http://www.bullcitypsychotherapy.com/

Dr. Sophia, 1816 Front Street STE 250, Durham, NC (2026)

01/05/2026

We live in a culture that loves alcohol — holidays, work parties, brunches, celebrations, and even grief rituals revolve around it.

But your body does not owe anyone a drink.

You get to choose how you want to feel.
You get to choose what supports your well-being.
You get to choose whether alcohol fits in your life.

Whatever choice you make:
I celebrate you.
Your body celebrates you.
And your future self will thank you.

01/02/2026

In addiction research, 30 days is not enough time to evaluate dependence or emotional reliance. The brain needs time to recalibrate the reward system and allow cravings, habits, and emotional patterns to settle.

This is why 90 days is the true marker of clarity.

During a 90-day reset, people often discover:
• Lower anxiety
• Better digestion
• Clearer mornings
• More stable moods
• Greater emotional presence
• Deeper sleep
• Confidence they didn’t know was possible

Many people return saying,
“I didn’t realize how much alcohol was affecting me until I stopped.”

A 90-day reset isn’t about restriction.
It’s about discovery.

12/31/2025

Dry January has become popular, but often people approach it with an “all or nothing” mindset. In reality, it doesn’t have to be rigid or moralized.

It can simply be a curiosity experiment.

Ask yourself:
• How do I sleep without alcohol?
• How does my anxiety feel?
• How does my skin look?
• How is my energy?
• What changes when I remove this one variable?

No shame. No guilt. Just noticing.

Removing alcohol — even temporarily — can teach you more about your body than any book ever could.

It’s not about being “good.”
It’s about feeling better.

12/29/2025

As we move into midlife, our bodies become incredibly honest. They stop tolerating things that once felt fine — late nights, heavy foods, emotional chaos, and yes, alcohol.

For many women around menopause, one drink can mean:
• Interrupted sleep
• Heat surges
• Mood shifts
• Morning anxiety
• Bloating
• A general “off” feeling that lasts for days

It’s not a moral issue — it’s a metabolic one.

Instead of pushing through, what if we listened?
What if we honored the new signals?
What if less alcohol wasn’t about deprivation — but about liberation?

Your body is trying to collaborate with you.
Let it.

12/26/2025

During the holidays, so many people look functional on the outside while carrying loneliness, grief, and emotional exhaustion on the inside.

You’d be surprised at how many people keep going because they’ve always kept going — and others assume they’re fine.

Sometimes the strongest ones are the ones who most need a simple:
“Hey, I’m thinking of you.”

A small gesture can break the isolation someone feels but doesn’t talk about.

Consider reaching out to:
• A friend who’s been quieter lately
• Someone going through a loss or transition
• A person you know will be alone this season
• Someone who keeps showing up for others but rarely gets checked on
• A person you feel a gentle nudge to contact, for no particular reason

It doesn’t need to be grand.
A text. A note. A quick call.
An invitation to have coffee or dinner.

You never know how much it might mean.
And you may be giving someone exactly what you once needed.

12/24/2025

Holidays can feel big — big emotions, big expectations, big energy. And while today may be joyful for some, it may feel complicated, tender, or overwhelming for others.

So instead of striving for a perfect day, I invite you to look for just one small moment that feels grounding.

✨ One moment where your shoulders drop.
✨ One moment where your breath softens.
✨ One moment where you notice something beautiful, comforting, or true.
✨ One moment that belongs only to you.

It doesn’t have to be dramatic.
It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s version of Christmas.
It just has to feel real to your body, your heart, and your nervous system.

If today is warm and joyful — I hope you savor it.
If today feels heavy — I hope you find even a tiny pocket of relief.
If today feels mixed — welcome to being human, and you’re not alone.

Wishing you gentleness, presence, and a day that gives you at least one moment that is yours.

With care,
Dr. Sophia 🎄💛

12/22/2025

Many people assume relationships just “happen” — that community magically forms around us. But the truth is, meaningful connection usually requires intentional effort.

For those of us who come from chaotic, dysfunctional, or estranged families, we often have to build our support systems from scratch. And that can feel daunting.

But it’s also empowering.

You get to choose:
• Who feels safe
• Who brings out your best
• Who respects your boundaries
• Who grows with you

And you also get to choose who doesn’t get access to your emotional world.

If you’re unsure where to begin, try:
✨ Attending a recovery meeting or support group
✨ Volunteering for something meaningful
✨ Joining a class or workshop related to your interests
✨ Exploring spiritual or healing communities
✨ Saying “yes” to small social invitations
✨ Creating little rituals of connection with people you trust

Healthy people rarely appear out of thin air — but you can absolutely find them.

And when you do, the sense of belonging is deeply healing.

12/19/2025

A Simple, Compassionate Way to Move Through Holiday Grief

When grief surfaces — especially around the holidays — it can feel overwhelming, unpredictable, and all-consuming. You may worry that if you let yourself feel it, you’ll drown in it.

