The Creative Therapist

01/19/2026

If Dr. King were here today...

I think if Dr. King were here today, he'd highlight
the parallels throughout American history and
remind us the dream was never meant to end
with him. No one voice should define justice not
even his, but every generation must carry the
work forward. What do you think he would say?

01/01/2026

Grateful to still be here even on the hard days 😌

12/25/2025

This post was inspired by me as a Black mother who values knowing our history.

I remember my grandmother, born in the 1930s, telling me her Christmas gift was a bouncy ball and a piece of fruit. That was the gift.

This reflection isn’t about comparison. It’s about understanding Black childhood across eras and why joy, creativity, and rest still matter today.

The Antebellum Era (1800–1861)
👉🏾The Context: “Antebellum” means before the war. For Black children, this was the era of enslavement.
🎁Gift Philosophy: Survival and subversion. Gifts were often “stolen moments” of joy. Handmade toys like cornhusk dolls or carved wood were made in secret to preserve humanity.

The Reconstruction Era (1865–1877)
👉🏾The Context: After the Civil War, families reunited and rebuilt after being torn apart by sale.
🎁Gift Philosophy: Literacy and citizenship. The “gift of education” mattered most. Books, slates, and proper clothing symbolized freedom and possibility.

The Jim Crow / “Nadir” Era (1880s–1910s)
👉🏾The Context: A period of intensified racism and segregation after Reconstruction failed.
🎁Gift Philosophy: Resilience. With hostile stores, families relied on “make-do” gifts and Black-owned businesses. The “stocking orange” became a familiar Christmas staple.

The Great Migration & Harlem Renaissance (1920s–1930s)
👉🏾The Context: Millions of Black families moved north to cities like Chicago.
🎁Gift Philosophy: Urban identity. Black children began receiving mass-produced toys and early “race dolls” to counter racist caricatures.

The Civil Rights & Black Power Era (1950s–1970s)
👉🏾The Context: A time of activism and dismantling segregation.
🎁Gift Philosophy: “Black is Beautiful.” Gifting became political. African-inspired clothing, Black history books, and toys with realistic Black features mattered.

The “Black Excellence” / Digital Era (1980s–2010s)
👉🏾The Context: Expansion of Black media, music, and pop culture.
🎁Gift Philosophy: Representation. “Black versions” of toys, dolls, and characters affirmed belonging in the mainstream.

12/24/2025

This can actually be healthy in some situations
For example...

1. Feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated
👉🏾Step away from decision making, engage your
hands (crochet, take a walk, watch something
funny), calm yourself, then revisit the issue if it's
not a true emergency
2. Anxiety spirals or racing thoughts
👉🏾Regulate the body first with slow breathing,
rhythmic movement, or warmth before trying to
"think it through."
3. Burnout or emotional exhaustion
👉🏾Rest and pleasure come first. Problem-solving
while depleted usually leads to resentment, not
resolution.
4. Conflict that feels too charged
👉🏾Ground yourself before responding. Calm
bodies communicate better than activated ones.
5. Creative blocks
👉🏾Stop forcing ideas. Do something soothing
and repetitive to let creativity return naturally.
6. Decision fatigue
👉🏾Narrow choices, pause, and care for the body
before committing to anything major.
7. Shame or self-criticism after a mistake
👉🏾Stops the self-attack loop by giving your brain
something else to focus on.
8. Grief, loss, or emotional heaviness
👉🏾Grief isn't something to solve. It's something
to sit with. Some feelings need care, not
answers.
9. Stress related to work or performance pressure
👉🏾Release tension in the body before reviewing
what went wrong or what needs fixing.
10. Relationship confusion
👉🏾Soothe the nervous system so you're
responding from values, not fear or urgency.

⚠️However, if it something you have been
avoiding for far too long, it is a time sensitive
personal responsibility, or if it is a real emergency
this may not be the best approach. 👀

12/23/2025

This season is heavy for a lot of people, and
anxiety showing up right now is common, not a
personal failure.

🥴Racing thoughts as soon as it gets darke
Write down your thoughts and figure them out
tomorrow.
👉🏾Keep the lights low and soft in the
evening. Listen to relaxing music, an audiobook,
a TV show or movie.

😴Trouble sleeping or wanting to sleep all day-
Look into sleep hygiene.
👉🏾Allow yourself extra rest
in the winter when you can but also get at least
a few minutes of sunlight and movement during
the day.

😩Dreading social plans but also feeling lonely.
👉🏾Pick low-pressure connection like a short call or
walk and give yourself permission to leave early.
More irritability or emotional shutdownC
Check for basic needs first: food, warmth,
rest before assuming something is emotionally
Wrong.

