May Is for more than flowers
Honoring what heals and holding what’s hard—plus a voice note from me.
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!
While December is a month that I know can bring some heavy emotions (and I’m prepared for that), May is a month where I expect good things. But… healing isn’t always linear—and for many of us, May also stirs up a mix of emotions that aren’t so easily named.
That’s why this month, I’m reflecting on something I’ve learned both as a therapist and a human: mental health is more than therapy.
While therapy is a powerful tool (one I deeply value, obviously), it’s not the only path to our mental wellbeing, and that’s a good thing. The truth is, as a therapist, sometimes the best things for my own mental health in my darkest days were voicenotes from a friend, a walk outside and some fresh air, or even just some really good soup.
In my latest Substack essay, I’m sharing what mental health looks like outside the therapy room.
The small, accessible choices that help me feel grounded when life feels overwhelming.
The everyday practices that support healing from burnout by helping me build a life I actually want to live.
The grief. The joy. The rest I no longer wait to earn.
Some of the best mental health tools don’t require a big budget—just intention, attention, and the willingness to care for yourself without needing to earn it.
🎧 Read & listen exclusively on Substack: Mental Health Is More Than Therapy
(It includes a voice note from me, because sometimes you just need to hear someone say, “You’re not behind. You’re becoming.”)
Here are a few reflections to explore your own relationship with mental health this month:
What outside of therapy supports your mental well-being? (Think: nature, journaling, music, boundaries, faith, chosen family.)
In what small ways can you honor your mental health this week—without needing to "fix" anything?
What would it look like to create space for your joy, even when everything isn’t perfect?
Please remember this: healing doesn’t have to be some big fancy thing. Sometimes it looks like washing your hair, texting a friend, turning your phone off, or crying in the car. It’s all powerful stuff.
Mental Health + Culture: AAPI Heritage Month
May is also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which brings another layer to this conversation. Mental health in AAPI communities is shaped by cultural nuance, intergenerational stories, and unspoken strength. Stigma is real—but so is resilience. I wrote more about this in a previous blog if you’d like to explore the intersections more deeply:
I also wrote about the Filipino community specifically:
If you’d like to know some amazing Filipino mental health professionals on IG, check out this awesome roundup by Kollective Hustle featuring yours truly ;)
This Mother’s Day: try a little tenderness 💛
This Sunday is also Mother’s Day, a day that can feel beautiful—or complicated, or both. Maybe you're celebrating a beloved mom, grieving one, navigating estrangement, longing to be one, or holding space for your own unmet needs.
Or maybe you’re someone who’s done a whole lot of mothering in ways that don’t get celebrated with cards or flowers—the aunt who always shows up, the teacher who goes the extra mile, the friend who holds everyone else’s heart.
However this day meets you, I want you to know there is space for all of it. Joy. Longing. Exhaustion. Gratitude. Grief.
Be gentle with your heart this week. Let yourself feel what you feel without needing to make it prettier or easier than it is - just like you would hold space for a friend you care about in the same situation.
Let’s Start Reclaiming Joy—Together.
Come hang out. No pressure, no perfection. Just real conversations about what it means to enjoy your life—exactly as it is.
This Space Is for You If:
☀️ You want to slow down—without falling behind.
☀️ You’re tired of feeling like you have to "deserve" joy.
☀️ You’re ready to stop overworking and start actually living.
What You’ll Get Here:
📩 A Wednesday love letter: Personal stories, small-but-mighty mindset shifts, and permission to do less (but feel more).
🤣 Your weekly dopamine boost: The best therapy and mental health memes from the internet to brighten your week.
☕ The kind of conversations that make you exhale—the ones that remind you you’re not alone and help you reclaim joy in the middle of real life.
(It’s like a coffee date with your encouraging friend who happens to be a therapist.)