Self-Love Harbor

10/15/2025

Amores, where we place our attention… our feelings follow 💗🧠✨ When depression, shows up, one of the most healing moves we can make is to align our attention with our values, our purpose, our pasión.

Clinically, this matters: purpose and passion give the nervous system an anchor, reduces rumination, and supports action over avoidance.

When we’re lit up by passion, our brain shifts. The reward system releases dopamine (motivation and momentum), the prefrontal cortex comes online (focus and decision-making), and emotion centers can settle. Over time, those “purpose pathways” strengthen—hello, neuroplasticity—making it easier to choose what matters even when anxiety whispers otherwise. 🔥🌿

As a Latina psychotherapist, today I’m living in my dharma y pasión. I opened my holistic wellness mental health center, and every single day I get to witness humans move through grief, panic, heartbreak, and self-doubt—toward courage, connection, and meaning. With my passion as fuel, I aim to be a steady force for others, a reminder that yes, you can overcome the hard things and write a new story. Mi gente, your path is sacred and your presence matters. 🤍

If you’re navigating anxiety and depression :
1. Name your intention for today (e.g., compassion, creativity, familia).
2. Aim your attention there—one small action.
3. Notice how your body shifts when you act in alignment.
4. Repeat gently; tiny steps rewire the brain.

You are not behind. You are becoming. Keep going. 💫

10/14/2025

Photo dump October! One of the most transformative months of my life. What I’ve learned:

✴️It’s not about our timing. It’s God’s timing.
✴️ Anxiety is our inability to feel safe when we don’t know the answers or what is coming ahead. Happiness lies in sitting in the discomfort and breathing until our nervous system feels safe.
✴️It’s ok to say no even if it upsets people. Your boundaries are as important as other’s expectations of you.
✴️It’s ok to rest but don’t give up.
✴️The way we look on the outside is a direct connection to how we feel on our inside. Take time to nurture you.
✴️It’s never too late to start over. You are meant to be happy not matter your age.
✴️ When life throws you a curveball learn to use whatever bat you need and keep hitting that damn ball!
✴️ Cherish the people who see your worth and stop sweating those who can’t see your value in their lives.

I hope this helps. Love you!! Stella
❤️

10/06/2025

Quiet reminder from your holistic psychotherapist 😉: the answers you’re seeking are already within you. 🌿

Buddhist teachings invite us to turn toward our inner experience with curiosity and compassion. When we pause, breathe, and listen, we reconnect with the quiet wisdom beneath noise, fear, and comparison. This is not about “fixing” yourself—it’s about remembering yourself.

What happens when we chase validation:
- Anxiety rises as our worth depends on others’ approval.
- We abandon our inner compass and over-index on “shoulds.”
- Dopamine spikes from likes/attention create a fragile feedback loop.
- We people-please, overperform, and feel emptier afterward.
- Our nervous system stays on high alert; rest and joy feel out of reach.

Inward practices to anchor your worth:
1) Hand-to-heart breathing: 4 slow breaths. Whisper, “I belong to myself.”
2) Inner check-in: What am I feeling? What do I need? What’s one kind step I can take?
3) Truth statement: “Even if no one sees this, it is still meaningful to me.”
4) Boundaries audit: Where am I saying yes for approval? What would a self-honoring no sound like?
5) Gentle presence: Place one palm on your chest, one on your belly. Feel the support that’s here now.

Journal prompts:
- “When I seek approval, the part of me that’s afraid is saying…”
- “If I trusted my inner wisdom 5% more today, I would…”
- “Validation I can give myself right now is…”

You don’t have to earn your worth. You can breathe into it. Your inner teacher is patient—and always available. ✨

This post offers general support and isn’t a substitute for therapy. If you’re struggling, reaching out is an act of self-respect.

10/03/2025

🧚The power of our imagination is merely our connection to the field of all possibilities.🧚‍♀️

Visualization is one of the most powerful tools when we are attempting to manifest our desires.

I speak to my mental health patients about the importance of visualizing while engaging their senses, as if they are living through their imagined desires. It’s not enough to simply want something, it’s imperative to spend quiet meditative time tapping into the field of all possibilities where all of possible timelines exists.
I hope this helps. Love you. Stella 💕

❤️

09/26/2025

Uncertainty isn’t the enemy—it’s the doorway out of old conditioning 🌈

As an immigrant Latina psychotherapist, I learned this when the familiar was gone and found myself n a whole new world. Our latin culture and the familiar scripts—“no te equivoces,” “no hagas olas”—“don’t make mistakes, “don’t make waves,” were my guide once.

I left my home at 17 only 6 months into coming to the US due to difficulties at home. I quickly embraced uncertainty and made it my blueprint for life. I realized that safety and freedom aren’t the same. 💜
When we step into uncertainty, we loosen the grip of those scripts and meet our authentic self.

Believing in yourself in the middle of chaos is an act of liberation. 🦋 Your nervous system may crave the predictable, but your soul knows when it’s time to grow. Familiar doesn’t mean aligned.

Try this gentle practice to break free from past conditioning

- Name the script: “This is the part of me that fears mistakes.”
- Choose one small brave action in the direction of your desires.
- Ground in your body: feel your feet, exhale longer than you inhale.
- Tell yourself: “Estoy conmigo. I can trust myself.”