😒More irritability or emotional shutdown
👉🏾Check for basic needs first (i.e.food, warmth, rest) before assuming something is emotionally wrong.

😥Increased worry about the future or world
events.
👉🏾Limit news intake, get your news from
someone who presents it in a useful way, and
gently bring your focus back to what's actually in
your control today.

😭Body tension when the temperature drops
or routines change.
👉🏾Use warmth, massage,
and gentle movement to help your body adapt
instead of forcing productivity.

11/20/2025

Being single doesn't reduce your value and
partnership doesn't manufacture happiness. This
one is for those who are struggling to find peace
in with singleness. Dating in this age seems
harder than ever, so it's not just you. This issue
comes up in my sessions often. It can get very
discouraging and starts to make you question
your worth, but let this be a reminder.

10/20/2025

These books and authors come up in sessions all the time, so let’s talk about ’em. I believe all reading has value, but some miss the mark on what people are really seeking or need to navigate their healing journey. They can feel incomplete, overly clinical, or disconnected from lived experience and culture.

1️⃣ The Body Keeps the Score by Jon Kabat-Zinn
😒 Graphic and overly detailed. It explains the mind-body link but can re-traumatize or overwhelm.
🙌🏾 Try: My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem centered on embodied trauma through a cultural and racial lens.

2️⃣ The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
😒 Sounds freeing but often promotes avoidance over growth. Healing takes discernment and accountability.
🙌🏾 Try: All About Love by bell hooks explores truth, accountability, and community care as real peace.

3️⃣ Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
😒 Vulnerability is powerful, but it’s also a privilege. Not everyone can be open without risk.
🙌🏾 Try: Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey reframes vulnerability as reclaiming rest, softness, and humanity.

4️⃣ Peace from Broken Pieces by Iyanla Vanzant
😒 Inspiring but deeply personal and spiritually driven may lack trauma-informed structure for everyday healing.
🙌🏾 Try: The Deepest Well by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris blends story and science to explain trauma’s impact with accessibility.

Honorable Mentions:
😒 Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown insightful but can oversimplify complex emotions and miss cultural context.

🙌🏾 Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy Degruy: reframes trauma through the lived experience of Black people, showing how systemic oppression, slavery, and racism have created intergenerational patterns of pain and resilience.

This is not a dismissal or a ploy to discourage reading; it
is simply an invitation to read critically. Healing is not
one-size-fits-all. Take what serves you, question
what does not, and remember that insight
without safety, rest, and cultural grounding rarely
leads to wholeness.

10/05/2025

While she hasn’t publicly claimed an ADHD diagnosis, SZA has described her process as scattered and procrastination-heavy, with bursts of creativity. These are often tied to ADHD, but in her artistry, they become her superpower, fueling risk-taking and imaginative sound.

Save this as a reminder: you’re not broken and your creativity is brilliance. 🌱🎨

⚠️ These posts are NOT meant to diagnose or dismiss the need for professional care, but to honor the real each diagnosis while showing how creativity can be a powerful (and often overlooked) form of healing.

✨ This post is part of a series reframing mental health “symptoms” as creative gifts.

10/01/2025

Therapists know these moments all too well. Anxiety loves to play the “what if” game, even when the facts are clear.

For clients: I know this doesn’t mean you’re being difficult. It means your brain is stuck in the anxiety loop, looking for certainty it can never actually get. Part of therapy is learning to notice the “but what if…” spiral and gently shift into tools that ground you instead of chasing endless reassurance.

Here are 3 solid tips for managing the “what if…” loops:

1. Name it 👉🏾 Notice when you’re in a “what if” loop and call it out.

2. Ground yourself 👉🏾 Use your senses or deep breaths to anchor in the present.

3. Flip it 👉🏾 Try asking “what if it works out?” instead of only worst-case.

09/30/2025

09/29/2025

Starting therapy is like taking your first bite of a new meal, you don’t have to finish the whole plate at once. 🍴

Begin with just one piece:
✨ A goal you have (peace, confidence, healing)
✨ A picture of what you want life to feel like

From there, your therapist helps you chew through the layers (fears, old trauma, family pressures) one bite at a time.

You don’t need the perfect words. Just a small starting point. The rest unfolds as you go. 🌱

Also therapy works best in small bites. Start with what feels manageable, and let the process feed your growth.

09/28/2025

Sometimes the work chooses you. ✨ No matter how many detours you take, when you’re called to do something important, something that’s rooted in your purpose, you can’t walk away from it. That tug on your spirit won’t let you stay silent or play small. Rest when you need to but leaning into your calling, even when it feels heavy, because purpose has a way of finding you over and over until you answer. If you’ve ever felt pulled back to your gifts, your people, or your mission, this one’s for you. 💫