Begin Within Hope Therapy

03/14/2026

Bilateral tapping is a gentle calming technique that can help reduce anxiety by sending rhythmic left–right signals to the brain. This alternating pattern engages both hemispheres of the brain and helps regulate the body’s stress response.

When someone is anxious, the brain’s alarm center—called the Amygdala—can become overactive, triggering the fight-or-flight response.

Slow bilateral tapping helps calm this alarm system and activates the body’s relaxation pathway through the Vagus Nerve.

As the nervous system begins to shift from survival mode to a state of safety, breathing slows, muscles relax, and the mind often feels more grounded.

This is why bilateral tapping is commonly used in trauma therapies such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing to help people regulate anxiety and emotional overwhelm.

Bilateral Tapping also works by alternating tapping on your legs in a rhythmic pattern, while sitting down. This can be a more discreet form of grounding if you are in a social setting.

A Butterfly Hug Bilateral Tapping can be self-soothing as you hug yourself

Combine Bilateral Tapping with visualizing a peaceful, favorite scene you can picture yourself in or with using self-affirmations while tapping.

~Linnea
Begin Within Hope Therapy

03/13/2026

It was a little over 1 year ago (March 5th) that I had my Mastectomy due to being diagnosed with 2 different types of Invasive Breast Cancer.

I remember it was on Ash Wednesday last year, my surgery. When I was very drugged up and they were wheeling me into the surgery room, I remember looking up at the Anesthesiologist and saying, "For Lent this year, I am giving up my breasts". Haha She said back to me that that was the funniest thing any patient had told her in a surgery room. I felt proud of my "under the influence of pain medication" quick wit.🥰 lol

After surgery, when i was coherent again, and in my hospital room for the next 3 days, I groaned in embarrassment after vaguely remembering saying that about Ash Wednesday and Lent. I then gently laughed at myself.

I have gone through treatments, 2 more surgeries since then and today am on Endocrine Therapy for the next 10 years.

Next week, I go in for my yearly exam and more tests, with my Oncologist to make sure I am still cancer free.

It has been a journey. I have had to give myself permission to grieve the trauma of looking and feeling different due to side effects from cancer itself, medication and treatment.

Chronic fatigue, bone loss and joint pain, along with changes in my skin tone and loss of collagen and calcium, have taken a toll on me even just in this first year of recovery.

Through the grief and radical acceptance of a different appearance - transitioning into this new me on the inside and out - I am also forever grateful.

Holding space for both grief and gratitude has been healing.🩷

God has placed amazing people in my life these past 3 years.

My adult sons have been tremendous support and I have even grown closer to each of them through all of this.

Life is fragile. The older we get, that reality just hits different.

God doesn't necessarily change our difficult seasons in life, but through it all, we change.

God goes before us, behind us and beside us...never leaving us as He gives us strength, comfort and wraps us up in His peace and love as we take those days moment by moment.

Leaning into my faith, my humor and spending intentional mindful moments in nature, in music, in writing, with loving pets, with amazing friends and supportive family has sustained me, and continues to.✨️

If you are in a difficult season, take each day moment by moment. Fill your life with those special things and people that light your soul up.

You are not alone. You are meant to be here. You matter. And you are loved.

Check in on your friends today with a text or phone call. Letting others know you are thinking of them makes such a big impact and is a healing balm for those who are struggling.

Thank you all for being a part of my life. It means more than you know.🩷Truly.

I look forward to continually sharing my journey with you aling with some fun and wonderful new chapters in my life.✨️🫶

Much Love,
Linnea
Begin Within Hope Therapy

03/10/2026

As I was driving home today after receiving some amazing news, God put this gorgeous rainbow in front of me.

♡ After the storm comes beauty, rest and healing.

My soul feels uplifted and free. ♡

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for my mom and I and my brother, Steve, as I shared in a previous post about some difficult things that we were going through. (Please continue to pray for my brother, Steve, and his children, as he is still healing from a broken heart.)

