How to Use Neuroplasticity to Turn Your Anxiety Into an Advantage

How to Use Neuroplasticity to Turn Your Anxiety Into an Advantage

You have likely felt the heavy weight of worry at some point in your life. Most people view this feeling as a defect, a weakness, or an obstacle that needs to be eradicated. But what if the very thing that is keeping you up at night could actually be transformed into your greatest superpower? Brain science tells us that this is not only possible but highly achievable. By understanding how the brain works, you can learn to use your stress response as a catalyst for action, empathy, and personal growth. The Traditional View of Worry and Why It Fails For…
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Building Stronger Relationships with Teletherapy in Lafayette, Indiana

Building Stronger Relationships with Teletherapy in Lafayette, Indiana

From Disconnection to Harmony Relationships form the very foundation of our daily lives, influencing our happiness, health, and overall well-being. Online Counseling is becoming an important resource for many who face relationship challenges. Yet, they are frequently a major source of stress, frustration, and unresolved conflict. For adults living in Lafayette, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and throughout Indiana, the fast-paced demands of modern life can strain even the most deeply rooted connections. Miscommunication, financial pressure, intimacy issues, and unmanaged anger can leave partners feeling isolated and misunderstood. I am Buck Black, LCSW, CST, and my private practice focuses on helping individuals…
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Why Your Brain Gets Tired & You Feel Exhausted

Why Your Brain Gets Tired & You Feel Exhausted

How to Recharge for Peak Mental Performance Feeling mentally drained after a good bout of thinking? You're not alone! It's a common misconception that only physical work makes us tired, but our brains work hard too, and all that intense focus can definitely leave you feeling foggy. I wanted to share some thoughts on why this happens and, more importantly, what you can do to keep your mental energy levels up so you can continue doing great things! The Mystery of Mental Fatigue We often think of tiredness as being about our muscles getting worn out, and while that's true…
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Mental Health Stigma in Indiana

Mental Health Stigma in Indiana

Why It Is Time to Stop Suffering in Silence Living in the Midwest, specifically here in Indiana, we pride ourselves on a certain kind of resilience. From the farmers in rural areas to the busy professionals in Indianapolis and Carmel, there is a pervasive "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality. We are taught to work hard, provide for our families, and keep our personal problems behind closed doors. While this work ethic is admirable, it often has a dangerous side effect when it comes to our emotional well-being: the stigma of mental illness. Despite how common mental health issues…
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Navigating Therapy and Mental Wellness While Traveling for Work

Navigating Therapy and Mental Wellness While Traveling for Work

Travel is hard on mental health and emotions Let's be real, the "work hard, play hard" mantra of the business travel world often glosses over a crucial element: mental wellness. One effective strategy for maintaining this is teletherapy for travelers. We're talking about the reality of maintaining therapy appointments, managing stress, and prioritizing your sanity while juggling time zones, airport security lines, and that never-ending inbox. I've been there, done that, and bought the "I Love My Therapist" travel mug (just kidding... mostly). But seriously, navigating the complexities of mental health while constantly on the go is a challenge, and…
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Why We Need to Talk About Sex

Why We Need to Talk About Sex

Many people grow up receiving the message that sex is something to keep quiet about—or something to feel shame, embarrassment, or guilt around. Whether it’s from family, culture, religion, media, or past experiences, these messages can make it hard to talk openly about sex, even in therapy. The result? People often carry a lifetime of unanswered questions, unmet needs, and silent struggles when it comes to sexuality. In my practice, we do things differently. Sex is a natural, important, and deeply personal part of life. It’s connected to pleasure, identity, intimacy, communication, connection, and vulnerability. And yet, for many people,…
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Bridging the Gap: Helping Hoosiers Statewide Through Teletherapy

Bridging the Gap: Helping Hoosiers Statewide Through Teletherapy

The shortage of mental health professionals across Indiana (and the country) continues to be a real challenge—especially in smaller towns and rural counties. Many Hoosiers are ready and willing to do the work of therapy, but they simply can’t find a provider nearby. Indiana online counseling has become an important resource to address this issue, offering accessible solutions to those in need. I see this every day: people on waitlists, driving hours for care, or giving up entirely because help feels out of reach. That’s why I’ve structured my entire private practice to address this need with Indiana online counseling.…
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The Endless Chase: When External Validation Becomes Your Only Pursuit

The Endless Chase: When External Validation Becomes Your Only Pursuit

We all yearn for comfort, for connection, and for that deep-seated sense of worth. There are moments, though, when we feel profoundly low, empty, or simply unsure of who we are. In these times, we might instinctively reach for things outside ourselves, hoping they will somehow "fill" that aching void. This can manifest in countless ways, from the thrill of acquiring new possessions to overindulgence in food, or even the intense, fleeting solace found in sexual encounters as a means to temporarily inflate our self-esteem. While these external solutions may offer a brief, tantalizing whisper of relief or pleasure, they…
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Beyond “Broken”

Beyond “Broken”

Embracing Wholeness in TherapyOne essential aspect of therapy is the enhancement of self-esteem, which plays a crucial role in an individual's healing journey. Welcome.If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I broken?” you’re far from alone. This question—or the heavy feeling behind it—is something many people bring into individual therapy, couples counseling, and sex therapy. That deep, quiet fear of being fundamentally flawed can weigh you down and make it hard to move forward. But here's the truth: You are not broken. Building self-esteem is key. You are a full and complex person—navigating life, pain, relationships, and growth. Online therapy is…
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How I Have Seen Online Therapy Change

How I Have Seen Online Therapy Change

It is amazing how much improvement I have seen with online counseling. When I started as an online therapist in 2006, it was quite different from today. It was mostly over the phone and I found it to be surprisingly effective. I had originally got my training from the Crisis Center in Lafayette, Indiana. One would think that a crisis center might not be the ultimate place to get your teletherapy training, but it turned out to be ideal. I had extensive training in helping people with crises strictly over the phone. I had to learn very quickly how to…
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