Transcend Counseling Chicago, 2150 W. Lawrence Avenue , Suite A, Chicago, IL (2026)

01/01/2026

Happy New Year!

We disappeared into the void for a minute, but it was for character development.

Now we’re back with more mental health content, more practical coping tools, and more reminders that being human is complicated and you’re not doing it wrong.

Glad you’re here.

12/30/2025

The post-holiday crash you’re feeling is real.

When the decorations start coming down and the calendar finally quiets, your mind and body can suddenly realize how much they’ve been holding.

Social energy, family dynamics, travel, money stress, and disrupted routines add up, even if nothing went wrong.

Feeling tired, flat, or more emotional than usual after the holidays is a very human response to several intense weeks in a row.

One of the kindest things you can do for yourself right now is to simply name what’s happening.

Reminding yourself that post-holiday fatigue is normal can take some of the pressure off.

Instead of jumping straight into new goals or expecting yourself to be back at one hundred percent, it can help to let yourself decompress a little.

That might look like quieter evenings, fewer plans, or giving yourself permission to say no when your energy is already spoken for.

As you move through this holiday hangover, remember that your feelings are valid, your rest matters, and your resilience is real.

You’re allowed to ease back into your routine instead of snapping back.

If you’d like some extra space to process this season or start the new year feeling more grounded, you can learn more about our therapists or submit a clinician request at transcendchicago.com/our-team so you don’t have to sort through everything alone.

12/29/2025

The holidays can make you feel like you have to prove something or like your worth comes from how much you do, how happy you seem, or how well you fit into everyone’s expectations.

But the truth is, you’re the one who has carried yourself through every season of your life.

You’re still here, still growing, and still choosing yourself in big and small ways.

That counts for more than any perfect-looking holiday moment ever could.

Remember, your worth has never come from how easy you are for others.

It comes from being who you are, even in the moments when that feels complicated or tender.

Caring for yourself this season doesn’t have to be elaborate.

It might look like spending more time with people who make you feel understood, giving yourself permission to rest instead of filling every moment, or pausing throughout the day to remind yourself that you’re allowed to take up space.

Our team believes you don’t need to fix or perfect yourself for the holidays.

You’re already your best thing, even if you’re still healing, learning, and figuring things out.

Therapy can give you space to explore what this season brings up and help you move through it in a way that feels more grounded and aligned with who you are.

If you’re wanting a little more clarity or support this holiday season, you can reach out to connect with a clinician at transcendchicago.com/our-team and take the next step toward feeling more at ease.

12/28/2025

The holidays tend to come with a lot of uninvited guests like food guilt, body comments, and pressure to “make up for” what you eat.

Diet culture gets especially loud this time of year, and it can be even more intense if you’re already navigating disordered eating, recovery, or complicated feelings about your body.

If you’ve ever caught yourself judging what’s on your plate or feeling like you have to “earn” certain foods, you’re not alone.

But holiday food isn’t a moral test.

There’s nothing about a cookie, a second helping, or a special dessert that makes you a better or worse person.

Words like “good” and “bad” food usually come from diet culture, not from truth or care.

Eating something you enjoy isn’t a failure, and it doesn’t cancel out the work you’re doing to heal.

Your body still deserves enough food, rest, and kindness, even during a season that tells you to do the opposite.

Practicing food neutrality looks like gently naming those patterns and reminding yourself that your worth isn’t up for debate based on what you eat at a holiday table.

Your body doesn’t need to be fixed or perfected for the holidays.

You’re allowed to show up exactly as you are, to enjoy traditions if they feel good, skip them if they don’t, and choose what feels safest for you in this season.

Healing your relationship with food and your body is a process, and you deserve support that honors the full story of how you got here.

If this time of year feels heavy around food, body image, or family expectations, you don’t have to navigate it by yourself.

You can connect with a clinician or explore how we can support you at transcendchicago.com/our-team as you move through the holidays with more ease.

12/27/2025

Empowering affirmations can feel cheesy at first, especially if you’re used to talking to yourself in a critical way.

But the more your brain hears something, the easier it becomes to believe it, even in small ways.

Try starting with simple statements like, “Today I choose to be happy” or “I am constantly growing.”

Affirmations like “I am confident” and “My emotions are valid” can be especially powerful if you were taught to downplay your needs or your identity.

You can also try words that speak directly to safety and stability, like “I am safe and at peace” or “I am full of abundance.”

Even if those affirmations feel aspirational right now, they can help your nervous system practice softening into the idea that more is possible for you than survival.

At Transcend Counseling Chicago, we know affirmations work best when they’re paired with real support, tools, and space to explore what you’re going through.

Therapy can help you find affirmations that actually fit your lived experience and feel honest to who you are.

If you’re ready to explore new ways of talking to yourself and building a kinder inner voice, you can request a clinician or learn more about working with our team at transcendchicago.com/our-team.

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas from all of us at Transcend Counseling Chicago! 🎄✨

Whether today feels joyful, complicated, or somewhere in between, we’re thinking of you.

Holidays can bring connection, warmth, and tradition, but they can also stir up old memories, grief, stress, or loneliness.

We hope you’re able to find small moments of comfort today, whether that’s a quiet cup of coffee, a call with someone who gets you, a favorite movie, time with chosen family, or simply a few deep breaths that help your body soften.

Rest, slowness, and taking space when you need it all count as real, meaningful ways to care for yourself.

If this season has felt heavy or confusing and you’re wanting a place to unpack what it’s bringing up, our team is here to help you reconnect with yourself and move into the new year with more clarity and grounding.

