The AWE Blog

This vintage Erie newspaper cartoon captures Presque Isle as a place to pause and recharge. For Erie Gives 2026, it also reflects the larger vision behind Authentic Wellness and Empowerment: helping make counseling, wellness, growth, and restorative experiences more accessible throughout our community. Authentic Wellness and Empowerment is building more than a counseling organization. Through Erie Gives 2026, you can help expand accessible mental health services, strengthen t

Climbing the Iron Road near Banff, Alberta—a fitting reminder that healthier choices can feel uncomfortable and exposed at first, but growth begins when we stop letting fear make every decision. Not everything familiar is healthy. Learn how setting healthy boundaries, changing unhealthy coping skills, and addressing unhealthy relationship patterns can help you build a life that feels sustainable from the inside out. What if some of the things that feel most normal in your lif

Making a snow angel in Waterton, Alberta—a reminder that even when life leaves you flat on your back, you may still be in a place where healing, perspective, and a fresh start are possible. Your past may explain some of your struggles, but it does not have to control your future. Trauma counseling in Erie, PA can help you understand what happened, break unhealthy patterns, and begin moving forward with greater strength, stability, and purpose. Life can be unfair. You may have

Dr. Curtis Lee Taylor with Pennsylvania State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro in Harrisburg, where they discussed opportunities to strengthen the counseling workforce, modernize behavioral health policy, and expand access to quality mental health care across Pennsylvania. You finally decide that it may be time to talk with someone. Then the real work begins. You search for a counselor in Erie, Pennsylvania. You leave messages. You find providers who are full, do not accept your insurance,

Loyalty isn't built in a single moment—it's built through connection, trust, and consistent presence over time When people think about infidelity, they often focus on the affair itself. Who was involved? How long did it last? How did it happen? But as a couples counselor, I've become increasingly interested in a different question: What was happening in the relationship long before the affair began? While every situation is unique, one pattern appears again and again. Many af

Counseling is not just for crisis or diagnosis. Sometimes it’s about reconnecting with yourself, strengthening relationships, reducing stress, and creating a life that feels more authentic, meaningful, and sustainable. A lot of people hear the phrase “mental health” and immediately think “mental illness.” That can make counseling feel like something reserved for crisis, diagnosis, breakdown, or dysfunction. It can create the impression that reaching out for support means admi

Sometimes healing starts when people stop trying to “win” the conversation and start reconnecting emotionally . — Dr. Curtis Taylor at Waldameer Park in Erie, PA By Dr. Curtis Taylor, PhD, LPC, LPCC, NCC Authentic Wellness & Empowerment Counseling & Wellness Services Sometimes the more determined someone becomes to solve a relationship problem, the worse the conversation becomes. That can feel incredibly confusing for couples. Especially for people who pride themselves on b

Sometimes relationships do not collapse because love disappeared. Sometimes they collapse because emotional safety, trust, and groundedness slowly eroded underneath the surface. Few phrases hit harder than this one: “I love you, but I’m not in love with you anymore.” For many men, hearing those words feels like emotional whiplash. One moment they think the relationship is struggling but salvageable. The next moment, they feel like they are standing outside the wreckage of a l

Before the world taught me to start feeling not good enough… I was just me. No comparison. No pressure. Just presence. If you’ve been stuck feeling not good enough, you’re not alone. A lot of people quietly carry this weight—questioning themselves, second-guessing decisions, and wondering why things feel harder than they should. But here’s the truth most people miss: Feeling not good enough is often not about who you are. It’s about how you’re interpreting stress. And when t

Your next chapter doesn’t have to be survival mode. Step into Counseling Time —a Choose Your Own AWEventure where exploring your story might just change your life. There’s a moment most people don’t talk about. It happens before someone starts therapy. Before they send the message. Before they even search “Do I need therapy?” It’s quieter than that. It’s the moment where something inside you says: “This isn’t working anymore.” And then almost immediately… something else answe

