Honey Bee Therapy - Erin Stanley, LCSW

05/22/2026

Our first Black Therapist Social was a time! I had a lovely time sharing space with fellow Richmond-based Black clinicians this past Wednesday. We shared a beautiful meal exchanging knowledge and resources as helping professionals and, more importantly, connecting as people. Thankful to my cohosts Dylan with , Kiara and Lauren with AMFM Healthcare and our event space . Looking forward to gathering monthly! 🍯🐝

05/19/2026

Excited to share my feature on the "Strong Mind Soft Life" podcast with Dr. Topaz!

We discussed people pleasing, over functioning and the importance of women slowing down.

Check it out on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, linked below!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Fa5eogbuxv0sncVIKycIJ?si=6623dfe43f9e4f54

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/erin-stanley-lcsw/id1888245543?i=1000766610547

Podcast Episode · Strong Mind, Soft Life with Dr. Topaz · May 7 · 31m

04/21/2026

A lovely morning sharing space with Leslie from discussing our love for our clients, bees, business growth, and community building. In her words, “organizations need friends” and Honey Bee Therapy is thankful for call her one! 🤎🍯🐝

04/30/2025

As we close out the month of April, give yourself a moment to check in with how it all went for you.

Personally, I was tired and feeling a bit stretched this month. Which means giving myself some extra grace for the rest of this week into next.

How about you? 🍯🐝

04/28/2025

A Monday reminder from . May we always be growing at our own pace 🤎

04/23/2025

The hedonic treadmill is your brain’s tendency to adapt to new achievements, relationships, or circumstances - so even when you “get there,” happiness can feel out of reach.

You may experience this when you feel initial excitement about a promotion or getting a package in the mail from your favorite online retailer, but then the excitement fades over time.

How do we combat it? Practice noticing joy in the moment.

🍯🐝

04/21/2025

This quote from “How to Break Up with Your Phone” aligns perfectly with my thoughts around your true self vs false self.

Who are you when you’re not forced into escapism that your phone (temporarily) offers?

What would you rather be doing? Thinking about? Feeling? Being?

How about tapping into that version of you this week?

🍯🐝

04/17/2025

Spring invites us to slow down and reconnect - with ourselves, our needs, and our intentions. 🌿✨

These journal prompts were created with your healing in mind, especially if you’re navigating codependency, transitions, identity shifts, or anxiety.

Take what resonates. Leave what doesn’t. You don’t have to get it perfect, you just have to get honest. 🌷💛

🌼 Which prompt speaks to you most right now?

🌼 How are you blooming this season, even in quiet or unexpected ways?

Share your reflections in the comments or save this post to come back to when you need a gentle reset.

🍯🐝

04/16/2025

Ever fire off a text in the heat of the moment, only to cringe the second you hit send? 😩

You're not alone, and there's a better way.

I just wrote about a powerful mindfulness technique called urge surfing, and how it can help you pause before reacting, even in your most emotionally charged moments.

This blog post is for the high achiever who’s tired of always being the strong one - for everyone else.

Inside, you'll find: 💭 A relatable example from the show Harlem
🌀 How urge surfing works (with a step-by-step breakdown)
🧘🏽‍♀️ How to start using it when you're overwhelmed, triggered, or tempted to react

It’s a gentle but game-changing shift in how you relate to yourself, and your urges.

✨ Read it here: https://www.honeybeetherapy.co/blog/harlem-on-amazon-prime-camille-ian-and-urge-surfing
📞 Book a free therapy consult: https://www.honeybeetherapy.co/consultationcall

04/16/2025

🌿 True Self vs. False Self — What’s the difference?

Your false self is the version of you shaped by what others expect.
It’s the part that overfunctions, people-pleases, performs, or hides—trying to stay safe, accepted, or in control.

Your true self is who you are underneath all that—your values, desires, emotions, and instincts that exist even when no one’s watching.
We all develop a false self to survive in certain environments, especially if love felt conditional growing up. But healing begins when we start reconnecting with who we are without the mask.

✨ Ask yourself:
Where in my life am I being performative instead of authentic?

What feels like me, even if it’s messy or uncertain?

This spring, give yourself permission to soften the performance—and get reacquainted with you.

🍯🐝

04/14/2025

April’s book of the month recommendation is “How to Break Up with Your Phone” by Catherine Price.

📵 “How to Break Up with Your Phone” by Catherine Price is not about ditching your phone forever, but about redefining your relationship with it.

This book helped me realize how often I was reaching for my phone out of habit, not intention. Price offers practical tools to reclaim your time, attention, and peace of mind without guilt or shame.

✨ Favorite takeaway: “Never before in history have the decisions of a handful of designers (mostly men, white, living in SF, aged 25– 35) working at 3 companies had so much impact on how millions of people around the world spend their attention.”

If you’ve ever felt scattered, overstimulated, or like your screen time doesn’t match your values, this one’s worth a read. It’s a true guide to resetting. 🤎

🍯🐝