Somewhere along the way, self-care stopped being a gentle invitation and became a performance. For those in healthcare, caregiving, or high-pressure roles, that pressure can make self-care feel like one more thing to fail at. Drawing on KC Davis's framework from How to Keep House While Drowning, this post explores what it looks like to release the all-or-nothing standard and find a gentler, more realistic approach to caring for yourself.

I've now been through CE audits in two different states in less than one year. One ended with a failed result, a permanent NPDB report, and real consequences for my practice and my patients. The other was resolved in 2 weeks with clear communication, no punitive fallout, and a process that actually felt fair. This post is about the second one — the Arizona BBHE audit I passed — and what it taught me about what ethical, proportionate licensing oversight can look like when a board gets it right.

Money stress isn’t one-size-fits-all. Financial stress, financial anxiety, and financial trauma affect the nervous system in very different ways. Drawing from clinical work with EMDR, this post breaks down the differences, common symptoms, and money-related negative beliefs, exploring when financial distress is situational, when it becomes chronic anxiety, and when trauma-informed therapy may help restore a sense of safety and control.