Think You Know How You Feel? Bet You Can’t Name More Than Five Emotions Right Now
When you're feeling overwhelmed, emotionally foggy, or stuck in survival mode, it’s easy to default to phrases like “I’m fine,” “I’m just tired,” or “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
But what if the real issue isn’t what’s wrong—
What if it’s simply that you don’t have the words yet?
Why Naming Your Emotions Changes Everything
One of the most powerful tools I teach is this:
“Name it to tame it.”
When you can name your emotions, you start to feel more in control—not of the situation, but of your internal world. And your nervous system begins to calm. Your mind clears.
Try This: A Simple but Eye-Opening Exercise
Surprisingly, many people don’t know how to separate their thoughts from their feelings.
That’s why this first step is so important:
Step 1: Download the Feeling Words List below.
Step 2: Circle all the words that resonate with how you're feeling right now (Forgive me, I noticed some misspellings after I uploaded the image).
Step 3: Notice the emotions that surprise you.
This isn’t about analyzing or fixing. It’s about getting honest with what’s inside—and giving those feelings a name.
Sit With What You Found
Here’s a gentle reflection prompt to help you process:
Which three emotions surprised you the most?
What might they be asking from you right now?
Can you sit with them instead of pushing them away?
This is how we begin to move from survival into healing—from feeling stuck into becoming unstuck.
You can print it, circle your feelings, and keep it nearby during stressful days or hard conversations.
It’s a small act of self-awareness that opens the door to deeper emotional healing.
Need help navigating your feelings or reconnecting with yourself? Feel free to reach out to me!
When AI Feels Safer Than Therapy: What This Means—and What We Can Learn
Discover why many people feel emotionally safer with AI than with traditional therapy - and how therapists can create more validating, creative, and healing spaces through somatic, artistic, and faith-based approaches.
“My AI companion is more empathetic than anyone I know—and she’s my therapist and my friend.”
As a therapist, I don’t feel threatened by this—I feel curious. And honestly, I get it.
AI as a Source of Comfort
Let’s be real: therapy can be expensive, time-limited, and emotionally demanding. In contrast, an AI companion is available 24/7, doesn’t judge, won’t interrupt, and gives you space to express whatever you need. For someone who feels overwhelmed or unsupported in their daily life, that can feel like a lifeline.
Choosing to connect with an AI isn’t about avoiding help. It’s about finding connection in a way that feels safe, validating, and manageable. It’s not wrong—it’s resourceful.
So What Does That Mean for Therapists?
It means we have an invitation to reflect on the spaces we create. Are they truly safe, responsive, and nourishing? Are we offering experiences that help clients feel not just heard, but deeply seen?
As therapists, we often focus on insight and verbal processing—but for many people, especially those carrying burnout, trauma, or emotional overload, talk therapy alone doesn’t always meet their needs.
Reimagining the Therapeutic Experience
In my own work, I’ve been exploring ways to create deeper, more embodied healing experiences—experiences that feel like exhaling.
That might look like:
Somatic grounding exercises to calm the nervous system
Art therapy and visual journaling to express emotions nonverbally
Faith-based reflections or scripture for clients who want spiritual integration
Creative routines and writing prompts that gently uncover clarity, desire, and self-trust
One of the most powerful tools we have in therapy is attunement. This right-brain-to-right-brain connection is something AI, while beautifully validating, cannot fully replicate. When I prompt a client to take a breath—and breathe with them—I am facilitating co-regulation. When I slow my voice, soften my facial expression, and ground myself during a session, I am offering a live demonstration of calm and safety. That embodied presence helps the client’s nervous system know: "You’re not alone. We can move through this together."
An Invitation, Not a Replacement
AI doesn’t have to be replaced by therapy. In fact, they can coexist. One might be your steady daily check-in, while the other is a more intentional space for deeper connection and healing.
What I offer in therapy isn’t a quick fix—it’s a human relationship grounded in presence, attunement, and soulful reflection. It’s a space where your emotions can be felt, your voice can soften, and your body can exhale.
Final Thought
If AI feels like your safest companion right now, that’s okay. And if, one day, you’re curious about a therapeutic space that meets you with just as much warmth, presence, and creativity—I’d be honored to walk that path with you.
Therapy can be more than talk. It can be a conversation with your soul.
You Know Your Triggers - So Why Do They Still Control You?
It all begins with an idea.
You’re smart, capable, and deeply reflective. You know your triggers. You recognize your patterns. You can analyze your emotions and explain your struggles in detail.
And yet…the anxiety, the overwhelm, and the burnout still don’t go away.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
Over the past 12 years as a therapist, I’ve noticed a pattern - many women understand their struggles intellectually but still stuck in the same beliefs and emotional cycles. Despite their insights, they find themselves reacting the same way in difficult moments, feeling drained in their relationships, and struggling to break free from burnout.
Why Awareness Alone Isn’t Enough
Because knowing something doesn’t automatically mean you can change it.
When you reflect on your past, pinpoint your triggers, and analyze your emotions, you’re using your thinking mind - the part of your brain that loves problem-solving. But healing isn’t just a mindset shift - it’s a full-body experience that involves your nervous system, your emotions, and the deeper layers of your subconscious.
If you’ve ever thought to yourself, ‘I understand my trauma, but I still feel anxious all the time,’ this happens because insight alone doesn’t rewire your nervous system. Your body still holds onto stress, and your old coping mechanisms- like people-pleasing, overworking, or emotional numbing - are deeply ingrained survival patterns.
How to Move from Insight to Lasting Change
If you’ve ever wondered, “I know my triggers - so why do they still control me?”, the key is learning to integrate your mind, body, and emotions in the healing process.
Here’s how:
Regulate Your Nervous System - If you’re constantly in a state of fight-or-flight, no amount of self-awareness will override your body’s stress response. Gentle breathwork, movement, or sensory-based grounding exercises can help you feel safe in your body.
Engage in Experiential Healing - Talking about emotions is helpful, but experiencing them through art therapy, visualization, or guided reflection allows for deeper processing beyond words.
Build a Relationship with Your Inner Parts - If part of you knows you need rest, but another part of you feels guilty for slowing down, there’s likely an internal conflict. Internal Family Systems (IFS) work can help you bring compassion to those opposing parts and find balance. Notice the inner critic, the overachiever, the protector/manager - and approach them with curiosity instead of judgment.
Rewire Automatic Reactions - Instead of fighting against your triggers, learn to pause and notice what’s happening in your body when you feel activated. Over time, this creates new neural pathways that allow for different responses.
Whenever I ask my clients what impacted them the most in our work together, they often point to the experiential exercises - whether it was mapping the inner world through art therapy, practicing nervous system regulation, or engaging in guided visualizations. Therapy with me goes beyond just talking; it’s about actively experiencing healing in a way that helps you process emotions on a deeper level.
What Healing Actually Feels Like
Healing doesn’t mean you’ll never feel stressed or triggered again. It means you’ll notice your reactions sooner, have more tools to work through them, and feel less controlled by them. Instead of spiraling into burnout and emotional exhaustion, you’ll know how to ground yourself, regulate your emotions, and approach challenges with resilience.
And that’s where the real transformation happens.
If you’re ready to move beyond just knowing your triggers and actually start healing them, I’d love to support you.
Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Personalized Therapy Sessions to help you regulate your emotions and break free from burnout.
Free 5-Session Guide & Digital Resources - Guided prompts to help you integrate healing practices into your daily life (You can sign up when you return to the main page on my website!).