Pride and Grace Counseling

06/18/2026

06/15/2026

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05/20/2026

For those who have been constantly going in life, trying to survive an abusive environment, seeking validation from outside themselves, or just trying to be in a system that is oppressive: you are doing your best. You are allowed to acknowledge any tiny bit of progress you make.

In therapy, we often see a conditional and transactional linkage when it comes to celebrating anything related to self. Some of these beliefs can look like: I can only acknowledge my accomplishments if I deserve it, if it's good enough, or if it's meeting the final goal.

What if we were to say instead: what if what matters is if something positive happened since last time? What if it's observing reality changing due to your investment, characteristics, and efforts?

If this is you, trying to survive, we encourage you to take some time to name something that's progress. You could have taken your meds today, brushed your teeth, called a friend when you were tired, or sat down instead of kept pushing your body through something.

Remember, it's completely okay to name progress.

05/04/2026

This is your sign that you deserve care.

Even if you are feeling...
like you aren't working hard enough.
like you are an outsider with your identity.
like other people are more deserving of love and care.

You deserve to be safe, loved, connected, and good.

04/17/2026

It's a distressing time for many religious trauma survivors. Unless you live in a cave, you are probably aware of some of the Christian Nationalism present in the United States and how it influences politics, marginalized communities, and safety.

If you are being affected, take good care of yourself. Your feelings, responses, and experiences are not invalid.

If you are struggling during this time you can:
-Redirect and lean into safety (e.g. relationships, communities, spaces)
-Connect with soothing sensations (e.g. smells, music)
-Speak with a therapist to process how you are feeling
-Remind yourself that you are still here with purpose and value

04/16/2026

It's a funny thing to say thank you when you feel tense, tingly, or on fire. These aren't pleasant feelings.

If anything, it might be annoying when you have life responsibilities and personal goals to accomplish. And here you are, needing to deal with information (probably a request) from your body.

But your body is just relaying information it's getting from the environment and the nervous system. It's telling you what's interpreted as danger:

-A scolding authoritarian figure that is a reminder of your parent.
-A yellow car on the street that you got into an accident with last month.
-Heavy footsteps because it sounds like a person that hurt you.

Your body remembers anything similar and it's trying to get your attention, to warn you.
So thank you, body, for speaking. I'm listening.

04/10/2026

No, I'm not saying that horrible things are not happening to marginalized communities. They are.

And in spite of them, find joy. Even the small glimmers of:
-having a conversation with a safe friend and being seen
-enjoying a warm cup of your favorite beverage
-watching an affirming and hilarious video from a comedian that is a person of color

Wellness is not just in the therapy office. It is being intentional and seeking out joy in parts of your life. You deserve it.

04/10/2026

No, I'm not saying that horrible things are not happening to marginalized communities. They are.

And in spite of them, find joy. Even the small glimmers of:
-having a conversation with a safe friend and being seen
-enjoying a warm cup of your favorite beverage
-watching an affirming and hilarious video from a comedian that is a person of color

Wellness is not just in the therapy office. It is being intentional and seeking out joy in parts of your life. You deserve it.

04/06/2026

Sometimes straight up avoidance of self and the world feels better than real life. This may look like:

-Watching TV for 10 hours until you're exhausted.
-Packing your schedule with events without any time for yourself.
-Constantly redirecting your attention when you get a tiny bit of feeling.

I'm not here to say stop. If you don't have an interest in stopping, me saying it's not in your best interest isn't honestly going to do anything.

There is a function to what's happening and that's valuable to recognize.
There is a choice to turn away. The grief you're experiencing. The overwhelm about the world.

At the very least, it's okay to acknowledge that things feel heavy. You're coping with it. And right now, this is what it looks like.

04/06/2026

Sometimes straight up avoidance of self and the world feels better than real life. This may look like:

-Watching TV for 10 hours until you're completely exhausted.
-Packing your schedule with events without any time for yourself.
-Constantly redirecting your attention when you get a tiny bit of feeling.

I'm not here to say stop. If you don't have an interest in stopping, me saying it's not in your best interest isn't honestly going to do anything.

There is a function to what's happening and that's valuable to recognize. There is a choice to turn away. The grief you're experiencing. The overwhelm about the world.

At the very least, it's okay to acknowledge that things feel heavy. You're coping with it. And right now, this is what it looks like.