Erin Berk, LPC, ATR

05/03/2026

There’s a common relational myth that only one person is allowed to have feelings at a time — usually the person who speaks first or loudest. But in real, emotionally mature relationships, two truths can coexist.

You can say:
“I’m sorry I hurt you, and I want to understand your experience.”
And later also say:
“I’d like space for my experience too.”

That’s not deflection.
That’s not defensiveness.
That’s relational health.

Repair isn’t about choosing whose pain is more valid.
It’s about creating a space where both people’s humanity is honored.

04/29/2026

A gentle reminder for when you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or caught in the scroll:

When everything feels like too much, give yourself permission to step away from the screen and step into something simple and real. Go someplace easy to access — a river path, a neighborhood creek, a quiet trail, or even just a bench in the park. Let yourself walk slowly, or sit and listen to the birds. Notice the air, the light, the movement around you.

As you settle, pay attention to what’s happening inside you too — your breath, your thoughts, the sensations in your body. Not to fix anything, but to understand what you need. These small moments of nature and presence can help you reconnect with yourself in ways technology never will.

You deserve pauses like this.

04/28/2026

Mothering Myself

In a society preoccupied with how best to raise a child, I’m finding I need to mesh what’s best for my child with what is necessary for a balanced mother. I am recognizing that ceaseless giving translates into giving yourself away. And, when you give yourself away, you are not a healthy mother, and you are not a healthy self.

So, now I’m learning to be a woman first and a mother second. I am learning to just experience my emotions without robbing my children of their individual dignity by feeling their emotions too. I am learning that a healthy child will have his own set of emotions and characteristics that are his alone. And, very different from mine.

I am learning the importance of honest exchanges and feelings because pretences don’t fool children. They know their mother better than she knows herself.

I am learning that no one overcame her past unless she confronts it. Otherwise, her children will absorb exactly what she’s attempting to over come.

I am learning that words of wisdom fall on deaf ears if my actions contradict my deeds. Children tend to be better impersonators than listeners.

I am learning that life is meant to be filled with as much sadness and pain as happiness and pleasure. And allowing ourselves to feel everything life has to offer is an indicator of fulfillment.

I am learning that fulfilment cannot be attained through giving myself away. But, through giving to myself and sharing with others, I am learning that the best way to teach my children to live a fulfilling life is not by sacrificing my life. It is through living a fulfilling life myself.

I am trying to teach my children that I have a lot to learn. Because I am learning that letting go of them is the best way of holding on.

Author unknown.
I am reposting this poem once again because it’s too beautiful not to share.

04/27/2026