Amanda Sharp, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist

02/07/2026

02/04/2026

You shouldn’t have to spend your first three therapy sessions educating your clinician on your identity. At Monarch, "LGBTQ+ affirming" is the essence of our community, not a checkbox. We get the nuance so you can get to the healing.

Share this if you’re done being a teacher in your own therapy.

And find a clinician who already "gets it." Book your consult with Monarch today.

02/02/2026

Self-esteem isn’t about being perfect; it’s about finally feeling "at home" in your own head.

February is International Boost Self-Esteem Month, but let’s be real: the loudest person in the room is often our own inner critic.

At Monarch, we believe growth starts when you stop performing for a crowd and start connecting with yourself.

Tell us you’re working on your self-talk without telling us you’re working on it. I’ll go first: I stopped apologizing for taking up space in a conversation. Your turn!

Share this to remind someone that they are already enough.

01/28/2026

If your sleep had a “lab result,” would it come back as a red flag?

Sleep isn’t just a lifestyle choice. It’s a mental health vital sign. Sleep changes are common in anxiety, depression, trauma, and burnout.

Instead of asking, “Why am I so bad at sleeping?” It can be more helpful to ask, “What is my sleep trying to tell me?”

If you had to describe your sleep in one word right now, what would it be?

💙 If your sleep has been off for a while, and it’s affecting your mood, focus, or functioning, a therapist at Monarch can help you explore what’s underneath and what might help.

01/26/2026

Panic and anxiety are related, but they’re not always the same experience. People often describe panic attacks as sudden, intense fear or discomfort.

Meanwhile, ongoing anxiety often looks more like persistent worry, trouble concentrating, or a steady hum of “what if” in the background.

Both are real. Both are exhausting.

Neither is “all in your head” in the dismissive sense.

Has your body ever scared you more than the situation you were actually in?

📤 Share this with someone who minimizes their symptoms as “just stress.”

💙 At Monarch, our clinicians can help you identify what’s going on – panic, generalized anxiety, or something else – and build a plan so you don’t feel powerless when symptoms hit.

01/22/2026

Are you stonewalling in conflict, or is your nervous system hitting the brakes? In relationships, pulling back can mean different things. Sometimes it’s avoidance, resentment, or punishment.

But often, it’s:

• Flooding: your heart is racing, thoughts are scrambled, and you can’t think clearly.

• Dorsal shutdown: your system is overwhelmed and goes numb.

From the outside, it might look like you “don’t care.” Inside, you might care so much that your body can’t keep up.

In conflict, are you more likely to say too much or shut down completely?

📌 Save this if you’ve ever felt misunderstood for needing space.

Couples and individual therapy at Monarch can help you understand your patterns and practice conflict that doesn’t cost your mental health.

01/22/2026

Are you stonewalling in conflict, or is your nervous system hitting the brakes? In relationships, pulling back can mean different things. Sometimes it’s avoidance, resentment, or punishment.

But often, it’s:
-Flooding: your heart is racing, thoughts are scrambled, and you can’t think clearly.
-Dorsal shutdown: your system is overwhelmed and goes numb.

From the outside, it might look like you “don’t care.” Inside, you might care so much that your body can’t keep up.

In conflict, are you more likely to say too much or shut down completely?

📌 Save this if you’ve ever felt misunderstood for needing space.

Couples and individual therapy at Monarch can help you understand your patterns and practice conflict that doesn’t cost your mental health.

01/19/2026

When basic tasks feel impossibly heavy (emails, dishes, making a call), it’s easy to assume you’re “lazy” or “bad at adulting.”

From a clinical perspective, that stuck feeling can be tied to:

• Executive function overload (planning, sequencing, starting)

• Anxiety, especially if every task feels like it has to be done “perfectly”

• Depression, which can drain energy before you even begin

• ADHD or neurodivergence, where initiation is a genuine brain-level challenge

Your worth isn’t measured in empty inboxes and folded shirts. If your brain puts up a wall in front of simple tasks, there’s usually a reason… and it’s not that you’re broken.

What’s the “ridiculously small” task your brain turns into a mountain?

Share this post with someone who needs to hear that “just do it” isn’t helpful advice.

💙 Therapy can help you understand why initiation is so hard for you and build systems that work with your brain, not against it.

01/19/2026

When basic tasks feel impossibly heavy (emails, dishes, making a call), it’s easy to assume you’re “lazy” or “bad at adulting.”
From a clinical perspective, that stuck feeling can be tied to:

-Executive function overload (planning, sequencing, starting)
-Anxiety, especially if every task feels like it has to be done “perfectly”
-Depression, which can drain energy before you even begin
-ADHD or neurodivergence, where initiation is a genuine brain-level challenge

Your worth isn’t measured in empty inboxes and folded shirts. If your brain puts up a wall in front of simple tasks, there’s usually a reason… and it’s not that you’re broken.
What’s the “ridiculously small” task your brain turns into a mountain?

Share this post with someone who needs to hear that “just do it” isn’t helpful advice.

💙 Therapy can help you understand why initiation is so hard for you and build systems that work with your brain, not against it.

01/16/2026

There’s a difference between being tired and being burned out. Clinically, burnout looks like:

• Emotional flatness or irritability

• Dreading tasks you once handled fine

• Feeling “used up” by 2pm

• Rest days that don’t actually feel restorative

You can’t out-nap chronic stress. And sometimes the most honest diagnosis is, “No human nervous system can keep this pace forever.”

Which feels more true lately: “I’m tired” or “I’m completely tapped out?”

Save this if you keep telling yourself you “You just need more sleep.”
Share it with a friend who jokes about being burned out but might not be joking.