Challenging these defense mechanisms can turn your world upside down. You might discover that the anger you’ve always carried is covering a deep well of grief. You might find that your “I’m fine” mask hides profound sadness or loneliness.

Depression isn’t an emotion. It’s an indication that something is being suppressed. When we “press down” — or depress — our emotions to avoid feeling them, everything goes numb. Not just the uncomfortable emotions.

Brené Brown famously says, “You can’t selectively numb emotion.” That means if we numb the painful or “negative” feelings, we also numb the pleasant or “positive” ones. This is why life loses its vibrancy and purpose — why we no longer take pleasure in the things we used to. These are the hallmark signs of depression.

Healing, I believe, is never a straight line but a spiral. We revisit the same lessons over and over, each time at a deeper level. Just when we think we’ve “figured it out,” life invites us to choose healing again — in a new situation, a new relationship, a new season. Again and again, we face the choice: self-abandonment or alignment. And each time, it takes courage to risk disappointing others, to tolerate being misunderstood, and to sit with the discomfort of making decisions based on what we truly need rather than what others expect from us.

Neutrality doesn’t mean apathy—it means groundedness. Clarity. The ability to respond rather than react. And that, to me, is a true superpower.

In times of trauma or stress, specific parts of the self may arise to protect or cope with pain. However, as life evolves, these parts can become stuck in outdated roles—causing inner conflict, self-doubt, or emotional distress. By working together, we’ll uncover these internal dynamics and bring healing to the parts that need your attention.

Somatic Therapy is particularly effective for those who have experienced trauma, as trauma can become "frozen" in the body. Traditional therapeutic methods may only address the cognitive aspects of trauma, leaving the physical and emotional layers unprocessed. By focusing on the body, this approach enables the client to process and integrate these layers of experience, fostering holistic healing.

Trauma can shape how we experience the world, often creating lasting emotional and physical patterns that affect our daily lives. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful, evidence-based treatment method that helps people reprocess and heal from past traumatic experiences. Discovered by Francine Shapiro in 1987, EMDR has since become a go-to approach for trauma therapy, especially for those struggling with PTSD.

Life was never promised to be easy. It was meant to stretch us, to show the full spectrum: joy and sorrow, chaos and peace, delight and disappointment. And there is room for it all.

Here’s the thing: trauma survivors need extra support. Trauma wires your brain for hypervigilance, and healing asks us to rewire for restoration, safety, and connection. This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a lifelong process of tuning in and nourishing the system from the inside out.

The truth is, when we don’t feel safe, our muscles tighten and close—just like every other living thing in nature. Learning to shift from resenting your pain to honoring your body’s protection is a radical act of self-compassion.

It’s not easy. But it changes everything.

When you stop criticizing your body for doing what it was designed to do, your nervous system softens. Safety is born from within. And healing becomes possible—not through force, but through patience, consistency, and kindness.