http://rootsbrancheswellness.com/

Roots & Branches Wellness, 35 N 500 W, Lehi, UT (2025)

11/03/2025

Everyone understands grief when someone dies. There are rituals, casseroles, condolence cards. But what about when you're grieving someone who's still alive? A parent with dementia who no longer recognizes you. A relationship that ended without closure. The person you used to be before trauma changed you.
This is grief without recognition. There's no funeral, no clear endpoint, no social permission to fall apart. You're mourning something real while being told to "look on the bright side" or "at least they're still here."

Ambiguous loss is particularly cruel because it offers no resolution—just an ongoing ache that others can't see or validate. You're left carrying a loss that the world doesn't acknowledge, wondering if you even have the right to grieve.
If this resonates with you, we're here to help. Your grief is real, even when others can't see it.

11/01/2025

¡Feliz Día de los Mu***os!

As many in our community celebrate Día de los Mu***os, we join in honoring those who are no longer with us.

In the spirit of this beautiful tradition, we remember them not with sadness alone, but by celebrating who they were: their laughter, their kindness, their favorite songs, the memories that still make us smile.

We carry their light forward. We keep their stories alive. We hold them in our hearts.

Who are you celebrating today? Share a favorite memory. 🕯️💜

__________________
¡Feliz Día de los Mu***os!

Mientras muchos en nuestra comunidad celebran el Día de los Mu***os, nos unimos para honrar a quienes ya no están con nosotros.

En el espíritu de esta hermosa tradición, los recordamos no solo con tristeza, sino celebrando quiénes fueron: su risa, su bondad, sus canciones favoritas, los recuerdos que aún nos hacen sonreír.

Llevamos su luz hacia adelante. Mantenemos vivas sus historias. Los guardamos en nuestros corazones.

¿A quién estás celebrando hoy? Comparte un recuerdo favorito. 🕯️💜

10/30/2025

"I am passionate about mindfulness and often utilize mind-body bridging to help clients connect to their bodies and their present experience," Michaela explains. This approach helps clients ground themselves in the present moment, particularly valuable when past trauma or anxiety about the future feels overwhelming.

Her training in Lifespan Integration provides another powerful tool for clients working through trauma. This gentle yet effective method helps process difficult experiences and integrate them into a cohesive life narrative, allowing clients to move forward without being defined by their past.

10/29/2025

5 Ways Cats Protect Their Mental Health (And Why They're Honestly Crushing It)
Happy National Cat Day! While we're out here doom-scrolling and forgetting to drink water, cats have been quietly mastering the art of mental wellness. Here are five self-care strategies they've perfected:

1. They nap without guilt
Cats sleep 12-16 hours a day and feel ZERO shame about it. No "I should be productive" thoughts. No checking their phone first. Just pure, uninterrupted rest. They understand that sleep isn't lazy—it's essential. Revolutionary.

2. They set boundaries like champions
Want to pet a cat who's done with you? Good luck. They have zero problem communicating their limits, whether that's a swishing tail, a warning meow, or just walking away mid-interaction. They don't people-please themselves into overstimulation.

3. They find joy in the smallest things
A dust particle floating through a sunbeam? Entertainment for 20 minutes. A cardboard box? Better than any expensive cat bed. Cats remind us that happiness doesn't require a big budget or grand plans—sometimes it's just about that one specific spot of sunshine on the floor.

4. They demand what they need
Hungry? They'll tell you. Want attention? You'll know. Need space? Also extremely clear. Cats don't hint or hope you'll read their mind—they advocate for themselves directly. Imagine.

5. They literally do not care what anyone thinks
Your cat has never once worried about being perceived. They'll groom themselves in the middle of your Zoom call, knock your stuff off the counter, and sleep in the weirdest positions without any self-consciousness whatsoever. Peak mental freedom.

So this National Cat Day, maybe take a page from your feline friend's book: nap more, set boundaries, enjoy the little things, ask for what you need, and worry less about looking cool.

10/27/2025

You've been told you're "too nice." That you're a people-pleaser. That you need better boundaries. But what if your excessive accommodation isn't a personality flaw—it's a trauma response?

Fawning means saying yes when you mean no, smoothing over tension you didn't create, and prioritizing everyone's comfort except your own. It developed because at some point, being agreeable kept you safe. Your nervous system learned that managing others' emotions was a matter of survival.

The problem? What once protected you now traps you. You've become so skilled at reading others and anticipating their needs that you've lost touch with your own entirely. You're still operating as if keeping the peace is life or death.

If this resonates with you, we're here to help. True kindness includes yourself.

10/24/2025

69% of mothers experience loneliness during their motherhood journey—but this isn't about missing brunch or needing more friends.
Parental loneliness is different. It's the profound disconnection that happens when your entire identity shifts overnight, leaving you isolated even when surrounded by people.

In a recent post In the Grove, we explore why maternal loneliness has become a public health concern, who's most at risk, and evidence-based ways to reconnect with yourself and others during this massive transition.

If you've ever felt lost while everyone told you to feel blessed, or disconnected from who you used to be—this is for you.

