Tulsa Tough Thoughts
Tulsa Tough Thoughts
Summer is here and it kicks off each of the last 19 years with one of my favorite annual weekends here in Tulsa - Tulsa Tough. If you've never been or participated, or don't know, here's the scoop:
Tulsa Tough is a series of Bike races and rides in Tulsa that has become a world wide event for racers, enthusiasts, and locals who enjoy riding or just hanging out in cool spaces watching crazy competition. This year was excellent as always. We watched criterium races where cyclists raced around downtown Tulsa tracks at breakneck speeds with little margin for error. We got to see friends, and be outside, and enjoy Tulsa. Kristin and I rode 2 "fondo" rides which are longer distance rides between 35 and 100 miles long. We do the shorter ones these days, as opposed to choosing the Century ride or 70 miler as was our way in our 30s into our 40s. I suppose we had something to prove or had a love for the accomplishment of finishing something hard back then. I still feel that way, but with much less intensity.
Still, on our 38 miler this past Sunday, there were climbs that pushed me to my out of shape limit. During several of these long and steep hills, my mind did something helpful: it wondered away from the obsession with my out of breath and rubbery leg state, and into a space of gratitude. Weird, right?
The conditions were right, and my headspace was right and the thought came to me of a regular memory from my New Life Ranch days.
Here it is. I GET TO do this.
Back at NLR, we always told participants - "We don't have rules, we have "Get to's!". We get to stay in camp boundaries. We get to be on time. We get to be kind and we get to ask for help when we need it. We get to have fun!
In my temporary pain on that ride I was reminded of beauty.
The honor it is to breathe hard.
The privilege it is to ache and push towards the top.
The beauty all around me of the green trees and June sun's warmth reminded my body that I get to live.
I get to ride.
I get to be connected to my wife and friends on this ride.
So here, the pain of my current circumstance was a good thing. It was a catalyst that moved me towards awareness of the moment.
I don't have to do this.
I get to.
I get to sweat.
I get to breathe this air.
I get to struggle.
This means Im alive and a part of the creation process of the world.
We were made for this.
At Chris King Counseling, (which is going to become GPS therapies in the coming months!) we get to serve clients.
We get to use our gifts and training and experience to help people.
We get to listen.
We get to sometimes even help our people find other, more specific help if needed.
We get to see our clients heal and grow.
We get to be in charge of our own schedules and take time off as needed. We get to.
If you or someone you know needs mental or relational health support, consider us. We are glad to do it. (Because We Get To.....)
- Chris King, MSLPC
Come see us at our new office!
If you haven’t already, come see us soon! 7424 S Yale Ave, Suite 100, Tulsa, OK 74136
Happening next Friday! In person training:
Presented by: Tasha Milligan, LPC, RPT
June 27th, 2025
9am – noon
Chris King Counseling Group Office 7424 S Yale, Tulsa
Join us as we explore how to adapt store-bought games to address therapeutic needs in children. Traditional games can become therapeutic tools by utilizing the imagery in the game and the game concepts to address specific issues. Adding game cards or providing extra challenges as part of the game can transform basic games to address mental and emotional needs. Some games will naturally trigger emotions, allowing for further exploration and processing. We have games for all kiddos from tots to teens.Objectives:
Participants will identify traditional games as appropriate for play therapy.
Participants will discuss how traditional games can be modified to address specific issues in play therapy.
Participants will analyze the therapeutic powers of play in traditional games used in play therapy.
3 CEUs for Social Workers, LPCs, LMFTs, and LADCs.
On the latest episode of Stuck in my Head…
Orientation, Part 1 (A Conversation with Chris and Alison)
In this special episode of Stuck in My Head, Alison flips the script and interviews Chris about the concept of orientation. In therapy, orientation means knowing where you are— emotionally, relationally, spiritually. It’s how we make sense of our experiences and begin to move forward.
When life doesn’t look the way we thought it would, the gap between what is and what ought to be can create deep pain. Orientation helps us face that gap with clarity and compassion.
Stay tuned for part two!
Community Partner: Pediatric Specialists of Tulsa
Dr Stacey O'Sulivan and her team provide the best care for kiddos, and are true partners of the families they serve. Across the parking lot from our new location they are helpful partners. Check em out.
