Boundary-Setting and Resetting
Have you ever found yourself replaying a conversation over and over and over after the fact? Wondering if you were too harsh? Or not clear enough? Maybe you said yes when you wanted to say no… but felt guilty about needing or asking for space? Maybe even just the idea of that fills you with dread. If this sounds familiar to you– you’re in good company. Many people go through similar internal loops, and even when it doesn’t seem like it, those loops do have exits. The challenge you experience in finding those exits however, could indicate that your internal boundary system could need a tuneup.
What do I mean by internal boundaries?
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Nervous System Reset Ritual
With the changing pace and demands of life, many people find themselves operating in a state of constant urgency. You know those moments where everything feels important but it seems impossible to prioritize? Or those incidents when your patience is low, irritability is high, and you suddenly snap at loved ones over something small? Maybe your thoughts race while your body feels frozen, or you spend hours overthinking without actually taking action. All of these experiences can be signs of nervous system overload.
Building Self-Trust: Listening to the Inner Compass
We’ve all been there, standing motionless, overwhelmed by choice… It happens to the best of us– when we’re faced with a scheduling decision, a request from a peer or partner, or an intuitive feeling you’re not quite sure what to do with… the thing that comes next is always a choice.
And then… the paralyzation due to the absence of self-trust– the compassionate and reliable relationship with yourself that honors your inner voice and follows through in ways that support your values and well-being.
What can happen instead for many is a kind of self-abandonment, making a decision that may keep the peace but doesn’t move you forward or support what you actually need. Self-trust is eroded by self-abandonment, and oftentimes, a person may not even see it clearly until after the fact. How many times have you or a loved one said, “I knew I should’ve… If only I had…”
Springtime Resilience
This pathway toward expanded resilience is shady but dappled with sunny spots, and the one walking the path is anchored by a very specific skill: reflection. Transformation is fueled by equipping yourself with new skills, but all skills are useless until a person bravely examines the moments where they lacked a skillful response– when reactivity won out, dysregulation made matters worse, or they found themselves powerless. Growth happens when a person sees and creates the space to do something differently the next time. In this way, reflection is where the alchemy is– where the formula is studied, and the ingredients are adjusted.
Emerging from Winter with Spring Intentions | Part 3
Struggling to stay motivated with your New Year goals? Learn how seasonal changes, mindfulness, and values-based therapy can help you reset, reorient, and move into spring with sustainable energy and renewed intention.
Finding Roots in a Fast-Paced World | Part 2
In a world driven by fast fashion, constant productivity, and ever-shifting trends, authenticity can feel increasingly out of reach. This piece explores why our brains are wired to chase “acceptability,” how dopamine keeps us hooked on the new, and what we lose when speed replaces depth. What if real authenticity isn’t about keeping up—but about growing roots?
New Year, Old You? | Part 1
Dr. Julie Brown, a therapist in Pasadena, explores transformation through The Work of Standing at the Threshold—where lasting change begins not with resolutions, but presence.
New Meaning After Betrayal Trauma
Originally published in the San Gabriel Valley Psychological Association Newsletter, Analyze This! January/February, 2020
Whole-Person Recovery After Trauma
Originally published in the San Gabriel Valley Psychological Association Newsletter, Analyze This! January/February, 2019