Anna Domiray, LCSW

09/09/2026

If you have anxiety, you may spend more time than you would like trying to feel certain before you act.

One more Google search. One more person’s opinion. Reading the email again before you send it. Replaying the conversation to make sure you didn’t say something wrong. Waiting until you feel completely ready.

That may feel like you’ve solved it in the moment, but the problem is certainty is usually temporary. There’s always another “What if?” waiting.

Learning to tolerate uncertainty doesn’t mean convincing yourself that everything will be okay. It means becoming more willing to say, “I don’t know what will happen, and I can still take the next step.”

I wrote more about uncertainty, avoidance, and anxiety in my latest blog. https://www.diosamentalhealth.com/blog/why-accepting-uncertainty-can-actually-reduce-anxiety

09/02/2026

Low action barrier + systems = task completion.

Mail is one of those routine small tasks that can become an annoying ADHD barrier for me when my brain is already tapped out.

I have a system: check the mail when I get home, toss the obvious junk in the garage trash, and put everything else in one designated box. Then, once a week, I go through it assembly-line style: open, shred, file, or put it in my To Do folder.

It worked pretty well… until my shredder broke.

Suddenly the mail started piling up outside the box. Once there were multiple steps between me and dealing with it, the action barrier got higher and the mail started accumulating.

So I replaced the shredder and bought a little electric envelope opener.

Is an electric envelope opener necessary? No.
Do I apparently get a tiny amount of dopamine from feeding envelopes through it? Yes. That clean cut line is satisfying!

More importantly, I realized that physically opening the envelopes was one of the biggest action barriers in the whole process. I hate doing it. So I removed the barrier.

Sometimes we make ADHD management harder than it needs to be because we focus on trying harder instead of asking:

What part of this task am I actually getting stuck on, why am I stuck, and how can I make that part easier?

A basket by the door. Duplicate chargers. A trash can where the trash actually accumulates. An electric envelope opener. Whatever works. Dump the shame of what you “should” be able to do, so you can focus on how to get it done that makes sense to you.

Build systems around the brain you actually have, not the one you think you’re supposed to have.

What’s one seemingly small thing you’ve changed that made a routine task easier to finish?

09/01/2026

That’s Rev. Allen Wallace, St. Paul’s priest & my office landlord. I get asked if I’m affiliated with the church because of my office being located in their parish house. No, I’m not. I feel comfortable housing my business on their property, because I agree with how they serve our community and know ALL my clients will be in a safe place.

05/29/2026

New Blog Post: Do I have anxiety?

Anxiety doesn't always look like panic attacks. Sometimes it shows up as overthinking, perfectionism, avoidance, reassurance-seeking, or a constant need for certainty. Learn how anxiety can quietly shape your life and what it takes to break free from its cycle.

Wondering if you have anxiety? Learn the common signs of anxiety, including overthinking, avoidance, reassurance-seeking, perfectionism, and difficulty tolerating uncertainty.

04/26/2026

Struggling with procrastination, low motivation, and feeling disorganized? Learn how ADHD, anxiety, depression, and stress can make simple tasks feel impossible. Executive dysfunction isn’t just being lazy and trying harder isn’t enough to fix it.

Struggling with procrastination, low motivation, and disorganization? Learn how ADHD, anxiety, depression, and stress can make simple tasks feel impossible and why just trying harder isn’t the answer.

04/09/2026

Why I give some clients “Anchors” for trauma healing. ⚓️
Ever feel like a difficult memory is pulling you under like a tide? In trauma therapy, we use a technique called Pendulation.
Think of a pendulum. We gently “swing” between a difficult feeling (the trauma) and a place of safety (the resource). This prevents the nervous system from getting overwhelmed and teaches your body that it can return to the present moment.
This custom-made Resin Diamond is a physical anchor for that swing. My client chose these symbols to represent their strengths and the traits they want to embody.
By touching the edges and focusing on these symbols, the brain gets a clear signal: “I am safe. I am here in the present. I am resilient. I love myself. I am healing. I choose to transform under pressure.”
This is Pendulation. It’s the rhythmic shift between internal distress and external safety.
How to use an anchor like this:
1️⃣ Notice the tension in your body.
2️⃣ Shift your gaze to the object.
3️⃣ Describe its textures, colors, and weight.
4️⃣ Feel your nervous system “drop” back into the present.
Has a physical object ever calmed your nervous system and brought you back to feeling safe within yourself?

04/05/2026

Free support lines 📳

04/03/2026

I am a 2004 graduate of Silver Creek High School. I, like so many others, was positively impacted by Mr. Day and deeply saddened to learn that he passed. I started my career as a high school English teacher in 2009 and taught for 5 years before I moved on to social work. He was my own inspiration for the type of teacher I wanted to be not because I taught math or wanted to be as funny as he was. It was because I remembered his kindness, his patience, and his enthusiasm for teaching. He could make a student like me (who always hated math) say his class was my favorite, because he made his classroom a welcoming and engaging place. Till this day with a master’s degree I’ve only ever needed college algebra, and Mr. Day got me through it and ready to take it again in college. The impact he had in his community is immeasurable.

With the type of work I do now as a licensed clinical social worker providing mental health therapy, I share these and other resources often. The type of grief we can experience after su***de or another type of loss that isn’t openly talked about is called disenfranchised grief. When there is stigma attached, we don’t feel free to fully express our grief. This can make it harder to heal. It was a brave and loving act his family did by releasing the stigma to openly share about the struggle that took him. That choice could very likely save other lives.

None of us are immune to falling into despair. Please reach out for help when you need it. Even if you feel lost, there will be someone to hold the light and walk with you to find your way back. You can find people who will know the way, because they’ve walked it themselves. I have found throughout my life that many of the kindest people I’ve known have also known deep sadness and pain. Take care of yourself and others. In the words of Ram Dass, “We’re all just walking each other home.”

03/22/2026

✨ Weekend Challenge: Imagine what would make your younger self happy and do that this weekend. Take some time to visualize and talk to your younger self. Look at old photos if it helps. Listen to what they have to say like you always wanted others to listen to you. Joy is healing and play is medicine. Allow yourself to take a break and enjoy something without judgement. Being the adult your younger self would trust and like is a great way to view success in who you ARE not just what you DO.✨

03/22/2026

Stop performing for approval.

People-pleasing once kept you safe. Now it’s keeping you stuck.
Exhausted, overextended, anxious… sound familiar?

Boundaries aren’t punishment. They’re protection.

📌 Save this to remind yourself: freedom comes when you stop bending to please.