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The mic is back on, but the heartbeat is different—steadier, warmer, and anchored in a deeper why. After eight years leaning into wellness and thirteen months in full-time psychotherapy, I’m opening the door to a new season where safety is the foundation and presence beats perfection every time. I share the pivot from chef to therapist not as a reinvention, but as a continuation of the same thread: food, culture, rest, movement, and healing woven into one grounded way of living.
This conversation is part field report, part love letter. I tell the story of walking into a room of a hundred kids—terrified for a minute, then carried by their openness—and a teen mental health panel that shattered the myth that young people won’t share. We talk about what a truly welcoming therapy space looks like (soft light, real comfort, no sterile edges), and why even the most guarded clients relax when the room says, “You’re safe here.” We name the stigma many communities face, especially people of color, and the relief that comes when care is culturally aware, human, and practical. Across ages and backgrounds, one need keeps surfacing: to be seen and heard without punishment.
I also pull back the curtain on the quiet months: revamping my website, writing weekly reflections on wellness, nutrition, and mental health, and contributing to Brains Magazine to widen the conversation. Looking ahead, we’re exploring stress and burnout through a nervous system lens, cultural perspectives on mental health, and everyday practices that restore balance without the all-or-nothing trap. Expect guest voices—colleagues, clients who choose to share, friends, and the people whose paths we cross—because healing is communal. If this resonates, subscribe, share with someone who needs a gentler pace, and leave a review with the one question you want us to tackle next. Let’s build a season that feels like a safe room you can carry with you.

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