Angela Schellenberg Counseling/ Coaching

Angela Schellenberg Counseling/ Coaching Angela is a mental health Trauma, Grief, and Loss Therapist , LMHC. Mother Hunger Facilitator

Why “just breathe” can trigger your religious traumaBecause when you grew up being told to “just pray”…“Just breathe” fe...
11/12/2025

Why “just breathe” can trigger your religious trauma

Because when you grew up being told to “just pray”…
“Just breathe” feels like a rebrand of the same erasure.

It doesn’t feel grounding.
It feels like gaslighting.

Because when your spiritual upbringing taught you to bypass your body, numb your fear, perform peace —
Stillness didn’t mean safety.
Stillness meant submission.

So when someone says, “Just breathe”?
Your nervous system might flinch.
Not because you’re broken.
But because your body remembers being told:
“If you’re still anxious… you must not be trusting God enough.”
“If you’re still struggling… maybe you’re not praying hard enough.”
“If you still have doubts… maybe you’re the problem.”

When really — you were a teenager.
Trying to make sense of suffering inside a system that only offered you silence.

You were in pain.
And instead of care, you were handed performance.
Smile.
Serve.
Submit.
And call it healing.

So if the holidays bring up waves you didn’t expect…
If you feel yourself shutting down or checking out…
If you get activated by things like carols or candles or church services that used to be “normal”…
Just know:

You’re not crazy.
You’re not overreacting.
You’re not “ungrateful” or “too sensitive” or “making things about you.”

You’re responding.
To years of spiritual bypass.
To being told that your deepest pain was a test.
And that if you failed the test, it meant you didn’t believe hard enough.

You don’t need to explain that to anyone.
What hurts you — hurts you.
What’s real for you — is real.
Even if no one else gets it.

If your body is telling you “this is too much,”
That’s enough.
That’s valid.
That’s data.

You’re allowed to let your nervous system speak louder than the script they handed you.

You don’t have to pray it away.
You don’t have to breathe it away.
You just get to listen.
And honor what you hear.

🫁 If this feels like you, you can drop that emoji.
Or DM me.
I see you.
And I promise:
There’s nothing wrong with the way your body responds to what it survived.

You’re not failing.
You’re healing.

Quietly. Fiercely. On your terms.

11/04/2025

I used to think I had to “fix” the parts of me that felt too much.
The part that overthought everything.
The part that made a joke instead of getting close.
The part that wanted connection but flinched every time it showed up.
But what if those weren’t the problem?
What if they were the protectors?
In Equine Therapy, we don’t just talk about these parts. We meet them—through the mirror of the horse, through the safety of the body, through the gentleness of being witnessed without judgment.
Horses don’t get confused by our masks.
They see us clearly.
And they show us what we’ve never been able to see:
These “opposing parts”? They were working together to keep us safe.
The fear part. The funny part.
Both trying to protect you from closeness, rejection, overwhelm.
And when they finally feel safe…
They stop fighting.
And they dance.
That’s the shift we create in Equine Therapy.
Not just emotional insight—but somatic integration.
Because when your nervous system finally feels witnessed…
The parts of you that never rested, finally can.
I offer equine therapy + EMDR for trauma survivors ready to stop fighting themselves. If you’re wanting to try Equine Assisted Learning, schedule a consultation or Equine Session with me.
Text 4256283354.

You didn’t overreact to that song.Your body just finally felt safe enough to feel.Music doesn’t just tug your heartstrin...
11/03/2025

You didn’t overreact to that song.
Your body just finally felt safe enough to feel.

Music doesn’t just tug your heartstrings.
It rewires your nervous system.
Moves grief that’s been frozen.
And gives it somewhere safe to land.

This isn’t just emotional. It’s somatic.
The same rhythm you sway to?
It mirrors the bilateral stimulation used in trauma healing (like EMDR).

This is why you cry.
Why you soften.
Why you suddenly breathe again.

Your story doesn’t need words.
It just needs sound that knows how to hold it.

