Blog
TGIF | Respecting Our Differences
This week's TGIF is inspired by the beautiful and wise lesson from an Irishman:
"See, in life, you’ll encounter this often. We may be looking at the same thing, but what we perceive and then interpret as fact can be quite different. We cannot judge another’s experience or opinions until we see through their lens.”
TGIF | The Key to Health is in Your Nervous System
This week, my friend Dr. Aarti Soorya talked to our team about her holistic health and well-being perspectives. As the founder of Reset Brain and Body, most of what she shared was not new to me; instead, she validated everything Reset is built upon. I told the team - this is our why - this is a call to remember why we exist and operate in the mental health field the way we do. It was inspiring and educational and a great way to spend time together. So today, I want to refresh you, too, on why mental health is, in fact, all about nervous system health.
Finding Presence: A Guide to Showing Up in Your Life
This week, I was reminded of the art of showing up in our lives. Re-reading a familiar book and discussing themes with clients was a gentle nudge to activate presence in my life. Over the weekend, we traveled to Lake Michigan to visit family. There were so many moments of awe: meeting my nephew for the first time, catching the sunrise over the water on a run, capturing my son’s reaction as the sunset, and listening to my other son’s reactions with the boom of each firework. It’s so easy to miss these moments as we’re stuck in the day-to-day of our lives.
But we don’t need a vacation or holiday to notice the glimmers, the special moments of each day. We need to reorient how we show up in this life.
TGIF | Back to School Blues: Navigating Parental Guilt and Finding Joy
Back to school brings mixed feelings. I am grateful to have my kids in a loving community with supportive teachers and peers. I feel relief that the house is yet again quiet from 8am - 3pm, no longer working from a guest bed with the sound machine on to muffle the sounds of boys wrestling and demanding snacks. I also feel pressure to be present and “on” in a new and profound way from 3:30 pm - 8 pm as my kids are now gone most of the day.
The truth is, there’s a twinge right under the fatigue and relief and gratitude of, you guessed it - a story of guilt.
TGIF | Conquering Rejection Sensitivity: A Guide to Resilience for Anyone and Women with ADHD
Most people are susceptible to fears of rejection. When I work with clients, drilling down our thoughts often leads them to conclude that, at the core, they are afraid of being unloveable, alone, and abandoned. Threats of rejection trigger these deep fears.
Interestingly, for women and girls, rejection fear is heightened when you throw in an ADHD brain. Called Rejection Sensitivity, women with ADHD have more of it due to a mix of brain chemistry, emotional challenges, and past experiences.
The thing is, people with ADHD often struggle to regulate their emotions, so even small social interactions can feel intensely personal. This sensitivity can be traced back to childhood experiences of rejection, like bullying or harsh criticism, which condition the brain to expect rejection and react strongly to it.
TGIF | How Simone Biles and the Olympics Highlight the Vital Connection Between Mental Health and Peak Performance
This year marked the first time in many that I intentionally sat down to watch the Olympic Games. The thrill of the women's soccer matches, track and field events turned our living room into a stadium, and then there was "breaking," a fresh addition to the games.
But where the U.S. truly shined—exemplifying resilience, compassion, empowerment, and awe-inspiring talent—was in gymnastics. Let's pause for a moment honor the GOAT, Simone Biles, and what she's taught the world as a springboard to dive deeper into the importance of mental health in physical health.
TGIF | ADHD and Women: A Unique Perspective
Have you ever felt like your brain works at a different speed than everyone else? Like you're constantly juggling thoughts, tasks, and emotions, often feeling overwhelmed or misunderstood? Eek, hand raised...
Welp, you're not alone. Today, let's talk about ADHD in women.
TGIF | Reconnecting with Yourself: How Somatic Therapy Can Heal Your Attachment Wounds
In this week’s TGIF, Kerry shares how somatic therapy and body-based interventions can be supportive resources for healing attachment wounds. Attachment wounds can show up in all sorts of ways – difficulty trusting others, fear of intimacy, or a constant feeling of being on guard. But the good news: these wounds can heal.
TGIF | Embracing Mistakes: Building Compassion Through Tolerance and Trust
Have you ever made a mistake? I certainly have, and I want to share two significant experiences from my career in human resources over a decade ago. These moments taught me invaluable lessons about tolerance, grace, and the power of embracing our imperfections.
TGIF | Finding Happiness: From People-Pleaser to Self-Trust
In this week’s TGIF, Kerry shares how we can step out of people-pleasing, solution-fixing, advice-giving, and return to ourselves and our own happiness through practices such as gratitude, boundaries, finding joy and forgiveness. “Our natural instinct is to want to restore harmony. But what happens when this constant state of "fixing" leaves us feeling drained, resentful, and even a little lost ourselves?”
TGIF | Finding Peace in a Chaotic World: Balancing Tragedy and Joy
In this week’s TGIF, Kerry discusses the paradox of being constantly and consistently informed. Having boundaries and protecting your peace does not mean you are disconnected from the world. “We can still be informed, engaged citizens while prioritizing our own well-being.”
TGIF | Finding Your Chill: A Deep Dive into Nervous System Regulation and Authentic Calm
Let's talk about calm. But not just any calm – we're diving deep into authentic calm, the kind rooted in nervous system regulation, not avoidance.
TGIF | Why Mindful Awareness is Key to Overcoming Stress and Perfectionism
Wow, what a weekend it was! The last days of school, birthdays, special events, and activities all piled up into one non-stop whirlwind. While I felt fine throughout it all—surviving, you could say—come Monday, I crashed.
TGIF | Letting Go and Embracing the Flow: Reflections on Turning 38
Today is my birthday, and as is tradition, it's a time for me to pause and reflect on the past year. This year, in particular, has been a journey of realignment.
TGIF | Remembering the Unseen: How Trauma Affects Us All
In this week’s TGIF, Kerry writes about how trauma is complex, affects us all and how it mustn’t be ignored. “The truth is that trauma affects us all. It affects our relationships, our work, and our overall well-being. It affects our communities, our society, and our world. And it's only by acknowledging and addressing our trauma that we can begin to heal.”
TGIF | Embracing the Unknown: Why Change is a Good Thing
In this weeks TGIF, Kerry emphasizes that change is inherently positive, despite the common fear it incites. Change, including progress and embracing the unknown, are crucial for growth.
TGIF | Surrendering to Stillness: Navigating Anxiety Through Trust and Inner Healing
Anxiety is a relentless and exhausting companion, always future-tripping and planning the next decade of my life. She makes food choices challenging, taking me away from listening to my hunger and instead pausing in front of the fridge in analysis paralysis. But Anxiety is also my friend, a soldier who has made me respond quickly to things, think on my feet, and take some chances.
TGIF | Rethinking Beauty: Cultivating Self-Worth and Body Positivity
You Are More Beautiful Than You Think
In honor of Maternal Mental Health Month and Mother's Day, I'm writing to all the women who think less of themselves.
TGIF | Embracing the Wisdom of Aging: A Journey of Self-Discovery & Empowerment
As my youngest son turned four, I reflected on the end of my reproductive years. In a moment of panic, I realized that after childbearing, all that comes next is aging – something that society has weaponized to make women spend too much money in trying to prevent it from showing.
TGIF | Working with Anxiety: Embracing Somatic Experiences and Parts Work
.I've sensed a notable increase in unsettledness among us, likely attributed to the current state of the world and the impending elections. Our team is acutely aware of how election cycles impact the collective's mental health and resilience. This year is proving to be no exception.