Rachel Coleman, LMFT CEDS

01/26/2026

Clients often come to therapy feeling disconnected from their bodies, their emotions, and their sense of who they truly are—living by rules, fear, and self-criticism instead of trust and inner wisdom.

In therapy, we slow this down. Through art, reflection, and evidence-based support, clients begin to reconnect with themselves—not the disorder. This piece was created by a client in recovery, capturing words like peace, engagement, radiant, comfortable, and yourself—markers of identity returning as healing unfolds.

Recovery is not just about food or weight. It is about reclaiming your voice, your values, and your authentic self. Therapy can be the space where that reconnection begins.

🦋If you or someone you love is ready to move beyond symptom management and into true healing, I would be honored to support that process.

01/08/2026

Happy Mixed Messages Season 🎉

“Eat the chocolate. You deserve it—it’s the holidays! But also… detox immediately.”

“Enjoy the cookies with your family but remember to “be good” starting in the new year”

“Indulge mindfully…while tracking every bite so you have less to make up for in the new year.”

“Listen to your body…unless it’s craving carbs—then distract yourself.”

“Celebrate freedom but start the cleanse on Jan 1.”

No wonder we feel disconnected from our bodies when the messages are this loud and contradictory!

When we’re told to enjoy all the treats and then immediately fix our bodies, the nervous system gets mixed signals.

🍪 Permission → ❌ Restriction → 🔁 Guilt → 📉 Disconnection

Over time, this back-and-forth teaches us to ignore hunger, override fullness, and mistrust cravings. That’s what we mean by loss of body attunement.

Body attunement is the ability to notice and respond to internal cues—hunger, fullness, satisfaction, energy, emotion.
Diet culture disrupts this by externalizing rules instead of building internal trust.

Sustainable health doesn’t come from following food rules. It comes from consistency, adequate nourishment, and nervous-system safety. It comes from finding pleasure and rest in foods. It comes from listening to the bodies quiet signals and knowing it can trust them.

This new year, may you throw away rules instead of foods and embrace mental change instead of pursuing physical change.

12/19/2025

All I want for Christmas is body peace for all - internally, externally, and politically. May you find a slice of peace in some way this holiday season ❤️

12/15/2025

It’s the hap, happiest season of all 🎶

12/11/2025

We were born with FIVE senses for a reason.
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If food was only supposed to be fuel for our vehicles, we would not have been created with the sense of taste. Instead, we were given the gift of pleasure in food through taste and texture. What a gift that is for our mouths!

Enjoying the flavors you love isn’t “indulgent”… it’s human.

It supports our mental health, grounds us in the present moment, and connects us to memories, culture, and the people we love.

This season, let yourself taste fully.
Slow down.
Notice the warmth, the spices, the sweetness.
Allow pleasure to be part of your recovery, your healing, and your celebration.

Using all 5 senses increases our mindfulness:
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👁 may you see the sparkling lights, and feel the spirit of the holiday
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👂 may you hear the music, and be reminded of times past
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🖐 may you touch the prickly tree, the cold snow, or the warm sand (hello, OC winter) and be aware of your surroundings
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👃 may you smell the pine, the scented candle, or the oven cooking and be brought into the present moment
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👅 may you taste the Christmas cookies, the spicy eggnog, or the holiday traditional food of your culture, and let your taste buds dance
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May mindfulness help you feel fully connected to Self.
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11/12/2025

This is a legit question and is often the fear that keeps people from seeking therapy - the fear of opening Pandora’s box and feeling the hard stuff!

However, when we talk about our feelings in therapy—especially the sad or heavy ones—we’re not making them worse; we’re helping our brain process them. 🧠 Research shows that putting emotions into words (a process called affect labeling) actually reduces activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain that triggers distress.

So even when it feels uncomfortable, talking about sadness helps calm the body and make sense of the story beneath the feeling. It’s one of the first steps toward healing—and toward feeling a little lighter. 💬💙

10/20/2025

Pumping painting and connecting with my lovely ED colleagues filled my cup 🎃 Definitely going to make this a therapeutic art activity in the office so reach out to schedule an October session! You will also get to spy which pumpkin I painted as it’s hidden somewhere in the lobby 😉

10/17/2025

BOO….👻💀🎃

10/12/2025

Anxiety narrows our focus, pulling us into the smallest details until they feel all-consuming. But when we widen the frame, clarity begins to unfold. Using a trauma informed lens that validates the systems and people that formulated our fears, we use grounding skills and find tools to remind ourselves that one moment or one thought does not define the whole story.

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), this practice is called reframing—shifting perspective so the mind can see beyond the anxious thought. With each gentle shift, the grip of worry loosens, and space for calm and healing opens. Perspective-taking is a powerful tool—learning to step back and reframe anxious thoughts helps the brain break out of worry loops. 🧠

We utilize this various modalities (CBT, IFS, systems theories, etc) in addressing distorted body image, relationship with food and disordered eating patterns in individual and family systems therapy. We’d love to work with you! 🦋

10/08/2025

For an intake call, contact monarchrisingtherapy@gmail.com

10/08/2025