↳ When you’re ready to move grief through your body — not just your mind — the portal’s open. 💠

This was before.Before my dad joined a religious cult.Before my mom had a breakdown and got sick.Before my grandma took ...
11/02/2025

This was before.
Before my dad joined a religious cult.
Before my mom had a breakdown and got sick.
Before my grandma took her — said she’d care for her — and locked us out.
Before we tricked her and stole my mom back.

For a second, we thought maybe things could go back to normal.

Then the phone rang.
That Snoopy phone.

I had already seen it on the news.
My dad. Gone. M*rdered, g*nned down. .
And just like that — everything collapsed.

I didn’t just lose my father.
I lost everything.

My mom to state care.
My brother to foster care.
My home.
My horse, Destiny.
My dog, Peppi.

In one phone call.

That’s what no one tells you.

You don’t just lose people.
You lose access.
To food.
To safety.
To comfort.
To protection.
To everything that makes you feel human.

We are all one moment away from hunger.
One moment away from being the person we never thought we’d become.
And when that moment hits, the system doesn’t catch you.
You fall.

This is why I talk about government cheese.
Why I talk about grief like it’s physical.
Because it is.
And when the people go, the resources go with them.

🖤
If you’ve ever lived through a moment that changed everything
You’re not alone.
Drop a 🕯️.
Tag your local food bank.
Because survival shouldn’t be a solo act.

11/02/2025

Offering Support and Programs for Women Who Have Lost Their Moms Most bereavement centers offer services for up to two years following a loss. But few resources exist for those traveling the long arc of grief after that point. And this is puzzling, because grief from an early loss will continue to s...

We didn’t have much.But we had government cheese.A giant brick of it.Wrapped like a cinderblock.I can still feel the wax...
11/02/2025

We didn’t have much.
But we had government cheese.

A giant brick of it.
Wrapped like a cinderblock.
I can still feel the wax paper edges and the way it barely melted on toast.

When I was little, things were tight.
We were on government assistance.
My mom was sick.
My dad was working long hours and still didn’t want to take help.
But we needed it.

I remember opening the cupboards. Empty.
Trying to feed my brother with whatever scraps I could find.
Muffins from a hobby oven.
Cheese on bread.
Everything cheese.

It was survival.
And even now, as an adult, I carry that survival in my nervous system.

Tonight I can’t sleep.

Because I’m thinking about the millions of people whose benefits just got cut.
Families waiting.
Mothers calculating grocery bills like military strategy.
Kids opening empty cabinets hoping something appears.
People making minimum wage in a maximum pain economy.

Politics matter.
This is a human rights issue.
Access to food is not a luxury. It’s a right.
And the systems meant to support us are crumbling under the weight of greed, neglect, and silence.

As a mental health advocate, I don’t just talk about trauma in therapy rooms.
I talk about it here too.
Because food insecurity is trauma.
Chronic stress is trauma.
Trying to survive while the world turns away is trauma.

If you have more, do more.
If you have a full pantry, share.
If you have a big table, pull up a chair for someone else.
Donate. Volunteer. Speak up.
Whatever you can do, do it.

Tag your local food bank in the comments.
Let’s build a map of places where people can get fed.
Because no one should be hungry while the rest of us scroll.














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7345 164th Avenue NE Te 145/386
Redmond, WA
98052

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Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

https://linktr.ee/angelaschellenberg

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Angela Schellenberg Counseling

Hello,

I’m Angela Schellenberg. I a trauma therapist and I specialize in grief, loss, and trauma. If you are looking for a trauma-informed and trained counselor/coach then you have come to the right place. I love helping clients work through the challenges in their lives. I am a humanistic counselor and I use many different modalities and theories because I never believe there is just one method that works for everyone. I am trained in EMDR, Restorative Retelling for Violent and Sudden Death, EFT Tapping, and Matrix Reimprinting. I enjoy working with individuals, families, couples, and children. I work with grief, loss, and trauma. I am passionate about helping clients manage depression, anxiety, and trauma (PTSD). If you are interested in booking an appointment you can visit my website at www.angelaschellenberg.com or call at 4256283354,