http://www.findingbetterdays.com/

The Sunshine Therapist, Chicago, IL (2026)

10/10/2025

You’re not too sensitive — you’re finally recognizing what doesn’t feel safe. 🌙
When you’ve spent years in environments that demand silence over honesty, or where your needs were minimized, it makes sense that your body reacts to things that should hurt. Sensitivity is often awareness. It’s the moment you stop shrinking, stop making excuses, and start honoring what your nervous system has known all along. That’s not “too much” — that’s healing. 💜

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

09/30/2025

Being around someone who isn’t emotionally safe slowly shrinks your freedom. You start walking on eggshells, holding back parts of yourself, and second-guessing your every move just to avoid conflict. Over time, your world gets smaller—you lose the space to rest, to be real.

Emotional safety isn’t optional in healthy relationships—it’s what allows you to breathe, exist fully, and grow without fear of judgment or retaliation. If you feel drained, silenced, or like you can’t be your full self, that’s not safety. That’s survival mode. 💔

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

09/10/2025

Not every negative reaction is trauma, and not every hard moment needs a clinical label. Sometimes we just feel sad, anxious, or reactive—because we’re human. 💜

But that doesn’t mean we should dismiss the ways trauma can show up in our everyday lives. For many people, it’s not just the “big” events. It can be the flinch when voices get loud. The way your mind goes blank in conflict. The habit of apologizing just to keep the peace. Feeling restless when life is calm. Hiding behind humor because the truth feels too heavy. Going numb while your mind stays busy analyzing.

These are adaptations—your body and brain learned to protect you. They may not serve you now, but they once helped you survive.

✨ What you can do next:
• Pause with compassion. Notice the pattern without judgment.
• Regulate your nervous system. Grounding, breathwork, or movement can help your body feel safer.
• Shift the story. Remind yourself: “This isn’t my fault. I’m allowed to respond differently now.”
• Seek support. Safe relationships, therapy, or community can help you gently rewire how you respond.

Your experiences are valid, even if they don’t look like “traditional trauma.” Healing isn’t about dismissing or exaggerating—it’s about learning to feel safe, present, and whole again. 🌱

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

09/02/2025

Not everyone will clap for your growth. Some people will quietly resent it—mocking your new routines, going silent when you’re proud, or making your success feel like it needs an apology. Often, your growth holds up a mirror to the places they feel stuck. It hurts when support is withheld, especially from people you thought would be in your corner. But their reaction says more about their unhealed places than about your worth.

This is also your reminder: celebrate the people closest to you when they grow, even if it highlights where you’re still healing. We all need safe people who cheer for us without condition. 🌱✨

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

08/27/2025

Sometimes we miss the very things that hurt us. Not because the pain was good, but because the connection, routine, or chaos became familiar. Healing can feel confusing—you might grieve the future you imagined, miss the version of someone that only existed when you abandoned yourself, or even long for the comfort of unhealthy coping. This doesn’t just happen in romantic relationships—it can be a friendship, a parent, or even a job. Missing what hurt you doesn’t mean you want to go back—it means you’re human, and your nervous system is still learning what safety feels like. Be gentle with yourself. 💔✨

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

08/25/2025

Grief isn’t just about death. It shows up in the friendships that couldn’t grow with you, the childhood you didn’t get, the years you spent in survival mode, or the version of yourself who tolerated too much. It can be losing opportunities, people, or even parts of yourself you thought would always be there. These invisible losses are just as heavy—and they deserve compassion too. Healing means honoring every kind of grief, not just the ones others can see. 💕

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

08/23/2025

Emotional labor is the invisible work that leaves you drained often long before anyone notices... It’s the mental load of managing moods, anticipating needs, replaying conversations, and holding space for others when you’re running on empty yourself. If you’ve ever felt exhausted without knowing why, this might be part of it. You deserve relationships and environments where care is mutual—not just carried on your shoulders. 💕

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

08/22/2025

Healing isn’t always soft or graceful. Sometimes it feels heavier before it feels lighter. You may miss the chaos because calm feels strange. You may feel lonelier when you start setting boundaries. You may grieve love that only existed when you stayed small.

Growth can look like guilt, confusion, or sadness—but that doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re finally facing what you used to numb, and learning to live differently. Healing is messy and brave. If it feels uncomfortable, you’re not doing it wrong—you’re just doing the work

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

08/21/2025

It’s easy to lose pieces of yourself without even realizing it. 💔Sometimes it happens slowly… when you’ve been pouring everything into a relationship, or when motherhood leaves no time for your own needs. Other times it’s tied to a demanding job that makes you feel like a role instead of a person, or the quiet isolation after a big move where you no longer feel like “you.”

Losing your identity doesn’t always look dramatic. It can show up in small ways: not knowing what food you actually like, saying “I don’t know” when asked about hobbies, or only recognizing yourself in old memories.

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “what happened to me?”—you’re not alone. Reconnecting with yourself is part of healing, and you deserve to feel whole again. 💕

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

08/19/2025

Trauma doesn’t just live in memory — it lives in the body.

You might not consciously remember the moment…
but your nervous system does.

It shows up in goosebumps, tension, nausea, or tears —
triggered by a sound, a smell, a place, or a touch.
You’re not overreacting. You’re remembering — in the only way your body knows how.

✨ If this sounds familiar:
→ Ground yourself through the senses (touch something soft, name 5 things you see)
→ Let the feeling move through without judgment
→ Remind yourself: this is a memory — not the present
→ Support your nervous system with movement, breath, and safe connection
→ Trauma-informed therapy can help the body feel safe again

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

You’re not broken — you’re wired for survival.
And you deserve to feel safe in your own body again.

08/18/2025

Outgrowing people is one of the quietest heartbreaks. 💔💔 You still love them, but the conversations feel heavier, the friendship feels different, and you find yourself shrinking to stay the same.

Sometimes relationships change because healing, growth, and boundaries change us. What once felt easy can start to feel forced. What once felt safe can bring up anxiety, guilt, or loneliness.

Growth is messy, but it isn’t wrong. Choosing yourself—even when it means letting go of certain friendships or relationships—is part of becoming who you’re meant to be.

If you’ve ever felt guilty for needing space, anxious in conversations that used to feel natural, or disconnected from people you once called home—you’re not alone. Healing means we can love people and admit they no longer fit the version of ourselves we’re growing into

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

08/16/2025

End of summer is exhausting for so many, especially if the weight of transitioning into new rhythms depends on you.

The weight you’re carrying is real—just because it’s invisible doesn’t mean it’s not heavy.
Mental load looks like: keeping track of every detail, planning for what’s next, putting out fires before anyone else even notices they exist. It’s exhausting.
If you’ve felt more like a project manager than a person lately—you’re not alone.
You deserve spaces where you don’t have to anticipate, fix, or remember everything. Where you can let your mind actually rest.
Because peace isn’t found in doing more—it’s found in being supported.

————

I’m Amber ◡̈, a licensed mental health counselor, mom, and friend. I love learning and sharing about relationships, boundaries, anxiety awareness, codependency, trauma recovery, and more! Please follow along to continue investing in your mental health, and I’m so happy to have you here! - Warmly, Amber .therapist

—-

Instagram is not therapy. Everything shared on here is to be looked at as inspiration, and not an intervention. Every person is different, and different therapeutic tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. As always, seeking professional help is always recommended. I wish you a future of healing and better days.

The Sunshine Therapist

10/10/2025

09/30/2025

09/10/2025

09/02/2025

08/27/2025

08/25/2025

08/23/2025

08/22/2025

08/21/2025

08/19/2025

08/18/2025

08/16/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Category