But grief moves when we give it movement.
It softens when we give it space.

Here’s a gentle, grounded three-step rhythm you can follow:

1. Feel the Grief

Not all at once. Not forever. But enough.
Let yourself cry. Let yourself name who you miss. Let yourself tell the truth — even if it’s only to yourself.
This is not wallowing; it’s witnessing.

2. Ground Yourself

After emotion comes grounding — the return home to your body.
Try:
• Meditation
• Restorative yoga
• Breathing exercises
• A walk in nature
• Journaling
• Prayer
• Listening to comforting music
• Attending a support meeting

Grounding helps remind your nervous system: “I am safe. I can feel this and stay intact.”

3. Connect With Healthy People

Not with people who drain you, criticize you, or re-open old wounds.
Connect with people who:
• Value your presence
• Listen without fixing
• Accept you as you are
• Feel emotionally safe

This is your chosen family, your inner circle, your healthy tribe.

This rhythm doesn’t eliminate grief, but it helps you move through it with compassion rather than overwhelm.

12/18/2025

If the holidays bring up sadness, loneliness, or a deep sense of “something missing,” you’re not alone—and you’re not broken.

In this week’s podcast episode, I talk about why grief intensifies during the holiday season and why grief is not the problem—it’s actually the pathway to healing. We explore ambiguous grief, early attachment grief, and why so many people mistake grief for depression or anxiety.

I also share practical tools for feeling grief in a way that helps your nervous system settle instead of spiral.

If the holidays feel heavy this year, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen to Grief & The Holidays 2025
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5XEVyy6gA8hdvwfrcVzeX0

12/17/2025

Good morning, everyone. It’s Dr. Sophia. Lately, I’ve been thinking about this concept of Dry January — and honestly, I’m curious how it fits into our lives not only in January, but right here in the holiday season.

I’ve never been a big drinker. I have a low tolerance, I don’t enjoy the headaches or hangovers, and now that I’m 55 and postmenopausal, alcohol hits me in a totally different way. Even one drink can affect my sleep, my mood, and how my body feels the next day.

And I’m noticing more women my age saying the same thing:
“It just doesn’t feel good anymore.”
“I can’t process it.”
“My body is done.”

I’m also really impressed by younger generations who are choosing not to drink at all — something that didn’t even cross our minds when I was younger. Alcohol is so socially accepted that we forget it’s a substance that affects every part of us.

Whether you’re thinking about Dry January, cutting back during the holidays, or giving up alcohol altogether — curiosity is a good thing.

In addiction research, we know that 90 days is the minimum time needed to see how your body and brain truly feel without a substance. Many of my clients try a 90-day break from alcohol and say,
“I feel so much better. I don’t want to go back.”

The question isn’t whether alcohol is “good” or “bad.”
It’s: What helps me feel mentally, emotionally, and physically better?

You deserve to explore that.
Your body deserves to be listened to.
Your choices deserve to be celebrated.

Whatever you decide — I’m cheering you on. 🧡

12/15/2025

Grief is often associated with death — a clear, definable loss. But some of the deepest emotional pain we carry comes from relationships that ended without closure, changed beyond recognition, or slipped away over time.

This is ambiguous grief — and it tends to intensify during the holidays, when traditions and togetherness highlight what’s missing.

You may feel it when:
• A once-close sibling is now estranged
• A former partner is still alive but no longer in your world
• A friendship dissolved without explanation
• A parent is present but emotionally unavailable
• A family system broke after conflict, divorce, or betrayal

It can feel confusing because there’s no obvious marker of loss. No memorial. No final moment. Just space — and the ache inside it.

Ambiguous grief deserves the same tenderness, acknowledgement, and truth-telling as any other grief. And during the holidays, simply naming it out loud can be healing.

Your pain is real. It deserves a place at the table.

12/12/2025

The holidays have a way of pulling us into a fast-moving current. Suddenly our calendars fill up, our to-do lists triple, and there’s this unspoken pressure to “make it magical” for everyone around us. Before we even know it, we’re running on autopilot — decorating, preparing, coordinating, performing.

But here’s the truth no one says out loud:
Most of the pressure we feel around the holidays is manufactured, not meaningful.

This season, consider slowing down enough to ask yourself:
✨ What pace feels right for me?
✨ What traditions genuinely bring me joy?
✨ What am I doing out of obligation rather than desire?

The moment you tune back into your inner voice, everything shifts. Choosing fewer decorations doesn’t make the holiday less meaningful. Choosing to rest instead of overextend doesn’t make you less generous. Choosing simplicity doesn’t make your experience smaller — it often makes it truer.

Give yourself permission to create a holiday that fits this season of your life. Not last year’s. Not your family’s expectations. Yours.

Dr. Sophia

01/05/2026

01/02/2026

12/31/2025

12/29/2025

12/26/2025

12/24/2025

12/22/2025

12/19/2025

12/18/2025

12/17/2025

12/15/2025

12/12/2025

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