When I was living in Los Angeles, I didn’t realize how much of my time I spent feeling afraid. Like so many women, I was taught to lace my car keys between my fingers like little Wolverine claws because apparently, if someone attacks me walking to my car at night, I’m supposed to stab them with my Honda keys and hope for the best.

I’m a therapist and let me admit something, after 15 years of sitting with people in their most vulnerable, painful chapters of life, I’ve learned most of the misery in my life has come from me.

When I first discuss mindfulness/meditation with clients, a few weeks in I almost always get the same response:

“I’m just not good at this”
“I suck at meditating”
“My mind constantly wanders, don’t think I’m cut out for it”

And honestly, whenever they say this, I want to hug them. Because SAME.

Last week, I could not focus for the life of me. I scrolled, I stared into my fridge even when I wasn’t hungry, I walked on my walking pad and stared at my computer screen. Cycle, rinse, repeat, yet this unsettled feeling in my chest and stomach, and this weird shaky feeling that you couldn’t see but I could feel would NOT go away.

May always feels like a hopeful month. The daylight invites us to enjoy dinner outside, flowers are out here main-character-energy-ing all over the place (hello cherry blossoms and jacarandas), and the people I pass by on the street even seem more cheerful. Heck, London in May feels like a completely different place than it did in December! 

I used to think there was something wrong with me because I didn’t have “a thing” like I saw so many other kids had.
You know the type:

• The kid who picked up a camera at age 5 and knew they’d be a photographer.

• The one who always wanted to be a doctor and actually became one.

• The one obsessed with hair who became a hairstylist.

Meanwhile, I wanted to be everything from a news anchor to President of the United States to a therapist-slash-writer-slash-coffee-shop-owner.

There are times when the things that are supposed to help just don’t. One of the most challenging things about healing is that it’s different from person to person. And even with the same person, what helps us heal can change from moment to moment.

You know that feeling when something’s changed in a friendship, but you can’t quite put your finger on it? You used to feel close. Seen. Safe. But lately, something feels… off. You replay old memories and wonder if you’re being dramatic. You miss them but also dread their texts. And no matter how many times you try to push the feeling down, the truth keeps surfacing:

Have you ever felt like life is just one big to-do list? Graduate. Get a good job. Find a partner. Buy a house. Have kids. Achieve, achieve, achieve. And if you don’t check off these boxes fast enough—or in the “right” order—it can feel like you’re falling behind. But here’s the thing: Life isn’t a race. And happiness isn’t hiding at the finish line. So let’s talk about it—how do you actually enjoy your life, instead of just chasing the next milestone?

Let’s be real—the pursuit of happiness can feel like chasing a moving target. One day, life feels amazing. The next, you’re plagued with self-doubt and wondering why your mood tanked after scrolling Instagram or TikTok a little too long. So what actually guarantees happiness? Is it money? Success? Finding your dream relationship? (Spoiler: not exactly.)

Let’s play a quick game of find the lie:

• You feel guilty if you’re not constantly doing something “useful.”

• Resting makes you uncomfortable—like you should be earning it.

• Your to-do list feels like it never ends, no matter how much you check off.

• Even when you finish a big task, you don’t actually feel accomplished—just onto the next thing.

Okay, real talk—have you ever been having the best time, only for a little voice in your head to whisper, You should be doing something productive? Or maybe you’re mid-laugh with friends when suddenly, a wave of guilt crashes in, making you feel like you don’t deserve to be this happy? If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

I love travel. The kind that makes you see the world—and yourself—a little differently. The kind that slows you down, wakes you up, and fills your cup. But let’s be real: not all trips are restorative. Some trips leave you needing a vacation from your vacation. The kind where you over-schedule, over-plan, and come back more exhausted than when you left. But what if travel didn’t have to be like that?

This International Women’s Day, I’m reflecting on the kind of love that’s carried me through my darkest moments—my female friendships. More than once, the women in my life have saved me in ways I can never repay. If you’ve ever felt the unshakable power of sisterhood (or you're wondering how to create this kind of connection) this one’s for you.

I was talking to a friend the other day, and she sighed and said, “I just feel so behind.” Behind on career goals. Behind on relationships. Behind on life, as if she missed some invisible deadline that everyone else magically seemed to meet. And honestly? I get it.

Imagine starting 2025 full of hope, only to have everything you own reduced to ashes overnight. Imagine escaping with only the clothes on your back, unsure of where you’ll sleep, what comes next, or how you’ll rebuild.

For a few of my friends in LA, that wasn’t just a nightmare scenario—it was their reality.

You ever get a full night’s sleep and still wake up exhausted? Like, how is that even possible? You did the thing—you went to bed at a reasonable hour, resisted the late-night TikTok rabbit hole, and yet…you’re still running on fumes. Here’s the problem: Sleep and rest are not the same thing.

Have you ever felt like you're playing small? Like there's this incredible, alternate universe version of you just waiting to shine, but something inside you keeps holding you back? Maybe you want to speak up more in meetings but you find yourself silent. Maybe you see people selling themselves with ease on social media and feel like you just can’t. I get it. Being seen can feel terrifying.