Kim Smith Iverson, LLC. LCSW, CSAT

10/22/2021

A must read for everyone. It will truly help you view all people thru the lens of love, compassion and understanding—-What happened to you versus what is wrong with you?

09/03/2021

A precious, dear friend and fellow therapist of mine posted this post today in honor of National Recovery Month. It is the TRUTH so I wanted to share it as well!

RECOVERY.

It is for EVERYONE.
IT IS FOR EVERYONE. ✨

🔹It’s for those of us with addictions…substance addictions and process addictions (control, caretaking, gaming, s*x, rage, image management, perfectionism…and on and on)…illegal addictions and legal addictions AND for those of us who love those with addictions (and not just adults).

🔹It’s for those of us who need recovery from toxic shame messages (I’m not enough, I have to be xyz to be accepted, I’m not loveable, I have to carry everyone else’s burdens, I can’t have any issues, My pain isn’t bad as so and so’s, so I don’t need help…and on and on).

🔹It’s for those of us who have experienced trauma…big gigantic trauma, complex trauma, small traumas here and there along the way. (Spoiler…that’s every one of us on this planet right now - going through a pandemic and its effects = trauma)
Need to know what qualifies as “trauma?” It is anything that causes physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological - and I would add relational, harm.

🔹It’s for the wounded child inside us who still feels desperate to feel love or acceptance. For those of us as kids who experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (abuse, neglect, death of a loved one, life threatening events, natural disasters, children of war, parents with mental illness…and on and on.)

🔹It’s for those of us in toxic and/or harmful relationships.

🔹It’s for those of us with anxiety and/or depression (medicated or not)

🔹It’s for those of us who are tired, exhausted, defeated, alone, over-burdened.

🔹It is for humans.

🛑Recovery is NOT just for drug addicts and alcoholics.

Help me break the stigma around recovery. It’s not shameful. There is not a “type” of person who needs recovery. If you are hurting, if you are tired, if you are angry, if you are alone you can recover. If you are rich, if you are poor, if you are highly educated, if you’re a drop out, if you’re a therapist, if you’re a leader, if you’re a participant in life-you can choose recovery.

And guess what…we DO recover.❤️‍🩹

08/08/2021

01/09/2021

A dear friend, colleague and fellow therapist posted this yesterday, and it it rang very true for the way I feel too. 😉

12/30/2020

Beautiful insight for those struggling with depression:

DEPRESSION TIPS

Shower. Not a bath, a shower. Use water as hot or cold as you like. You don’t even need to wash. Just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. Sit on the floor if you gotta.

Moisturize everything. Use whatever lotion you like. Unscented? Dollar store lotion? Fancy 48 hour lotion that makes you smell like a field of wildflowers? Use whatever you want, and use it all over your entire dermis.

Put on clean, comfortable clothes.

Put on your favorite underwear. Cute black lacy panties? Those ridiculous boxers you bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? Put them on.

Drink cold water. Use ice. If you want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost. I always use lemon.

Clean something. Doesn’t have to be anything big. Organize one drawer of a desk. Wash five dirty dishes. Do a load of laundry. Scrub the bathroom sink.

Blast music. Listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. Sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.

Make food. Don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. Take the time and make food. Even if it’s ramen. Add something special to it, like a soft boiled egg or some veggies. Prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something.

Make something. Write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. Even if you don’t think you’re good at it. Create.

Go outside. Take a walk. Sit in the grass. Look at the clouds. Smell flowers. Put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.

Call someone. Call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. Talk to a stranger on the street. Have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. If you can’t bring yourself to call, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. Even if you don’t say much, listen to them. It helps.

Cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them. Take pictures of them. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out, anything.

May seem small or silly to some, but this list keeps people alive.

*** At your absolute best you won’t be good enough for the wrong people. But at your worst, you’ll still be worth it to the right ones. Remember that. Keep holding on.
*** In case nobody has told you today I love you and you are worth your weight and then some in gold, so be kind to yourself and most of all keep pushing on!!!!

Find something to be grateful for!

**copied and pasted, feel free to do the same**

11/24/2020

“Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health; safe connections are fundamental to meaningful and satisfying lives.” ~ Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
The Body Keeps the Score.

11/24/2020

That is right. You are enough. Just the way you are.

07/23/2020

May we all learn to ride the wave.

05/27/2020

"Tell your story.
Shout it. Write it.
Whisper it if you have to.
But tell it.
Some won't understand it.
Some will outright reject it.
But many will thank you for it.
And then the most magical thing will happen.
One by one, voices will start whispering, "Me too.'
And your tribe will gather.
And you will never feel alone again."
~L.R. Knost

05/26/2020

I must give a HUGE shout out to my dear friend and colleague, Jenna Riemersma’s new book, Altogether You! It will provide self awareness, spiritual renewal and personal transformation. I have no doubt it will change the lives of many—my own and the clients I work with. It is now available on Amazon.