Mary LeRouge LCSW

Mary LeRouge LCSW https://www.empowered-paths.com

08/06/2026

Is comparison stealing your joy?

07/30/2026

I posted this over on my TikTok and figured it was worth a share here in case you don’t follow me there!

Have you ever watched young kids play at the beach? Completely uninhibited about how they look and whether people are ju...
07/29/2026

Have you ever watched young kids play at the beach? Completely uninhibited about how they look and whether people are judging them. They don't care what the bathing suit looks like on them as long as it's comfortable. They don't care if their hair is perfectly placed. They don't even care if the sandcastle is perfect. They just care about having fun. Kids live in the wonder of today without a concern for how their appearance is perceived by others. It's only over time that we all start to learn that we aren't allowed to just be. We learn that people judge us against standards and if we don't meet them, we have to defend our existence, OR WORSE apologize for it.

We don't naturally have a drive to be different, we are taught these beliefs by the outside world. Usually this starts after we experience a body disruption, whether this is bullying from peers, watching our moms struggle with their body, direct remarks about our size or beauty, health crisis or countless other things. There's a moment in time where suddenly we see our body instead of just living in it. Once we have this disruption we are more prone to messaging from the beauty industry that there's a problem and they have a solution.

I just want to remind you that the AS***LE in your head telling you that you need to lose weight, get botox, or anything else in order to be deserving of love is WRONG. There's still a version living inside of you craving to live uninhibited by the BS beauty standards we face. I hope she gets her moment soon.

“Did I do enough to earn some time to relax?”This kind of automatic thought often has us pushing way beyond our limit. I...
07/27/2026

“Did I do enough to earn some time to relax?”

This kind of automatic thought often has us pushing way beyond our limit.

It shows up in a beautiful Saturday and it even shows up in the way we navigate food.

“Did I do enough exercise to earn this meal? I deserve dessert. I worked hard today.”

The thing is… we aren’t dogs. We aren’t meant to earn treats.

What if we just take rest because that’s what our body is asking for? What if that meal is what you need to function at your best? What if we stopped trying to earn our basic needs?

$450 Billion... that's how much the global beauty industry makes annually from selling us products to fix our perceived ...
07/24/2026

$450 Billion... that's how much the global beauty industry makes annually from selling us products to fix our perceived flaws. $450 Billion.

There was a time in your life that you didn't care what the beauty standards were and how you compared. There was a time...
07/23/2026

There was a time in your life that you didn't care what the beauty standards were and how you compared. There was a time where you didn't tie your trauma, shame and self-worth together as though they are one. I want to invite you to return back to that version of yourself, even if just for a moment and let go of the need to fix yourself.

The woman in this photo was more concerned about covering her forehead because she'd been told for years that it was too...
07/22/2026

The woman in this photo was more concerned about covering her forehead because she'd been told for years that it was too big. She missed the awe in her one daughter's eye. She missed the excitement exuding from her other daughter. Not because she didn't care, but because she was preoccupied with looking "perfect" because she thought that's how you show up as a good mom.

Please know, this isn't about me. I've done a lot of work since to heal this part of me. I want you to know that we all have a version of ourselves that learned that our appearance defines us, that if we don't meet the current standard of beauty we don't deserve to take up space. We all learned through marketing and messages along the way that in order to receive love and experience success we MUST fit in.

I have the privilege of occupying a white, female, small framed able body. I am closer to the "standard" than a lot people. My insecurities have been small in comparison to what I imagine a lot of people go through. However, I'm here to share that the beliefs that our body is wrong, that it needs to be fixed comes from the outside world. There's layers of manipulation that we experience throughout our lives that bring us to the place we become disconnected from our true selves. We lose our sense of wonder. My hope is that we all find it again.

For the past month or so, you've probably noticed I've been a little quieter here.. or non-existent really...It wasn't b...
07/21/2026

For the past month or so, you've probably noticed I've been a little quieter here.. or non-existent really...

It wasn't because I didn't care about this community.
It's not because I ran out of things to say (I have a list of things I have wanted to talk about)

It was because life reminded me to practice what I so often encourage others to do.

There are seasons of life when creating, producing, and staying visible isn't the most important thing. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is step away from the pressure to constantly perform and fully show up for the moments that won't come around again.

For me, this season has been about being present in everyday life. I didn't want to feel like I had to document every moment or stay consistent for an algorithm. Social media will always be here. The moments I put first wouldn't be.

Because healing isn't about getting everyone else to approve of your choices.
It's about becoming confident enough to make the choices that align with your values—even when no one else understands them.

The truth is, that same voice that tells us we should always be doing more often shows up in other parts of our lives too.

It's the voice behind perfectionism.
Behind body shame.
Behind the belief that our worth depends on what other people think.

That's a conversation I want us to have more often.

As I move forward, you'll see this page evolve. We'll still talk about healing, boundaries, and the nervous system, but we'll also spend more time exploring body image, diet culture, self-worth, and what it means to build a life rooted in self-love instead of seeking approval.

Thank you for being here while I practiced what I preach.

I'm excited for what's next

Imagine the programming it takes from the outside world to be upset that my face is red and I’m sweaty after a 6 mile ru...
07/20/2026

Imagine the programming it takes from the outside world to be upset that my face is red and I’m sweaty after a 6 mile run! Instead of being proud that I JUST DID THAT, I was instantly battling shame that I don’t look “perfect”. Bruh! What??

A lot of people are feeling the weight of worry lately. Be kind. Give grace. It doesn't cost anything.
05/21/2026

A lot of people are feeling the weight of worry lately. Be kind. Give grace. It doesn't cost anything.

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