You don’t need the whole map or plan to move. Cada paso con fe te libera. Every step forward with faith frees you. Even within the chaos, you are becoming. ❤️

09/23/2025

Flowing, Not Forcing 🌊

When we try to force things to happen, the nervous system slips into fight/flight: cortisol rises, the prefrontal cortex dims, and we get tunnel vision.
😳

Presence and awareness of the present moment widens the Window of Tolerance, strengthens vagal tone, and brings back clarity, creativity, and connection. 🫶🏼

Flow isn’t passive—it’s aligned action. As seen in Taoism, it’s “wu wei”: effort that doesn’t strain. 💕

Non‑attachment isn’t apathy; it’s commitment without clinging. Make sure to hold the intention, release the timeline, and breathe within faith 🙏🏼🙏🏼

Try this:
Take 4–6 breaths focusing on longer exhales to cue the vagus nerve and engage the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).
- Orienting: name 3 things you see and 3 you hear—come back to now.
- Micro‑pause: “Is this push or pull?”
- Body-led planning: organize by energy, not anxiety.

When you root in the present, life stops being a project to control and becomes a relationship to trust. ✨I hope this helps. Love you. Stella ✨

09/20/2025

09/18/2025

What we put our attention to on to grows. 🍃

The quality of our intention on the object of attention will ensure the outcome that we desire. 🌈

It all begins with a thought, a moment of attention and the follow through of our intention. ✅

Don’t stop at the point of attention. Continue the momentum by staying committed to your intentionality and consistency. You’ve got this! 💪🏼

Does that help? Let me know! Love you. 💗 Stella ✨

09/12/2025

✨💫 **When We’re Triggered: The Power of Pause** 💫✨

Sometimes life pushes our buttons 🔘 and that familiar wave of emotion rises up—anger 😡, fear 😨, or defensiveness 🛡️. Our instinct is to *react*. But here’s the truth: when we react impulsively, we hand over our inner peace and clarity.

👁️ **Becoming the Observer** means stepping back and noticing what’s happening inside without judgment. Instead of spiraling into the same old patterns, we create space for curiosity and compassion.

💡 **Clinical advantages of observing rather than reacting:**
- 🧘‍♀️ **Regulation of the nervous system:** Pausing allows the body to shift from fight-or-flight into a calmer state, reducing stress hormones.
- 🌀 **Increased emotional resilience:** Over time, observing teaches the brain new pathways of response, strengthening emotional flexibility.
- 🧠 **Greater self-awareness:** We learn *why* certain things trigger us, deepening healing and personal growth.
- ❤️ **Healthier relationships:** Responding with awareness instead of reactivity creates trust, safety, and authentic connection.

✨Remember: every trigger is an invitation to slow down, witness, and understand ourselves on a deeper level. The pause is where the power is. ✨
I@hope this helps! Love you. Stella ♥️
🌱 Where have you seen your triggers become teachers? Share below! 💬👇

09/08/2025

Believing that we are defined by external circumstances creates turmoil🥹. Many of us encounter obstacles and challenges that may be inevitable.
What is essential is that, especially during these difficult moments, we turn within for answers.
That we look for the inner voice to help us gain a deeper understanding of our inner power, which is always laying dormant u til we call for it. 😎

Please know that you are not what is outside of yourself (external locus of control). We are a vast ocean of wisdom and possibilities that can be found in silence by tapping into our own internal locus of control, (A psychological term).

Our interpretation and resources must come from within in order to live a peaceful and fulfilling life. This hope this helps. Love you. Stella ♥️👑

08/25/2025

🌿✨ **Acceptance • Gratitude • Healing** ✨🌿

As a holistic psychotherapist, I often see these three words as the foundation for inner transformation:

💚 **Acceptance** – When we practice acceptance, we soften resistance to “what is.” This doesn’t mean agreeing with everything that happens, but rather meeting reality with compassion instead of judgment. Clinically, acceptance reduces anxiety and helps regulate our nervous system.

🙏 **Gratitude** – Gratitude literally changes the brain. When we focus on what’s working, on what we *do* have, we strengthen neural pathways that improve mood, resilience, and connection. Research shows it can decrease symptoms of depression and improve sleep.

🌸 **Healing** – Healing is a journey, not a destination. It’s a process of integrating mind, body, and spirit. Through acceptance and gratitude, the ground for healing becomes richer, safer, and more sustainable—supporting both emotional regulation and overall wellbeing.

➡️ Remember: these practices aren’t about being “perfectly positive.” They’re gentle reminders that small shifts in awareness can create powerful ripples in our lives.

✨ What can you accept today?
✨ What small thing are you grateful for right now?

Your healing begins here. 🌱

08/18/2025

⬅️⬅️ SWIPE LEFT ⬅️⬅️

🌟 **The Power of Intention: Transform Your Dreams into Reality!** 🌟

Did you know that committing to a clear intention can have profound effects on our brain? When we set intentions, our brain activates the prefrontal cortex, enhancing our focus and decision-making abilities. This shift in neural pathways allows us to move from a passive state of desire to an empowered, active pursuit of our goals. Intentions create a roadmap, making it easier to navigate challenges and stay aligned with our true desires. 🧠✨

Here are a few ways to harness the power of intentionality to manifest your dreams:

1. **Be Specific**: Instead of saying, “I want to be happy,” try, “I intend to practice gratitude daily.” This clarity helps you take actionable steps! 🎯

2. **Visualize Success**: Picture your goals vividly. This engages your brain further, reinforcing your commitment to your intention! 🖼️

3. **Affirmations**: Use daily affirmations to reiterate your intentions. This not only strengthens your resolve but also impacts your subconscious mind! 🙌

I’m excited to share my book, **“7 Intentions to a Happier YOU!”** available on Amazon! Readers have praised it for its practical insights and transformative exercises, saying it has helped them gain clarity and purpose in their lives. 🌈✨

Ready to take the next step? Find the link to purchase my book in my bio! Let’s embark on this journey together and unlock the potential of intentional living. 💖



Let’s make those dreams a reality, one intention at a time! 😊