I am SO happy to say that we came through that storm, my character and name is being restored and everything has worked out. I am forever grateful. We all send our love out to each and every one of you. 🫶

"In God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"
~Psalm 56:4 💛

Much Love,
Linnea 🌷🌼

03/09/2026

✨️This little light of mine...I'm gonna let it shine.✨️Remember your worth. Remember your light within.♡

Love,
Linnea
Begin Within Hope Therapy

03/05/2026

I have always believed that when we are delayed or miss something, it is God protecting us. ♡ This mindset has been helpful for me in reducing stress and anxiety. When we have a flexible mindset, we are open to new paths in life.🙌 This is how we grow & heal.🫶

Love,
Linnea
Begin Within Hope Therapy

03/05/2026

One of the deepest wounds trauma leaves behind is self-abandonment.

Trauma can include neglect, abandonment, verbal abuse, religious abuse, physical abuse & more.

It didn’t start with you.
It started when your needs, feelings, or boundaries were ignored, shamed, or unsafe to express.

So you learned to survive by:
• people-pleasing
• staying silent
• shrinking yourself
• overgiving
• disconnecting from your feelings
• tolerating what hurts

That wasn’t weakness.
That was a nervous system doing its best to protect you.

But what protected you then can slowly disconnect you from yourself now.

Self-abandonment sounds like:
“I’m fine” when you’re not.
“It’s not a big deal” when it hurts.
“I don’t want to be difficult” when you need something.

Healing trauma means learning something new:
Staying with yourself when it’s uncomfortable.
Listening to your body.
Honoring your limits.
Letting your feelings matter.

You don’t heal by becoming less emotional.
You heal by becoming more connected to yourself.

Coming back to yourself is not selfish.
It’s repair 🌿You are worth it.🫶

03/04/2026

How are you all doing? I have been going through some things lately, but I know i will be okay. I am taking the day moment by moment.

Do you tend to go down rabbit holes of worry or catastrophizing thoughts?

When I find myself doing that worry thing, I bring myself back to the present and ask myself what I need right in that moment. Do i need a distraction? Something to eat? To work on a fun hobby of mine? Sleep? Often, I need a fun distraction or creative project.

If you find yourself relating to this, ask yourself what you are needing in the moment.

Don't dwell on worry thoughts, but use self-care containment which is giving yourself a time limit to worry, like 30 minutes or less. Then, intentionally shift your focus to something you love...cuddling a pet, watching something funny on TV, listening to an uplifting podcast, cooking your favorite meal, working on a fun project, etc.

Intentionally choose your mindset. Take the day moment by moment when you need to. Lean into your faith and know that you matter.♡

Much Love,
Linnea
Begin Within Hope Therapy

03/02/2026

The Part of Healing No One Warns You About...Everyone talks about how good it feels to “finally start healing.” Few talk about the messy middle. This is the part where you’re doing everything right but it still feels like nothing is changing.

What I’ve learned as a counselor and in my own recovery is this: healing isn’t a straight line. It’s often uncomfortable, confusing, and slow.

Healing doesn’t always feel like progress. These moments don’t mean you’re failing. They’re your mind and body adjusting to a new way of living.

🔸 Three Ways to Stay on Course When Healing Feels Hard: 🔸

✅ Start Small
Pick one small thing to do every day that anchors you. It could be making your bed, going outside for five minutes or reaching out to someone supportive. Small steps remind you that you’re still moving forward.

✅ Track What’s Working
Write down even the smallest improvements. Seeing your progress on paper can shift your perspective when your emotions make it hard to see clearly. Celebrate small wins!

✅ Ask for Help Early
Therapists, doctors or trusted friends can help you navigate the setbacks and normalize what you’re experiencing. Support can give structure and direction when you feel stuck.

“Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” - Tori Amos

Healing takes time and patience.

03/01/2026

✨I created a "Notes of Hope Mail Club" (snail mail)!📨📫It is something I have been working on. ♡

I truly believe we all need more real connection in this fast, digital world.

Do you remember that feeling of getting a special letter in the mail? I know I do. I love seeing and holding a special note in my hands that connects me to someone else.

That is why I created this mail club.

📝Inside the letter each month, I'll share pieces of my real life - what I'm learning, what is making me laugh, what I'm walking through, meaningful reflections, and gentle encouragement inspired by everyday moments. The things I share will be parts of my life that I don't share on social media.

