Sugar Maple Counseling and Ecotherapy

06/03/2026

💚 From Survival Mode to Sustainable Living: Building Resilience Together 💚

Today, I had the honor of being a guest speaker on “Anchor” to discuss the important topic of building resilience, healing from survival mode, and creating lives rooted in emotional sustainability.

Thank you, Sorhaya Zamor, MSN for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful conversation.

In this session, we explored how resilience is not just about “pushing through,” but learning how to reconnect with ourselves, honor our needs, and create sustainable patterns of healing.

We discussed:
• Recognizing the signs of living in survival mode.
• Understanding the impact of chronic stress, trauma, and emotional exhaustion.
• Building healthier boundaries and coping strategies.
• The role of grief, self-awareness, and nervous system regulation.
• How connection, community, and intentional healing practices support long-term wellness.
• Stronger minds are built through honest conversations, compassionate spaces, and shared experiences.
• Thank you to everyone who joined us. I hope this conversation serves as a reminder that healing is not about doing more... it’s about creating a life you can truly sustain.

06/02/2026

💚 From Survival Mode to Sustainable Living: Building Resilience Together 💚

Today, I had the honor of being a guest speaker on "Anchor" to discuss the important topic of building resilience, healing from survival mode, and creating lives rooted in emotional sustainability.

Thank you, Sorhaya Zamor, MSN for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful conversation.

In this session, we explored how resilience is not just about "pushing through," but learning how to reconnect with ourselves, honor our needs, and create sustainable patterns of healing.

We discussed:
• Recognizing the signs of living in survival mode.
• Understanding the impact of chronic stress, trauma, and emotional exhaustion.
• Building healthier boundaries and coping strategies.
• The role of grief, self-awareness, and nervous system regulation.
• How connection, community, and intentional healing practices support long-term wellness.
• Stronger minds are built through honest conversations, compassionate spaces, and shared experiences.
• Thank you to everyone who joined us. I hope this conversation serves as a reminder that healing is not about doing more... it’s about creating a life you can truly sustain.

▶️ Watch now: https://lnkd.in/egPZkaHn

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04/22/2026

Losing your mom changes everything.

Then Mother’s Day shows up... 🥀

If that day feels heavy, complicated, or just not quite right (that it just stinks), you're not alone. This will be my sixteenth Mother's Day without my mom, fourth as a mom, and I know how many different feelings can come with it.

I'm Valerie Smith, LCSW, a grief therapist who focuses on loss, attachment wounds, and continuing bonds. Join me in a sacred and supportive space where we can slow down and hold this time together in the lead-up to Mother’s Day. 🩷

Because it's not just about missing your mom.

It's also about the quiet (or not-so-quiet) pressure to feel a certain way, especially if you're a mother yourself.

Maybe you're feeling sad.

Maybe you're holding it together.

Maybe it's both.

Either way, it can feel like you're supposed to show up in a way that doesn't fully fit.

This workshop is about giving yourself permission to experience the day in your own way.

The Motherless Moms Workshop is a virtual, creative grief event for all motherless mothers. That might mean:

• You've lost your mom or someone who felt like a mother to you.

• Your mom is alive, but the relationship is distant, strained, or painful.

• You grew up without a mom.

• "Motherless" just feels like it fits your experience.

However you understand it, there’s a place for you here.

What we’ll do together:

• Talk about how storytelling can help you process grief.

• Share your story through writing a storybook.

• Peer support and an opportunity to share (but you don't have to talk!).

All you need is yourself, a computer, and a reliable internet connection.

If Mother's Day has ever made you feel like you're getting it "wrong," you're not. And this space is for you. 🩷

04/22/2026

You don’t have to keep carrying something that feels “stuck.”
Even when you’ve talked about it, understood it, or tried to move on — your nervous system may still be holding onto the experience.
EMDR is a gentle, body-informed approach that helps process what hasn’t fully settled, without forcing you to relive everything in detail.
This work is paced, supported, and collaborative.
If this resonates, you’re welcome to reach out or simply take a moment to notice what your body might be holding today 🌿
📍 Telehealth across New York State
Insurance & lower-fee options available