Learning How To Live A Life I Love

I'm currently sitting in a cozy corner in a coffee shop, with my laptop and a decaf coffee, listening to random conversations around me and looking out the window at a rainy day. Hundreds of tiny decisions over the years have brought me to this moment, and I'm so grateful for every one of them. Four days a week, I'm in my office, doing work I adore. I am a marriage and family therapist, and it took me five years of consistent, daily work to get to this point. One day a week I have to myself, to write or create or do whatever feels aligned that day.

My life is a work in progress, just like yours. I've grown a lot over the years, made a ton of mistakes, and a bunch of changes that I'm really proud of. And I have many dreams still in me that I'm hoping come true.

I don't know what's ahead of me, but I'm happy about where I am today, and excited to see what happens next.

This didn't used to be the case. I have a mental health history that includes depression, anxiety, and complex PTSD. I have had months where I was afraid to go anywhere, even pick my kids up from school. I can recall many mornings where getting out of bed felt impossible. I cannot tell you how many nights I have lain awake in bed locked in fear, not able to even close my eyes, let alone relax enough to fall asleep. It took therapy and a lot of personal inner work to be able to let go of most of that, and learn how to effectively manage the rest of it. I can't say that those moments won't ever come back, because mental health issues tend to be cyclical, and things you thought you released can show back up and bite you when you least expect it. But they aren't usually part of my daily reality anymore, and for that I am incredibly grateful.

I feel blessed to be able to live the life I have today, full of things that I love: creativity, books, cozy moments connecting with my friends and family, photography, and writing. I get to do work that I love and find endlessly fascinating and meaningful. I get to indulge my love of chai tea, and my addiction to podcasts, on a daily basis. I am learning how to love my body and take good care of it, and in return it is taking good care of me as well.

My intention with this website is to learn how to continue this journey of building a life I love, and along the way I hope to help you do the same. Wherever you find yourself, there are always going to be places where support and guidance would be helpful, along with beautiful moments to celebrate. I invite you to follow along and take what feels aligned for you. If you so desire, you can connect with me by emailing me, signing up for my newsletter, or following me on Instagram.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, whether you read one blog post or many. I am happy you are here, and I hope we will get to know each other better.

Love,

Amy