Dr. Erica Tatum-Sheade, LCSW

05/12/2026

Looking for supportive group options? We got you covered at Integrated Mental Health Associates.

05/05/2026

In today’s episode of things I absolutely did not need for the office…

I present googly eyes for the trash can.

05/03/2026

I’m in denial that my one and only daughter (the original 💎 gem) will be graduating from high school in less than 7 days.

To avoid the reality of what’s coming I spent the day updating the fall G.E.M.S. schedule.

Click the link in the comments to see what we have coming up.

04/28/2026

Week 5 of Rooted: The Girl in the Mirror

We focused on reflection, how we see ourselves, and how we name what we see.

The girls wrote self-attribute poems, and… whew:

“Hair fluffy like chocolate clouds”

“Peanut butter smooth skin”

“Brown eyes like strong tree bark”

“Round nose to smell my mother’s cookies”

“Hair golden like a sun ray”

This is the work.

Helping girls see themselves with pride, in their own words.

On what was a topsy-turvy day, this moment grounded everything.

04/26/2026

I built programs around self-esteem.
I believed in it enough to teach it, and sell the shirt.

Then I sat with enough girls who could say every affirmation… and still froze when life got hard.

That’s when I knew something wasn’t adding up.

We tell girls to be confident.
But when it was time to speak up, handle conflict, or recover from a setback, a lot of them didn’t know what to do next.

Link in comments

04/13/2026

New Rules

Something special recently happened.

I celebrated a “big girl” birthday this year and closed out my celebration month the best way I know how, watching my daughter perform in her final Disneyland Parade after 14 years of dance.

After a 10-hour day, I caught the last flight out to California just to be there. Sitting in the airport, I did what I do every birthday, I reflected on the previous year and I wrote my rules for the year ahead and tucked the note away.

But as I watched her parade down Main Street, I realized something.

These aren’t just my rules anymore.
These are the rules I want her to carry into adulthood.

New Rules:

1. Love those who love you fiercely. Your time and energy belong with the people who set your soul on fire.

2. Stop fighting for a seat at the table, build your own. Even if that means sitting alone for a season. You are too valuable to shrink yourself just to fit in.

3. Remember whose you are. Survival is encoded in your DNA. It’s time to stop surviving and start thriving.

4. Protect your peace. No person, no situation, nothing is worth losing yourself over. Being the calm in the storm will always give you the advantage.

5. Take up space, unapologetically. Joy is not a reward for finishing your to-do list. You are allowed to just be.

6. Your boundaries don’t need an explanation. No is a complete sentence. Protect your energy like it’s the most valuable thing you own, because it is.

04/11/2026

I have served on several boards and the passion and dedication the members of the Kid in The Corner board bring to the organization is phenomenal.

Want to be apart of something amazing? We are currently looking for new board members, learn more by clicking here https://www.kidinthecorner.org/our-team

04/07/2026

What about the boys?

Every time I launch a girls group or present on my work, someone asks me that. And honestly, they’re not wrong.

So here it is.

G.E.N.T.S.- Guys Empowered Navigating Tough Situations is officially launching.
It’s an 8-week group for boys ages 11–13 who are navigating the real stuff: feeling misunderstood, figuring out who they are, managing conflict, and big emotions.

This isn’t a lecture. It’s a space where they can actually talk, and then do something with what comes up.

We start April 15th at 4:30 PM at Integrated Mental Health Associates in Scottsdale.

Registration is open now. message me directly if you have questions.

https://www.integratedmha.com/group-registration

03/26/2026

Spring Break is over and we're back, with pennies to collect, groups to fill, and community to show up for. 🪙
https://conta.cc/482W2PR

Email from Dr. Erica Tatum-Sheade Spring Break's Over. Let's Get to Work. Support The Penny Pledge Spring Break is over, and we're back in full swing, including showing up for the organizations doing

03/25/2026

Arizona friends, I will be presenting two sessions at this summers Prevent Child Abuse Arizona Child Abuse Prevention Conference (one with Ryan M. Sheade, LCSW)

Registration will be opening soon and would love to see you there!

https://pcaaz.org/capconf/