Read more here 👉 https://www.rootsbrancheswellness.com/blog/the-loneliness-of-motherhood

10/23/2025

Fawning disguises itself as kindness while keeping you trapped in survival mode.

You've been told you're "too nice." That you're a people-pleaser. That you need better boundaries. But what if your excessive accommodation isn't a personality flaw—it's a trauma response?

Fawning means saying yes when you mean no, smoothing over tension you didn't create, and prioritizing everyone's comfort except your own. It developed because at some point, being agreeable kept you safe. Your nervous system learned that managing others' emotions was a matter of survival.

The problem? What once protected you now traps you. You've become so skilled at reading others and anticipating their needs that you've lost touch with your own entirely. You're still operating as if keeping the peace is life or death.

If this resonates with you, we're here to help. True kindness includes yourself.

10/21/2025

Sarah specializes in several areas that reflect both her professional expertise and personal passion: faith transitions, anxiety and trauma recovery, and women's mental health with a particular focus on maternal wellbeing.

For those navigating changes in their faith or religious identity, Sarah offers a unique perspective. "Faith is deeply intertwined with how we make meaning of our lives," she explains. "When that framework shifts or changes, it impacts everything. I create a space where clients can explore their evolving beliefs without judgment or agenda."

Sarah's approach to faith transitions focuses on helping clients integrate their past religious experiences with their current understanding, finding meaning and authenticity in the process. "This work isn't about arriving at any particular conclusion," she emphasizes. "It's about honoring your journey and finding what feels true and life-giving for you."

10/20/2025

OCD isn't about being "neat" or "organized." It's a loop that teaches your brain the wrong lesson.

🔄 The OCD Cycle
OBSESSION → An unwanted, intrusive thought, image, or urge appears. It might be about contamination, harm, making mistakes, morality, or countless other themes. These thoughts trigger intense feelings of fear, disgust, doubt, or a sense that something isn't "just right."

ANXIETY/DISTRESS → The obsession causes significant emotional discomfort. Your mind tells you this thought is important and dangerous, even when logically you know it might not be.

COMPULSION → To reduce the distress, you engage in repetitive behaviors (like checking, washing, or ordering) or mental acts (like counting, praying, or reviewing events in your mind). This provides temporary relief.

TEMPORARY RELIEF → The anxiety decreases momentarily, which reinforces the belief that the compulsion was necessary. But this relief doesn't last.
Then the cycle starts again. And again. And again.

What makes it OCD?
--The cycle consumes significant time (often more than an hour daily)
--It causes real distress
--It interferes with work, relationships, or daily activities
--The person recognizes the thoughts are excessive but feels unable to stop

Important: This isn't a character flaw. This isn't something you can just "stop thinking about." OCD is a real mental health condition—and it responds well to specialized treatment.

10/18/2025

Political turmoil affects mental health—that's not debatable.

When the world feels unstable, our nervous systems respond. Anxiety spikes. Sleep suffers. We feel disconnected or overwhelmed.

Here's what we know from both research and practice: community is one of the most powerful buffers against political stress.

There are many ways to stay engaged and protect your wellbeing at the same time:
--Connect with people who share your values.
--Support local organizations doing work you believe in—with time, money, or skills.
--Set boundaries around news and social media while staying informed enough to feel grounded.
--Engage in mutual aid. Check on neighbors. Share resources. Build networks of care.

Whatever you're feeling today—seen, unseen, energized, exhausted—you're not alone. As part of this community, we're here to support you through it. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is sustain yourself so you can keep showing up.

10/16/2025

"Good enough" sounds like settling while actually being exactly what your baby needs.

The phrase "good enough mother" triggers something in most new mothers—a resistance, a sense that we should be aiming higher. It sounds like lowering standards, like giving up on being the mother you dreamed you'd be.

But "good enough" isn't about settling. It's about recognizing that your baby doesn't need perfection—they need presence. They need a mother who's regulated enough to be responsive, rested enough to be patient, and gentle enough with herself to model self-compassion.

The pursuit of being the "perfect" mother creates the anxious, exhausted mother. Meanwhile, the "good enough" mother—the one who acknowledges her limits, asks for help, and forgives her mistakes—is actually giving her child exactly what they need: a human being, not a superhero.

If this resonates with you, we're here to help. Being good enough is more than enough.

10/10/2025

"Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence." - Dr. Peter Levine

This World Mental Health Day reminds us that crisis—whether global humanitarian emergencies or personal upheavals close to home—can shake our sense of safety and peace. This year's theme focuses on the urgent need to support mental health during humanitarian crises, recognizing that one in five individuals experiencing these events will face mental health challenges.

Here in Utah County and around the world, so many are carrying the weight of trauma. World Mental Health Day serves as a powerful reminder that there is no health without mental health—and that supporting mental well-being during crisis doesn't just help people cope, it saves lives and empowers communities to heal and rebuild.

At Roots & Branches, we mark this day because mental health awareness and education matter deeply to us. We specialize in trauma therapy using EMDR and Lifespan Integration—evidence-based approaches that help your nervous system process what you've experienced, creating pathways from crisis to healing, from surviving to thriving.

If you're experiencing your own crisis, reach out and schedule time to talk with one of our therapists.

Roots & Branches Wellness

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