Welcome to my Healing & Growth Journey
Reflections & Real Life Lessons on Growth, Grace, and Becoming the Person I’m Created to Be
(and Tidbits on Health and Wellness)
Welcome to a space where stories are sacred,
personal growth is celebrated,
and vulnerability is strength.
As I step into my life’s purpose of helping others to heal, this page will be a constantly evolving collection of journal entries.
I share lessons learned through mentors, listening to my favorite podcasters, reading lots of books, engaging in good conversation, past EMDR therapy, current (ongoing) hypnotherapy, and life itself.
These are stories of effective communication, building trust, deep introspection, and making conscious choices for self-improvement that lead to a resilient life. My hope is that these reflections inspire you to pause, look inward, and remember: you are not alone on your journey to self-healing and creating a better life!
The Freedom of Breaking a Trauma Bond
The Lightness of Loss: Breaking the Trauma Bond The snow is light and gentle, falling on my face as I pause from shoveling six fresh inches of powder. I look North, up to Big Mountain, skiers are excited—our first dump of the season. The sky is pale blue, and I can hear the snowplow making its way down the street. My eyes are soft as the corners of my mouth turn into a smile. I'm trying to stay in this glorious moment, but I can't stop thinking about a conversation I recently had, and the epiphany I experienced. There’s a moment in healing where everything suddenly becomes clear — not heavy, not dramatic, just clear. Like taking a deep breath after years of holding it. Like opening a window or standing outside the morning after a snowstorm and realizing the air...
When Our Brain Creates Physical Symptoms
What is Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder (FND), formerly known as conversion disorder? When Our Brain Creates Physical Symptoms Have you ever heard a story that made you stop and really think about the incredible connection between our minds and bodies? I recently came across one that did just that, shared by one of my favorite people, behavioral therapist Chase Hughes. It involves a 19-year-old whose hand was inexplicably curled into a tight fist. Doctors ran tests, neurologists examined him thoroughly, but they couldn't find any physical reason for this debilitating condition. Nothing in his muscles, nerves, or bones explained why his hand was locked in this painful position. Then the story unfolded. For ten long years, this young man had witnessed...
You Are the Architect of Your Mind
You Are the Architect of Your Mind: How Your Body Holds the Key to Your Future Sometimes, you come across a book that just clicks. It feels like finding that elusive missing piece to a puzzle you've been wrestling with for years. The notes I scribbled down back in 2020, after devouring “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel van der Kolk, became a bedrock for how I see the human mind and body. Seriously, it totally changed my perspective on trauma, healing, and even what our future can hold. It’s all about the subconscious, and trust me, it's way more powerful than we ever give it credit for. Even though that book was a massive eye-opener, I'm also pretty obsessed with soaking up wisdom from folks like Joe Dispenza and the Huberman Lab. So, you...
Why We Apologize For Things That Aren’t our Fault
Why We Over-Apologize for Things That Aren't Our Fault It's fascinating, isn't it, how our past experiences can shape our present reactions, even to the point of taking blame for things that aren't our fault? I hear my sister apologize all the time. She has no clue she does it so often. Why do I notice? Because I've been there. My own journey with no longer automatically apologizing for minor incidents is a powerful example of how hypnotherapy works. Before, if someone bumped into me, I'd instinctively say "sorry" – even if it was clearly their stumble! It felt polite, I guess, but it also silently placed the fault on me. Now? Those apologies have simply faded away. This recent shift in my own life has given me a new understanding of why we, as humans,...
Easy Ways to Help Your Brain Rewire Itself Every Day
Daily Habits to Help Rewire Your Brain Have you ever heard the saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"? Well, when it comes to your brain, that's totally incorrect! Our brains are actually amazing at learning new tricks, no matter our age. It's like they're always ready for an upgrade. EMDR and Hypnotherapy aren't just "talk therapies"; they're powerful tools that actually help your brain "rewire" itself. But here's the really cool part: you can help with this rewiring process yourself, every day, without therapy! Your Brain's Superpower: "Neuroplasticity" So, what does this "rewiring" actually mean? It's all thanks to something called neuroplasticity—your brain's incredible ability to change and adapt. It's constantly forming new...
My Naturopath’s Simple Solution for Insomnia
How My Naturopath Helped Me Finally Kick Insomnia to the Curb You know, we constantly hear how important sleep is for our brains, for our energy, for just about everything! But what do you do when sleep simply won't cooperate? For years, I struggled with insomnia. Not just occasionally, but almost every single night. It was utterly exhausting and frustrating. I knew I couldn't keep going like that, so I finally decided to do something drastic: I saw a naturopath. And let me tell you, what I learned, and how we tackled my sleeplessness, completely changed my life. My Adrenal Glands and That Pesky Cortisol My naturopath started by explaining some pretty cool stuff about our bodies, specifically our adrenal glands and a hormone called cortisol....
When Your Strengths Hold You Back
The Unexpected Hamstring: When Your Own Strengths Hold You Back John's words hit me like a splash of cold Montana river water. "You can be really good at your career, good at helping others, really good at all those external things. But all these things you're great at are also things that take you away from who you really are. So these external things that make you great – they're also your hamstring." He tells it like it is, and I'm furiously writing, trying to keep up, trying to process his advice. After all, a lifelong friend, he knows me better than most. He continues, "You're putting your emphasis on all the things around you, instead of on you. And listen to me, you can't truly help anyone else—not really—until you help yourself." My immediate gut...
Beyond Fight or Flight
How Your Amygdala Works & How EMDR/Hypnotherapy Can Help You Find Calm For those of you with inquisitive minds, have you ever wondered why, in certain moments, your body just flips a switch into panic, anger, or feeling totally frozen? That undeniable rush you get when you're startled, stressed, or triggered? Yep, that's often your brain's ancient alarm system kicking in. And a tiny, but mighty, part of that system is called the amygdala. As someone who loves learning about how our brains work (and with friends who are actual therapists, so I get all the cool insights!), I've become fascinated by this little almond-shaped region. Understanding it has been a game-changer for me, especially in learning how to dial down those intense "fight or flight"...
Let Go of Shame and Step into Healing
The day he saves my life —the first time. It’s a gorgeous day on Gila River in Arizona. I’m 24 and I'm wearing my Patagonia pataloha shorts and tanktop. I’m also testing a new pair of Alps water shoes (which I still have). A gaggle of us working at a local outdoor retailer joined our guide Sam for an exhilarating day of whitewater rafting. He knows this river well. Excited, I grab the paddle with a death grip as we descend the first set of rapids. He reminds us, "Class 4 and 5 coming up. Be ready!" We stoke ahead into the giant waves. It’s not long after he shouts, "high side!” Entering into the rock garden Quick to respond, we don’t have time for anything but to paddle hard and lean onto the rafts upstream side. If we don’t, the boat will flip. From previous...
“We cannot create a new future by holding on to the emotions of the past.”
― Dr. Joe Dispenza, “Rewired”
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