Intro to May
Hello Brave Community!
May invites a sense of renewal -- longer days, blossoming flowers, and the rhythm of growth humming all around us. May lives at the crossroads of spring and summer in the Northern Hemisphere, a time of ripening.
Spiritually, this time of year often symbolizes fertility, nurturing, creative life force energy, and new beginnings. And yet, like most seasons of growth, this one brings complexity.
Mother's Day can stir a wide range of emotions -- grief, longing, joy, guilt, or even numbness. Graduation season, too, can evoke both pride and uncertainty, excitement and overwhelm.
So how do we stay present when this month asks so much of our hearts?
We return to wholeness.
May is also "Mental Health Awareness Month", though we prefer to reframe that: because the term "mental health" is actually outdated. It suggests that our emotional wellness is something that lives only in the mind -- when in truth, we are body-minds, as Dan Siegel beautifully names. Our emotions, thoughts, and experiences live in the tissues, the breath, the posture.
That's what holistic therapy is about: tending to the full human experience -- not just talking about it, but feeling and moving through it. And that matters now more than ever.
If you've been struggling, or feeling ready to bloom, we want you to know that you're not alone and we are here for you as you navigate all that comes with the month of May ♡
Mini Body-Mind Reset
Here's a short but powerful practice to meet this month's energy with compassion and curiosity.
May Integration Practice: A Somatic + Journaling Moment
1. Ground (2 min)
Place both feet on the floor. Gently press them down and notice the floor pressing back. Take three slow breaths, letting your exhale be just a little longer than your inhale. Allow your shoulders to drop. Let your belly soften.
2. Listen (2 min)
If it feels okay, place one hand over your heart and one on your lower belly (or anywhere else on your body that feels okay).
Ask yourself:
What does this season bring up for me? Where am I growing? Where am I tender?Then, just listen and receive, with openness and compassion, whatever comes.
3. Journal (5-10 min)
Choose one of these prompts:
"Right now my heart feels..."
"If I could name what this season is teaching me, it would be..."
"I am letting go of _______________. I am opening to _________________."
This simple practice invites your whole system -- mind, body, and soul -- to be part of your healing journey.
And, as always, we are here to support your process ♡ Whether you’re navigating complex mother's day emotions, struggling to stay present, or just wanting to feel more grounded this season – you are not alone and we got you!
Email us at info@bravecounseling.com to schedule a FREE consultation with one of our highly-skilled, compassionate therapists today!
Therapist Highlight
Meet the good-humored and curious Elisa Clark!
Elisa (she/her) is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado, currently providing virtual services from the east coast.
Elisa has navigated a variety of jobs in administration, retail, childcare, jewelry design, and management while learning how she wanted to be of service in the world. This self-exploration ultimately led her to a Masters degree from Naropa University in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling.
After receiving her degree, Elisa worked in college and high school settings, community-based case management, and specialized treatment for first-episode psychosis in teens and young adults.
Elisa is passionate about collaborating with her clients in creating new narratives for themselves featuring empowered choices, nonjudgmental attitudes, and self-acceptance. She supports the people she works with in growing beyond their trauma with and increasing their freedom in day-to-day life. Elisa is unafraid to explore the unknown and is skilled at utilizing humor to reveal truths, test new perspectives, and connect with the present moment.
Elisa uses and integrates a variety of therapy modalities including...
Transpersonal personal counseling
Mindfulness training
Narrative therapy
mCBT
Gestalt therapy
Solution-focused interventions
Enneagram
Expressive arts
Elisa specializes in helping people...
During times of transition and life pivots of all kinds (including career, identity, grief & loss, etc.)
Cultivate a meaning-based, purpose-aligned life
Make space for present-focused awareness
Develop their spirituality (if that's of interest)
Utilize radical acceptance as a tool for change
Challenge self-limiting beliefs and patterns
Find the pause, to facilitate mindful responses to stressors
Elisa as a person↓
► Personality: Creative, Warm, and Curious
► Activities: Mixing art with adventure, tending plants, and finding humor in daily life
► Favorite Quote: “We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
We offer FREE 30-45 minute consultations. If Elisa, or any of our other amazing therapists catch your eye, let us know -- we will get you connected ASAP!
♡ The Brave Embodiment Counseling Team
Click here to get in touch!