This newsletter is about my story of healing my life transforming from surviving to thriving.
Each week, in an essay, I will share how I went from being disabled, depressed, angry, isolated and self-alienated, forced to take a leave from school to stable(ish), fulfilled, connected and full of hope most days.
Here, I will share the story of how my inner-knowing healing is possible combined with a robust support system I have cultivated remind me daily - I deserve to live a life of meaning where I feel safe to exist and thrive.
Welcome. I am so grateful to have you here.
This newsletter is and will always be free to read. There are enough barriers to access mental health support.
Beyond that, if you would like to support my work and become a paid subscriber, I will be deeply grateful. Paid subscriptions mostly subsidize my fervent commitment to my ongoing healing which any survivor reading this knows the financial burden is one of the most painful legacies of trauma — and also support my organizational best friend Hello Alma, which assists my executive dysfunction, overflowing inbox and refusal to spend much of my non-working hours on hold with insurance companies or pulling my haircut with billing related headaches.
[Shameless plug, if you decide to check out Hello Alma, this is my personal referral link. It brings me such delight when my friends and colleagues who have also needed support to start and manage their own practices are benefitting as well from the administrative support].
Regardless of how you found yourself here, please know this: it is a gift to have you here with me on this path that can feel so lonely at times.
Who is writing this newsletter?
About the Author
Hi! I am Jocelyn.
I am also a daughter, sister, wife, friend, and dog mom.
I live in Massachusettes with my partner-in-life, Dan and our puppy Maisy who often accompanies me with select therapy clients.
By day, I run a private-practice where I work with individuals and groups primarily and by night, I am engaged in various efforts to deconstruct stigma such as writing, organizing, podcasting, facilitating spaces to elevate the many voices of survivors. I have been privileged to be safe enough to share about my survivorship over the past decade in public ways and in doing so seek to use this privilege responsibly by finding ways to bring attention to those whose stories may never be heard. I also write (and share select dog pics) on 2 instagram pages — @the_marvelous__miss_maisy and @transformingtrauma
I am an outdoor adventurer, novice roller-blader, lover of camping, and travel. I believe stories are medicine, discomfort is growth and fear is an opportunity.
Of note:
I am not a doctor and I while I am a trained therapist all opinions, practices and stories shared here are mine and mine alone unless otherwise stated.
Although content warnings and trigger warnings are common practices in many settings there may not be warnings in this newsletter considering it’s impossible to prevent triggers since most of us don’t know the breadth of trauma triggers until it happened.
Mental illness is real and psychic pain is valid. There is no shame in asking for help. If you are in need of some or are in crisis right now, know that you are not alone. if you are in crisis right now, these numbers helped me. I hope they can help you too. You are not alone.
You can reach the Boston Area Rape Criss hotline by phone 24-7 at 800-841-8371 or web chat 9:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. every day.
Crisis Text Line: US 741741 Canada 686868
Suicide Prevention Lifelife - 988
