Life By Design Therapy

  The holidays can hold so many layers: joy, stress, nostalgia, overwhelm, excitement, and everything in between. If you’ve been feeling pulled in a dozen directions, you’re not doing anything wrong… you’re human. This season, your mental health matters just as much as the traditions, the gatherings, and the to-do lists. These gentle reminders are here to help you stay connected to yourself, your body, your boundaries, your rhythms, and the kinds of connection that actually feel nourishing. Save this list for when the season starts to feel heavy, and remember: slowing down is allowed. Caring for yourself is allowed. And if you need support , therapy is a powerful place to find steadiness again. 💛 https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  The holiday season places a lot of demands on the body and the nervous system, and many people don’t realize how much that impacts mood, focus, and emotional well-being. At our practice, we encourage clients to honor their bodies in simple, sustainable ways that actually support mental health: ✨ Pause for body check-ins — A few slow breaths or a moment of noticing tension can help regulate the nervous system and prevent overwhelm from building. ✨ Re-establish steady rhythms — Consistent sleep, meals, movement, and hydration give the body the predictability it needs to feel balanced. ✨ Let boundaries be body-led — Your physical cues often signal when you’re reaching capacity. Listening to those signals is a form of self-care, not selfishness. ✨ Create quiet moments — Small pockets of stillness help the body reset and reduce holiday stress. When you support your body, you support your mental health, and the holidays become far more manageable. If you’re looking to begin the new...

  The holidays can bring moments of connection, warmth, and joy, but they can also come with expectations, emotional pull, and a pace that’s faster than your body can hold. Protecting your peace this season doesn’t require hard edges or shutting down. It can look as simple as slowing down, listening to what your body needs, and honoring the boundaries that help you stay grounded. You’re allowed to step back when plans feel heavy. You’re allowed to say no when your energy is low. You’re allowed to choose rest, quiet, and simplicity over pressure. Boundaries aren’t about disconnecting from people. They’re how you stay connected to yourself while still showing up with care. If you need a reminder: You deserve a holiday season that nourishes you, not drains you. ✨ Follow for more therapist insights on boundaries, nervous system care, and protecting your peace through the holidays and the year ahead. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/holistic-somatic-therapists

  If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy, this is a gentle nudge that now is a great time to begin. For a limited time, we’re offering $40 off your therapy sessions for your first 4 months when you book a free consultation by 12/31 . This is our way of making care more accessible as you move into the new year with intention, support, and a little more ease. Here’s what that savings can look like: ✨ 1 month of therapy → $125 saved ✨ 2 months → $250 saved ✨ 3 months → $375 saved ✨ 4 months → $500 total savings Our hope is that this discount helps take some of the pressure off as you invest in your mental and emotional well-being. How to claim your discount: Book a free phone consultation with our Client Care Coordinator by 12/31 (link in bio). Mention the promotion when you schedule. Start therapy with one of our clinicians. Receive $40 off for your first four months of therapy. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or wanting a more grounded start to the new year...

  At Life By Design Therapy™, we often remind clients that vulnerability isn’t the same as exposure. True vulnerability isn’t about saying everything out loud; it’s about letting yourself be seen in safe, intentional ways. When your nervous system has learned that openness leads to hurt, it makes sense that you’d want to protect yourself. You might stay guarded, overthink your responses, or hold back emotions, not because you don’t care, but because your body learned that safety meant staying small. Practicing vulnerability starts with regulation, not risk. It’s about building small moments of trust with yourself and others so your body learns, “It’s safe to be real here.” 💛 Our latest blog explores how to rebuild emotional safety and reconnect through vulnerability, even when it feels uncomfortable. Read it now at Holistic and Somatic Therapy | Berkeley & Online Follow for more therapist insights on connection, safety, and healing. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  How Vulnerability Can Bring You and Your Partner Closer It’s a quiet evening, and you and your partner are sitting side by side. Maybe there’s something you’ve been wanting to say…something small, but real. You start to open your mouth… and then pause. The words get caught somewhere between your chest and your throat. You tell yourself it’s not the right time. You scroll your phone. You change the subject. You pretend you’re fine. You’re not necessarily avoiding the conversation; you’re actually avoiding the feeling. That uncomfortable flutter in your chest, the lump in your throat, the what-if that says: What if they don’t get it? What if what I say pushes them away? That’s what vulnerability feels like, the tension between wanting to be seen and wanting to be safe. If this sounds like you, it might be time to explore what’s happening beneath that hesitation. Read More . https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/blog/how-vulnerability-can-bring-you-and-your-partner-closer

  As a practice, we often meet couples who appear to communicate well. They talk regularly, coordinate responsibilities, and stay updated on the day-to-day details of life. But even with all that communication, something essential is often missing: emotional honesty . Not honesty about logistics or facts, but honesty about the deeper experience: “I’m hurt.” “I feel disconnected.” “I’m scared we’re drifting.” When couples don’t feel safe sharing these emotions, communication becomes transactional. They’re speaking, but they aren’t truly connecting. The heart of relationship health isn’t more conversation; it’s the courage to be real , and the safety within the relationship to do so. When vulnerability becomes safe, communication shifts. Couples move from simply managing the relationship to genuinely strengthening it . 💛 In our latest blog, we explore how emotional vulnerability transforms communication into connection, and how therapy can help couples rebuild the foundation of safe...