bit of calmness in my life.

Everyone should have a peaceful place in their life somewhere, where’s yours?

05/28/2026

Reposting this message from our governor feels a little surreal, kind of weird - but this is 2026, this is the direction our world has gone in. It isn’t just happening to kids either, plenty of adults can be fooled by AI too. It’s not about people being “stupid” or “naive” as much as it’s about how sophisticated AI products have become.

05/26/2026

Congratulations to our intern Lauren, who just graduated with her Masters degree in Social Work and will be joining us soon as a therapist! Lauren will be getting her LSW license shortly and she is able to do general counseling with a specialty in vocational and rehabilitative counseling. I’m really excited to have her join our team at HMC!