Like building a fire, real change takes intention. Counseling helps you use what life gives you to create something stronger. If you’ve been searching for counseling in Erie, PA , there’s a good chance something in your life feels heavier than it should. Not necessarily a crisis. Not necessarily a breaking point. Just… a weight. Stress that doesn’t shut off. Relationship tension that keeps repeating. A sense that you should feel better—but don’t. Here’s the truth most people

When communication breaks down, stress and frustration take over—learning to “fight fair” can change everything. If you’ve ever searched for “couples counseling near me ” or "couples counseling Erie PA" or wondered whether your relationship needs help, you’re not alone. Most couples don’t struggle because they disagree. They struggle because they don’t know how to disagree. The same argument keeps showing up: One person raises their voice The other shuts down Past issues ge

General McLane High School’s Broadway Dinner showcases the power of local theatre in Erie—where stories of stress, struggle, and triumph come to life on stage, reminding us what’s possible when we build the capacity to handle it in real life. Why I Love Local Theatre in Erie This past weekend reminded me of something simple—but powerful: I genuinely love local theatre in Erie. I had the chance to attend: Cathedral Prep High School’s Les Misérables General McLane High School’s

Dr. Curtis Taylor with Authentic Wellness & Empowerment Board Chairman Randy Veccia, celebrating Randy’s wedding day—a reminder that strong relationships, community, and shared vision are at the heart of everything we build. Introduction What if the biggest challenge in mental health today isn’t a lack of services—but a lack of sustainable, well-trained, and truly well counselors ? That question sits at the heart of my work—and it’s the driving force behind my upcoming presen

Sometimes relationship conversations feel like opening a box of yellow jackets. Have you ever asked a simple question in a relationship—something like: “Hey… can we talk about what just happened?” —and somehow the conversation turned into you defending yourself for asking the question at all? In many relationships, accountability can suddenly feel like an attack. One communication pattern that helps explain this experience is known as DARVO in relationships . Many people reco

Even counselors are just normal people navigating life. Here I am with actor and comedian Hal Sparks during a visit to Erie. Counseling isn’t about “fixing broken people.” It’s about helping normal people handle life’s stress and move forward with clarity. One of the biggest misunderstandings about mental health counseling is the idea that therapy is only for counseling-in-erie-pa-why-therapy-is-for-normal-people-living-in-a-stressful-worldpeople who are “crazy” or deeply br

After biking the Oil City Trail with friends — right around the moment a leg cramp decided to remind me that progress sometimes comes with a little discomfort. One of the things I explain early in counseling is something that can sound a little strange at first. When new clients review informed consent, we go over the legal limits of confidentiality. That’s the standard ethical requirement in counseling. But I also make sure to talk about something just as important: Sometime

Erie-based licensed counselor Curtis Taylor speaks virtually to a committee about the drawbacks of using AI chatbots as mental health providers. (Screenshot from livestream) This week's blog is a public summary of testimony I delivered yesterday before the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee regarding artificial intelligence and mental health care. I shared my perspective not as a technophobe — but as a licensed professional counselor, educator, and nonprofit execu

Just a kid and the sand, with no credentials yet and the same worth as today. There’s a version of you that already exists. Not in a mystical sense. Not in a manifestation-board kind of way. I mean a real version — shaped by your values, your choices, your discipline, and your willingness to face uncomfortable truths. Most people feel it quietly. They sense who they could be. They imagine a healthier body. Clearer thinking. Stronger relationships. More meaningful work. Greate

Real relationships are complex. Sometimes we bare our teeth. Growth begins when we learn to pause instead of react. There will always be something to be offended by. Someone will gossip. Someone will say it wrong. Someone won’t respond fast enough. Someone will disappoint you. Someone will write a blog about their counseling practice and somehow manage to offend you. That part is unavoidable. We are nervous systems walking around in a world full of other nervous systems. Bu