📫What You Will Receive Each Month in the Mail📬📨...

✨️Each month in my Notes of Hope Mail Club, you will receive a 1-2 page personal letter from me - Linnea - in a handwritten font, along with 3 or more paper gift products such as the following:

• Book Marks
• Poetry Cards (written by me)
• Affirmation Cards
• Stickers
• Recipe Card
• Inspirational Quote or Verse
• Pocket Card of Coping Skills
• A Nature Photograph (taken by me)
• Health and Wellness Tip Cards for Overwhelm, Anxiety, Depression and Grief
• Laugh Therapy Humor Cards
• And many more items that will be different each month!

Each month will be different and will have something to look forward to.

So much of life feels heavy, lonely, or overwhelming — and sometimes what we need most is something simple:
💌 A kind word
💌 A reminder we’re not alone
💌 A little hope waiting in our mailbox

This isn't a generic newsletter or a clinical mental health resource from a counselor...it's a thoughtful letter from a friend who truly cares. Someone who wants you to have a tangible letter full of hope and encouragement.

📫For just $10 each month (United States Mailings), you can be a part of the Notes of Hope Mail Club (you can cancel anytime).

(An International Subscription for Notes of Hope Mail Club is also coming soon!)

All proceeds go back into the club to pay for postage and stationary and the printed paper goods that I send out each month with the letters.

🫶My intention is for you to feel like we're simply sitting together, having a honest heart-to-heart conversation.☕️

I want you to know that you are not alone and that you have some Notes of Hope to look forward to each month in the mailbox - a little light in your life.✨️📬

🎁The Notes of Hope Mailing Club is a great gift for yourself or for your friends and loved ones.

🙌Thank you for being here and for being a part of my life and my snail mail subscription, Notes of Hope Mail Club. 📬

Just click on the link or go to my store at payhip.com/LinneaBaker.

I look forward to connecting with you!

With Much Love,
Linnea
Begin Within Hope Therapy

The Notes of Hope Mailing Club delivers to you hope, humor and healing for mental health and wellness. But it is also more than that. It is a place where I share a personal letter with you about my life, and where I share mental health and wellness tips, spiritual quotes and verses, inspirational th...

02/25/2026

How are you creating space for yourself today with intentional self care? ♡ Take up space for yourself.✨You are worth it.🙌️

Linnea
Begin Within Hope Therapy

02/22/2026

When I’ve been in my hardest and lowest moments, I lean on this... “Do your best to just take it a day at a time, or an hour at a time, and in some cases, a minute at a time.” When stress is most heightened, I often find my thoughts speeding up, so this little encouragement has always helped me to remember to just focus on the thing in front of me and take the next best step.

It won’t be cloudy forever, I promise. ♡

Love,
Linnea
Begin Within Hope Therapy

02/19/2026

When emotions take over, it’s easy to react on autopilot — to blame, defend, or avoid discomfort.

However, when we pause and name the emotion we feel, we create space between ourself and the emotion(s) so they don't consume us.

Instead of saying, "I am angry" try naming the emotion and say, "I am feeling strong emotions of anger."

By naming the emotion, we take away its power of becoming our identity (ex "I AM angry") and give ourselves distance from the emotion(s) through small shifts in language (ex "I am FEELING ___________).

We can then choose a response aligned with our values. 🌿

Many Trauma Survivors have a nervous system and brain that can sometimes be stuck in hypervigilance and on high alert due to always needing to scan for danger...from needing to read people's body language and tone of voice or just needing to read the room.

Your safety and survival depended on this.

Nothing is wrong with you.

Remind yourself often that you are safe.

Intentionally relax your body - muscles that feel tense.

You have no bad parts.

Emotions are signals to be listened to.

Being self aware BEFORE we respond to something is the first step in healing.

Have patience with yourself.

Speak kind words to yourself.

Small victories count towards personal growth and healing!🙌🫶🎉

Emotional intelligence isn’t about avoiding emotions — it’s about navigating them with intention.

Every pause, every breath, every moment of reflection helps us turn reactivity into growth and healing. 🌎💫

~Linnea
Begin Within Hope Therapy