Often, healing begins with what we are willing to stop. It begins by noticing the ways we’ve been surviving and choosing something gentler. Many of the habits below once helped you cope. They made sense at the time. But what protected you in one season may be exhausting you in this one. As we move into 2026, consider releasing patterns that quietly drain your energy, fragment your focus, and delay your healing. These six shifts are not about perfection, they are about honesty, sustainability,...

The holiday season carries a familiar rhythm: cooking large meals, navigating travel, spending long hours with extended family, and trying to enjoy it all without becoming overwhelmed. These gatherings can be meaningful, but they can also be demanding. Most families move between excitement and exhaustion — preparing food, coordinating schedules, entertaining guests, and keeping peace in the house. The reality is straightforward: holidays require energy, and even the most loving families...

By Shanelle Koroma LPHA, LCSW, Ujima Retreat Center Lately, I’ve been using the natural rhythm of fall, with its cool air, colors, and slower pace, as a way to help my clients (and myself) reconnect to calm. The nervous system responds so well to seasonal changes when we learn to move with them instead of against them. Fall gives us the perfect opportunity to practice slowing down, grounding, and noticing. These are a few simple ways I’ve been inviting both myself and my therapy clients to...