ILLUM Counseling Center for Trauma and Loss

07/31/2025

Something meaningful is coming this fall…

This season, I’m offering a series of workshops rooted in nature, creativity, and embodied reflection—each one an invitation to slow down, reconnect, and return to what restores you.

These non-therapeutic, nature-based workshops are open to both community members and mental health professionals. They’re designed to support personal insight, emotional wellness, and the integration of expressive arts, somatic practices, and breathwork. Optional CEUs will be available for Texas LPCs.

Here’s what’s coming:
Return to Self – A half-day workshop to reconnect with your body, voice, and inner wisdom through collage, breathwork, and somatic practices, guided by the Indigenous Medicine and Wellness Wheels
The Wisdom of Trees – A nature-based exploration of how the seasons and life cycles mirror our own, using metaphor, art, movement, and reflection
Honoring Loss, Embracing Grief – A full-day experience to honor death and non-death losses (like chronic illness or life transitions) through expressive arts, somatic rituals, breathwork, and sound-based restoration

Taking place in September, October, and November Held in a nature-based setting
Optional CEUs available for Texas LPCs

Comment FALL or DM me to join the interest list and be the first to know when registration opens.

07/29/2025

This past weekend’s New Counselor’s Toolbox workshop was filled with creativity, connection, and deep grounding.

Participants explored how to integrate expressive arts and trauma-informed tools into their work—including creating personalized collage coping skills boxes to support clients during moments of overwhelm.

We also took time to step outside, reconnect with the body, and practice somatic exercises and breathwork under the trees—a reminder that healing often begins with the body and returns us to nature.

Grateful for the courage and curiosity in the room. I’m already looking forward to the next one.

07/07/2025

04/27/2025

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and I have been proudly wearing teal in honor and support of survivors. 💙

This month, I had the incredible privilege to present at the Sexual Assault Conference hosted by Family Crisis Center in collaboration with the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA), speaking to over 150 people. I was also honored to be a speaker at the FCC Southern Charm Brunch — a beautiful, sold-out event.

It has been truly heartwarming to witness so many people show up for survivors, standing together in solidarity and hope.

I am extremely proud of the work I do — walking alongside survivors as they reclaim their voice and heal from the unspeakable. I don't measure success by titles or accolades; I measure it by the lives I’ve touched, the hope I've helped spark, and the voices I've helped amplify.

This is the legacy I am building. I am a cycle breaker.
I see you. I hear you. I believe you.
I am a healer of trauma — and I wear that title with pride. 💙

04/12/2025

Lately, my chronic condition has been speaking louder than usual.
Since Wednesday, I haven’t been able to sleep through the night—my body simply won’t settle. And on Thursday, I had to show up and present at a conference in front of 150 people. I did it… but not as well as I had hoped.

I fumbled over words. My brain felt foggy. I was self-conscious.
And afterward, the inner critic showed up loud and clear.

But the story doesn’t end there.

At the conference, I noticed some wilted hydrangeas on the tables—flowers that were about to be thrown out. I asked if I could take them. Someone asked, “Why would you want dead flowers?”
I told them, “I think if I put them in water, they might bloom again.”

I brought them home. My husband asked the same question: “Why did you bring home dead flowers?”
Again, I said, “I have faith. If I put them in water, they’ll bloom again.”

And the next morning?
They were in full bloom.

Nature has a powerful way of reminding us that even when things look dead or bleak, if we allow ourselves to be tended to—with water, with rest, with care—we can bloom again.

This season feels tender. If you’re there too, you’re not alone.
Be gentle with yourself. You’re not broken—you’re becoming.

🌿

04/04/2025

I know how defeating it can feel. I’ve been there too. As someone living with a chronic condition, I can relate, it often comes with a rollercoaster of ups and downs. One moment, things seem to be getting better—you finally feel like you’ve turned a corner—and then suddenly, without warning, you're pulled right back in.

It’s easy to get stuck in that place. It can feel like you’ve hit rock bottom.

But this is also the place where resilience begins to shine. Where the strengths already within you start to stir. You’ve made it through hard things before—maybe even without realizing it. I believe our bodies and souls carry an innate wisdom and a deep capacity to heal. It may not happen all at once, but healing is possible.

There’s nothing wrong with taking a pause. In fact, sometimes it’s in that pause that we rediscover our strength and our truth.

I invite you to see the beauty in the pause, even when it feels like you have nothing left to give. And remember—you don’t have to do it alone.

What if you didn’t have to carry the weight by yourself? Whether it’s a trusted friend, a loved one, or a therapist—you deserve support. Someone to walk beside you, to help you uncover that inner strength, and to guide you back to the parts of you that feel joy, passion, and peace.

03/08/2025

✨ Honoring the Strength, Resilience, and Wisdom of Women

On this International Women's Day, I celebrate the incredible women who carry stories of resilience, healing, and transformation. As a therapist and a woman who has walked through deep loss and profound renewal, I know that our strength is not just in our ability to endure, but in the way we rise, reconnect, and reclaim our light.

To every woman: May you honor your journey, embrace your rest, and find renewal in the beauty of each new season. You are seen, you are powerful, and your story matters. 💛

03/01/2025

Leaning Into Pain
Lately, I’ve been struggling. This past month has been physically challenging due to a chronic condition called LARS. Some days are easy, others are hard, and lately, the hard days have outnumbered the good ones.

One of the biggest lessons LARS has taught me is that trying to stop the pain can sometimes make it worse. But when you lean into it—when you allow yourself to fully experience it—you begin to notice a shift. At first, it may feel more intense, even unbearable. But once you move through it, relief comes.

Emotional pain works the same way. We often avoid it because it feels too overwhelming, unknowingly prolonging our suffering. We tell ourselves we must carry it alone. But pain—whether physical or emotional—needs to be witnessed. When it is seen, heard, and validated, transformation begins.

Yesterday, my body struggled all day and all night. When I woke up this morning, I had two choices: suppress the discomfort or lean into it and support my body in what it was naturally trying to do. I knew that if I chose to suppress it, I would pay a bigger price later. Avoidance always comes with a cost.

I see this all the time in my work. So many of us push away pain, hoping it will disappear. But avoidance only erodes our ability to cope, making it harder to heal, to function, to fully live. The beauty is—you don’t have to do it alone. Healing happens in connection.

If this resonates with you, I invite you to lean in. Reclaim your life. Ignite the light within you.

📩 Send me a message or visit my website to learn how we can work together. www.illumcounseling.com

02/24/2025

What is EMDR Therapy? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful, evidence-based approach to healing from trauma, anxiety, and distressing experiences. In this video, I explain how EMDR works, why it’s effective, and what to expect in session. If you’ve ever felt stuck in painful memories, EMDR can help you process and move forward.

Learn more at illumcounseling.com

02/24/2025

What is EMDR Therapy? 🧠💡 Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful, evidence-based approach to healing from trauma, anxiety, and distressing experiences. In this video, I explain how EMDR works, why it's effective, and what to expect in a session. If you’ve ever felt stuck in painful memories, EMDR can help you process and move forward. ✨

📍 Learn more at illumcounseling.com
Contact for a Free 15 minute consultation: (956)281-0981
Email: mlizsanchez@illumcounseling.com