Stephanie Bagato, LMFT

Stephanie Bagato, LMFT I help people create meaningful relationships with themselves and others.

05/19/2026

A hard truth I had to learn about people-pleasing:

A lot of the time, it’s not actually about not wanting the other person to feel bad.

It’s about being afraid of how they may perceive us *if* they do feel bad.

If they’re disappointed in me, will they think I’m selfish? Unkind? Too much? Not caring?

That realization felt really vulnerable for me because I spent so much of my life believing my people-pleasing was simply about caring deeply for others.

And while that was true, underneath it was also a fear of how I would be seen if I let someone down.

That awareness can open up so much compassion and curiosity toward ourselves.

So tell me, what are you afraid would happen if you didn’t people please?

I think a lot of people quietly miss feeling alive. For so many of us, life can start feeling rushed, repetitive, emotio...
05/18/2026

I think a lot of people quietly miss feeling alive.

For so many of us, life can start feeling rushed, repetitive, emotionally flat, or disconnected from meaning. We stop noticing beauty, curiosity, wonder, and the small moments that make us feel connected to ourselves and our lives.

And honestly, I think many of us just assume this is what adulthood is supposed to feel like.

But I don’t think it is.

That’s actually a big part of why I created BE WITH Wonder. I wanted to create something gentle that helps people slow down, reconnect to themselves, and remember how to notice the beauty and meaning that already exists around them again.

If that’s something you’ve been craving lately, you can find it through the link in my bio 🤍

So many of us were never actually taught how to be with our emotions.We learned how to avoid them, numb them, distract o...
05/15/2026

So many of us were never actually taught how to be with our emotions.

We learned how to avoid them, numb them, distract ourselves from them, or push through them. And over time, that can leave us feeling either emotionally overwhelmed… or emotionally disconnected from ourselves altogether.

But I’ve found that when we gently turn toward our inner world with curiosity and compassion instead of constantly running from it, our emotions often begin to feel less consuming and less scary.

That’s a huge part of why I’m creating my “Be With” series, currently featuring:

- Be With Joy
- Be With Wonder

As well as my guided meditation:
- You Are A Delight

These resources were created to help you reconnect to yourself, your emotions, and your life in a gentler, more grounded way.

You can find them all on my website linked in my bio 🤍

05/14/2026

Have you ever stopped to consider if your expectations for one person might be a little too high?

So many of us expect our romantic partner or even our closest friendships to meet needs that were once spread across an entire village and community.

I’d love to open the conversation a little more.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you noticed this too?

05/13/2026

What advice would you give someone on how to make a relationship last?

Not just romantic relationships, but friendships too.

What actually helps people stay connected over time?

Forgiveness?
Repair?
Honest communication?
Humor?
Grace?
Taking responsibility?

I think asking the people we love, “What do you think has helped our relationship work?” can lead to some really meaningful conversations.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

I used to feel so scared to have deeper conversations with my partner in the beginning because I carried so much shame a...
05/12/2026

I used to feel so scared to have deeper conversations with my partner in the beginning because I carried so much shame and fear around vulnerability.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to know more about him or have him know more about me. It was all the fear around being fully seen and still chosen that made me hesitate before sharing.

And honestly, you really don’t have to have a deeply vulnerable relationship to feel happy and fulfilled.

But if you do want more depth and don’t know how to get there, these are some places to start.

Sometimes we need to feel emotionally safe before we share.

And sometimes sharing is what slowly helps create safety.

Which one might you try this week?

Which of these feels easier or harder to try? Even that may be the conversation to have with your partner this week.

05/11/2026

When was the last time you updated your long-term relationships?

People change. We go through different seasons, experiences, losses, growth, and versions of ourselves.

And sometimes relationships struggle because we stop seeing who someone is now.

One simple way to update your relationship is to ask:

“If you were to meet me today, what’s something you would like or admire about me?”

There’s something really connecting about being seen in your present instead of only through your past.

Send this to someone you want to update your relationship with!

And if you have other ways you’ve “updated” your relationships, tell me in the comments.

——
If you’re new here, hi! I’m Stephanie Bagato, licensed marriage and family therapist and connection specialist. Increasing connection with ourselves, each other and the world around us is a passion of mine and I’m igniting that passion by posting a question a day to engage with the online world. I’m genuinely interested in people and what they have to share.

Check out my resources in my bio to learn how we can “Be With” our emotions to live more connected lives!

05/08/2026

I think something shifted after COVID.

So many of us experienced deep isolation, disconnection, and distance from each other.

And now I’m watching people slowly move back toward connection again.

Inviting people over.
Hosting dinners.
Making time for community.

There’s something really healing about it because after all, it’s what we were made for.

Have you felt the pull toward connection in your life too?

Let me introduce you to what I think of as pseudo connection…This is not a complete list, but enough of a start that it’...
05/07/2026

Let me introduce you to what I think of as pseudo connection…

This is not a complete list, but enough of a start that it’s important to discuss.

I know lots of people and families who “poke fun” at each other as a way of connection. You really do get to be the decider in this one, but the people I know who have experienced this end up feeling like the butt of the joke or ashamed. At the core of mocking and making fun of others is aggression. It can go sideways real quick and that’s why I put it under pseudo connection. There are better ways to connect, and I do stand by that.

Any you would add?

Save this to remind yourself of conversation topics!

——
Hello! I’m Stephanie Bagato, licensed marriage and family therapist and connection specialist. Increasing connection with ourselves, each other and the world around us is a passion of mine and I’m igniting that passion by posting a question a day to engage with the online world. I’m genuinely interested in people and what they have to share.

Check out my resources in my bio to learn how we can “Be With” our emotions to live more connected lives!

05/06/2026

If connection feels inconvenient, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

It will require you to show up and give your time, energy, and resources. That’s how real relationships work.

And yet, I wonder how many of us might be missing out on safe, beautiful connection simply because we’ve believed that it shouldn’t cost us.

Where could you show up more in your relationships?

——

If you’re new here, hi! I’m Stephanie Bagato, licensed marriage and family therapist and connection specialist. Increasing connection with ourselves, each other and the world around us is a passion of mine and I’m igniting that passion by posting a question a day to engage with the online world. I’m genuinely interested in people and what they have to share.

Check out my resources in my bio to learn how we can “Be With” our emotions to live more connected lives!

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9247 N. Meridian Street, Suite 275
Indianapolis, IN
46260

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