You can explore working with one of our clinicians or submit a request at transcendchicago.com/our-team for support that continues beyond the holidays.

12/22/2025

The pressure to feel joyful during the holidays can be a lot, especially if you’ve ever felt excluded, unseen, or unsafe in the spaces that are supposed to feel like home.

Community care is one way to soften that weight a little.

It’s about showing up for each other in small, consistent ways, instead of pretending everything is fine or forcing ourselves into someone else’s version of a perfect season.

Community care can look like sending a quick check-in message to a friend, even if you’re not sure what to say beyond “thinking of you today.”

It can look like offering mutual aid or sharing resources when you’re able, whether that’s donating, sharing a post, sending a helpful link, or quietly covering a meal.

It might mean creating low-pressure hangouts where people can come as they are, stay if they have the energy, and leave when they’re done without having to explain.

Practicing community care also means being curious instead of guessing.

Asking someone what they need, and being open to the answer, can be much more supportive than assuming you already know.

And sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply remind your people they’re not alone.

If you’d like space to explore what community care can look like for you this season, you can request a clinician or learn more about working with our team at transcendchicago.com/our-team.

12/21/2025

Caring for yourself can feel complicated, especially if you were taught that rest is lazy, boundaries are selfish, or your needs should always come last.

For many q***r, trans, and neurodivergent people, survival has often meant shrinking, masking, and putting other people’s comfort first.

But self-care isn’t a reward you earn by being productive enough or easy enough.

It’s a way of keeping yourself here.

During the holidays, it can be especially easy to slip back into old patterns.

Maybe you say yes when your body is begging for a break.

Maybe you ignore comments that hurt because you don’t want to “ruin the mood.”

Maybe you tell yourself there are people who have it worse, so you should just push through.

Caring for yourself can look like leaving early, choosing to spend time with people who feel safe, or taking a day to do absolutely nothing.

Self-preservation isn’t about cutting yourself off from the world; it’s about creating enough space inside your life that you can show up as a whole person, not just a version of you that feels acceptable to everyone else.

When you choose rest, boundaries, joy, and support, you are choosing to stay connected to your own life.

You are choosing to stay.

If you’re ready to treat your mental health as something worth protecting, therapy can help you untangle old messages about “selfishness,” explore what caring for yourself actually looks like, and build practices that help you feel more grounded.

You can request a clinician or learn more about working with our team at transcendchicago.com/our-team today.

12/20/2025

The holidays aren’t always easy for everyone.

For a lot of people, this time of year brings up complicated feelings about family, identity, and old patterns that are hard to shake.

If that’s you, you’re not alone, and there is nothing wrong with the way you’re reacting to it.

Your nervous system is responding to real experiences, even if the people around you don’t fully understand.

If you’ve been carrying a lot this season, here are a few small things that can make the holidays feel a little easier on your mind and body.

Consider setting up a simple code word with a friend so you have an easy way to reach out when you need a moment of connection.

Put together a sensory comfort kit with things like headphones, stim toys, or a familiar scent you can ground yourself with throughout the day.

Creating a grounding ritual before and after gatherings like listening to music, taking a short walk, or pausing for a few steady breaths can help regulate your body when things feel tense.

Choosing a seat near an exit or quieter spot can make stepping away feel less overwhelming, and scheduling a post-dinner check-in with someone you trust can give you space to process what comes up.

Throughout the day, check in with your body and notice whether your shoulders are tight, your jaw is clenched, or your breath feels shallow.

Softening those places, even briefly, can invite your nervous system back into a sense of safety.

And when it’s all over, give yourself permission to rest, decompress, and ease back into your routines at your own pace.

Therapy can be a supportive space to prepare for family dynamics, practice coping tools, and explore what safety and connection can look like for you this season and beyond.

If you’d like support as you move through the holidays, you can request a clinician or learn more about working with our team at transcendchicago.com/our-team so you can feel more supported this season.

12/19/2025

The holidays can be beautiful, but they can also be a lot.

Family expectations, travel, comments about your life or your body, and the pressure to show up a certain way can make this time of year feel less cozy and more like emotional whiplash.

If you’re q***r, trans, neurodivergent, or navigating complicated family dynamics, that pressure can feel even heavier.

Boundaries are one of the best ways to protect your peace and move through the season on your own terms.

This year, give yourself permission to say no without over-explaining.

If you notice your body tensing up or your brain going into survival mode, it’s a sign that taking a break is okay: step outside, check in with a friend, breathe, or find a quiet corner to reset.

Most importantly, choose a connection that feels safe.

That might mean spending more time with chosen family, cousins who understand you, or the friend group that lets you show up exactly as you are.

At Transcend Counseling Chicago, we know that boundaries aren’t about being cold or uncaring; they’re about honoring your capacity and protecting the parts of you that are still healing.

Therapy can be a space to practice what those boundaries look like, learn how to communicate them, and unpack the guilt that often shows up when you start choosing yourself.

If you’d like support navigating the holidays this year, you can request a clinician or learn more about working with our team at transcendchicago.com/our-team so you don’t have to go through the holiday season alone.

12/15/2025

Hanukkah invites us to bring light into the world, through acts of enlightenment- using the flames of the Chanukiah to drive out despair.

🕎

10/10/2025

Kayleigh is accepting new clients. Reach out to her by calling 773-887-6447 x 503 , emailing at kayiegh@transcendchicago.com or check out our bio.

Transcend Counseling Chicago

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