THE RISE THROUGH JOURNAL
Our Thoughts
Reflections, practical resources, and perspectives to help you understand yourself and move forward with greater intention.
The People Who Become Part of Our Resilience
We often think of resilience as something we build entirely within ourselves—the ability to endure, adapt, and keep moving when life becomes difficult. But resilience is also relational. It is…
Recovery, Self-Compassion, and Looking at the Past Through a Different Lens
When people look back on periods of addiction, it is common for one question to surface:
“Why wasn’t I stronger?”
For many individuals in recovery, this question can carry years of guilt,…
your nervous system was never “too much”
Neurodivergence is often far deeper than what people see on the surface. What gets labeled as “too sensitive,” “unmotivated,” “dramatic,” or “difficult” is frequently a nervous system that has been…
Addiction, Dopamine, and the Bubbles Around Us
When people hear the word addiction, they often think about alcohol or drugs. But in reality, addiction is something every human brain is capable of experiencing. In many ways, we…
Reflect, Regulate, Recover: A Grounded Way to Move Through Triggers
When you’re triggered, everything can happen fast.
Your thoughts speed up. Your tone shifts. Your body reacts before you’ve had time to make sense of it. A tight chest. A warm…
the power of grounding
Sometimes the most regulating thing we can do is incredibly simple: put our bare feet on the earth.
Grounding—especially walking barefoot in the grass, dirt, or sand—is a powerful way…
when you’re spiraling: a reminder you can hold onto
Emotional spiraling is something I see often—and something I’ve experienced myself. It’s that moment when anxiety, fear, or stress builds so quickly that it feels like the ground drops out…
Intention turns emotion into motion
Emotion moves through us constantly — waves of energy that influence your mind, body and the world around you. But without direction, that motion can scatter. We overthink, hesitate, or…
Stepping into your potential
There are so many things against us at times, and stepping into your potential is not easy. It means challenging everything around you. It means focusing on the small things…
why couples counseling is so powerful
One of my specialities is helping couples and families navigate their relationships, which also means helping each individual to recognize the impacts and dynamics of their own experiences and life…
Looking out instead of inward
Often, when we are feeling down, anxious, fearful or just off balance, we are focused inward. Our thoughts are focused on our emotions that we feel in our minds and…
What the present moment feels like
You are here, now. Right now, you are here. At least you are here in this moment and doing whatever you are doing. You may be feeling tired, or pensive,…
What To Do When Doing is Daunting
Sometimes you may find yourself on your sofa with a bunch of ideas for things you "should be" doing, but all of it seems daunting and overwhelming. It seems impossible…
When Distraction is Good
Most of the time, we want to be present in the moment, and as much as possible. Why? Because when we are present, we are the most aware, engaged, connected,…
Anxiety is a Mind-Body Experience
Anxiety is a mind-body experience. All mental states and emotions are mind-body experiences, for that matter. Why? Because when we feel an emotion, we experience that emotion in our mind…
Do One Thing Differently
Do you ever feel bad and feel completely stuck? Or, you think, “There is nothing I could do to feel better.” This is a very common side-effect of feeling down…
Mental Health is Your Health
How many times do you hear the term “mental health”? It seems we have this idea that our mental health is separate from our physical health, or that our mental…