Whalen Integrative Therapy, LCSW, PLLC

02/08/2026

Most of us were never taught how to sit with our feelings.
We were taught to suppress them, judge them, rush them, or fix them.

But healing starts when we learn to stay.

This guide shows a gentle step-by-step way to be with emotions instead of fighting them:

🪑 Create a safe space
🪑 Name what you’re feeling
🪑 Let the feeling exist without judging it
🪑 Notice where it shows up in your body
🪑 Offer yourself validation
🪑 Stay present and grounded
🪑 Speak to yourself with compassion
🪑 Reflect on what might have triggered it

Feelings don’t overwhelm us because they exist.
They overwhelm us when we were never supported to feel them safely.

You’re not “too sensitive.”
Your nervous system just needs safety, permission, and kindness 🤍

Save this for when emotions feel big. This is emotional regulation in action.



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Hashtags

02/06/2026

"Micro habit stacking for the mind" refers to the practice of integrating tiny, manageable mental exercises into your existing routine, essentially "stacking" them onto habits you already do, to gradually improve cognitive abilities like focus, memory, and critical thinking, by making small, consistent mental efforts throughout the day.✨️
Image- Unknown/Pinterest.
Cosmic Spiritual Ju**ie. 💜

02/06/2026

Healing isn’t always moving forward.

Sometimes, healing is moving inward.

It’s revisiting the same wounds—
not to relive the pain,
but to understand it with deeper awareness.

Each time you return with more maturity, more compassion, more clarity,
the wound changes.
What once felt like pure suffering slowly becomes insight.

In Buddhist wisdom, this is mindful observation of suffering (dukkha).
The Buddha didn’t teach people to run from pain—
he taught them to sit with it, understand it, and transform it.

Healing is not linear.
It’s layered.
You don’t “get over” wounds.
You grow around them until they lose their power over you.

✨ Your deepest pain can become your deepest wisdom—
if you are willing to meet it with awareness instead of avoidance.

Go inward, gently.
That is where real healing begins.

02/01/2026

This February,
choose focus over noise,
faith over doubt,
flow over force,
forgiveness over regret,
and freedom over fear.

Don’t rush life. Align with it.

02/01/2026

Sunday affirmation

02/01/2026

02/01/2026

Putting your needs and healing first isn’t selfish—it’s essential self-care. You’re the steward of your own peace, and prioritizing recovery fuels your strength to show up fully for others. Choose yourself today; your future self will thank you. 🌱✨🌹

02/01/2026

Emotional intelligence do's and don'ts