Navigating body image, self-perception, and the struggle to see yourself clearly can be a daily challenge. There are days when standing in front of a mirror feels less like looking and more like being judged. The reflection staring back can feel unfamiliar—shaped by expectations, other people’s opinions, by memories of who you were told to be. For many people navigating gender identity, mirrors become emotional battlegrounds: a space where hope, doubt, and longing all meet at

Waking up is supposed to feel peaceful and restful, or so we may think. But for those who suffer from anxiety, mornings can be especially difficult. All too often, a surge of anxious feelings overwhelms us upon opening our eyes. You may wonder why your anxiety seems to peak first thing in the morning. You are not alone. Let's explore why this happens. Cortisol Awakening Response   When you wake up, your body releases a surge of cortisol, the “get up and go” hormone that helps

Anxiety may feel like a shadow following you wherever you go, causing you to be nervous and afraid without even knowing why. Trauma can be like a ghost of our past, attached to us and lingering in the subconscious. We may not realize the affect our past trauma has on our daily lives, creating vague to overwhelming feelings of fear and a sense of emending doom.   Anxious feelings often seem to come out of nowhere — a sudden sense of worry, tension, and dread. For many people,

Healing & Belonging: Three-Part Series – Part One: Experiencing pain when family members reject or misunderstand your identity? You grief is real. Family relationships can be the hardest...

The hardest part of healing isn’t always the rejection from the outside world — it’s the voice that lives inside, repeating the messages we’ve absorbed over time. The cruel words from childhood, the shame of hiding, the fear of being “too much” — they don’t always leave when we come out. Sometimes they become an inner critic, one that keeps us from feeling safe even within ourselves.   This is abuse from within.   The Internalized Wound of Rejection   Before we could even nam