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Creating Shade in Moments of Overwhelm: How to Support Someone With Thoughts of Suicide

Creating Shade in Moments of Overwhelm When emotional pain feels unbearable, safety and connection come first. Learn how to offer support and when to reach out for help. WOC Therapy, Los Angeles. Recently, I was outdoors with my family in the blistering summer heat. I was sweating profusely, carrying a diaper bag, a picnic blanket, and my little one’s hand. My brows were furrowed and my body ached as we walked, searching for some shade. My focus was on a tree. I had to get there. As I schlepped toward it, I heard a cry. My little one had tripped and needed help. For about 15 seconds, I felt angry that we had stopped. At the same time, I felt guilty that he was hurt and blamed myself for his […]

Why Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Is Deeply Personal to Me And Five Compassionate Ways to Check In

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and this one feels deeply personal to me. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and my path into mental health work began not only with what I witnessed in my community, but with my own struggles and losses. Two of my closest friends in college died by suicide. They were bright souls with so much potential, and they were also carrying depression that many of us could not see. Losing them left me with questions that have stayed with me ever since: Why aren’t we talking? How do we break the stigma around therapy—especially as Black women? Who is there to support us when strength becomes too heavy to perform? Those questions became part of the foundation of Women of Color Therapy. […]

The World Is Heavy Right Now. Yes, We’re Naming It in Therapy

Making sense of political stress without losing yourself As a therapist, politics are already in the room before anyone names them. It has been a heavy and unsettling time politically in the U.S., to say the least. People are living inside nonstop polarization, constant breaking news, public grief, protest, fear, and a deep sense of uncertainty about what comes next. Even on days when nothing “new” happens, there’s still a background hum of stress that never fully turns off. It feels like the ground keeps shifting and like staying oriented now takes more effort than it used to. I hear it in the way clients talk about the future with despair and existential dread. I notice it in how often people describe feeling chronically on edge, emotionally tired, or overwhelmed. […]

How I Fell in Love… Again

Recently, I watched The Materialist with Dakota Johnson. She plays a young, ambitious matchmaker on a mission to connect women with New York’s most eligible bachelor. The energy is very Sex and the City—which, believe it or not, I only just started watching myself.

Maybe that’s why it hit me: I’m back in these dating streets. But here’s the difference—this time, I’m showing up as a very different woman than I was even two years ago.

On one hand, I’m still the hopeless romantic who wants to believe that partnership will complete me. On the other, I feel deeply content in my solitude—laughing, crying, moving about my home without compromise.

So, how do I reconcile those two truths?

When “Just Be Positive” Actually Makes Things Worse

Can we talk about something real? There’s a phrase that’s become so common we barely question it anymore: “Just stay positive.” I know people mean well. I know they’re trying to offer comfort or keep things moving when things get tough. But sometimes, those three little words hit differently, especially when you’re hurting. They imply that your sadness is a choice you’re making, or that your struggle is something you can simply think your way out of. For many of us, especially BIPOC women, that kind of forced positivity doesn’t just miss the mark it can feel dismissive or patronizing. We’re living in a time that asks a lot from us emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. We carry the weight of our families, our work, and our communities, all while navigating […]