Joanna Barrett Therapy & Wellness

11/19/2025

My article, "Therapy & the Politics of Healing: There’s Nothing Wrong with You, it’s the System,” has been published!

It’s been a widely-talked about, hot topic amongst therapists in Facebook groups (those comment wars regarding politics and therapy can sure get heated!). So, rather than comment directly there, I decided to write out my thoughts and submit them to my favorite media website, Elephant Journal! l I am so grateful they published this deeply personal piece of my work!

PLEASE CLICK & READ HERE: https://www.elephantjournal.com/2025/11/therapy-the-politics-of-healing-theres-nothing-wrong-with-you-its-the-system-joanna-barrett/

Also, please "heart" it, comment within the site, and “follow” me for more writing. And, if so inspired, please share it with your friends and communities!

To share the words of my editor, Nicole Cameron: “This article is spot-on and necessary, and I'm so proud to say it got my Editor's Pick this week!"

(An "Editor's Pick" is a specific article selected by the Elephant Journal editors as a notable piece of content. The selection highlights an author or topic that the editors find particularly compelling and important. The "Editor's Pick" designation indicates high-quality, on-topic content, and readers can find these articles under the "Best" section on the Elephant Journal website).

11/18/2025

My article, "Therapy & the Politics of Healing: There’s Nothing Wrong with You, it’s the System,” has been published!

It’s been a widely-talked about, hot topic amongst therapists in Facebook groups (those comment wars regarding politics and therapy can sure get heated!). So, rather than comment directly there, I decided to write out my thoughts and submit them to my favorite news website, Elephant Journal! I am so grateful they published this deeply personal piece of my work!

PLEASE CLICK & READ HERE: https://www.elephantjournal.com/2025/11/therapy-the-politics-of-healing-theres-nothing-wrong-with-you-its-the-system-joanna-barrett/

Also, please "heart" it, comment within the site, and “follow” me for more writing. And, if so inspired, please share it with your friends and communities!

To share the words of my editor: “This article is spot-on and necessary, and I'm so proud to say it got my Editor's Pick this week!"

(An "Editor's Pick" is a specific article selected by the Elephant Journal editors as a notable piece of content. The selection highlights an author or topic that the editors find particularly compelling and important. The "Editor's Pick" designation indicates high-quality, on-topic content, and readers can find these articles under the "Best" section on the Elephant Journal website)

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2025/11/therapy-the-politics-of-healing-theres-nothing-wrong-with-you-its-the-system-joanna-barrett

"Most of us enter this profession because we care—sometimes too much. We want people to live more fulfilling, authentic lives.

But if we truly care about that, we must also care about justice, equity, and the conditions that allow people to thrive."

Read the rest on 🐘 👉 https://elejrnl.com?p=4217287

11/12/2025

JOIN ME TONIGHT!

I hope to see you tonight at 7:30pm (ET) at Sun & Moon Yoga Studio (Arlington Studio + Livestream) for a FREE guided meditation designed to help you soften anxiety and reconnect with inner steadiness.
This session weaves together:
✨ Brief psychoeducation on how yoga and meditation support the nervous system
✨ Pranayama — a gentle breathing practice to soothe body and mind
✨ A grounding mudra to steady your energy
✨ A mindful mantra for presence and trust
✨ A guided inner journey from outer chaos to inner calm

Sign up here: https://www.sunandmoonstudio.com/

I hope you'll leave feeling grounded, lighter, and supported from within.
And please keep an eye out for my upcoming article in the Sun & Moon Yoga newsletter, and a winter workshop continuing this series of practices.

11/11/2025

We all need a little Metta Meditation. It's only 5 minutes... check it out!

Start your morning with a 5-minute Metta Meditation. Metta, also known as Loving-Kindness, is a powerful practice for initiating inner peace, expanding our capacity for compassion, and promoting a more harmonious and loving world on our planet Earth. This Metta Meditation intends to cultivate kindne...

11/09/2025

From Outer Chaos to Inner Calm

Join me this Wednesday evening, 7:30–8:30pm, at Sun & Moon Yoga Studio (Arlington Studio + Livestream) for a FREE guided meditation designed to help you soften anxiety and reconnect with inner steadiness.

This session weaves together:
✨ Brief psychoeducation on how yoga and meditation support the nervous system
✨ Pranayama — a gentle breathing practice to soothe body and mind
✨ A grounding mudra to steady your energy
✨ A mindful mantra for presence and trust
✨ A guided inner journey from outer chaos to inner calm

https://www.sunandmoonstudio.com/

I hope you'll leave feeling grounded, lighter, and supported from within.

🪷 Keep an eye out for my upcoming article in the Sun & Moon Yoga newsletter, and a winter workshop continuing this series of practices.

11/04/2025

the incredible community of women have my heart 🩷

10/30/2025

I'm now back home from the It's Lifey wellness retreat for widowed women in Holderness, New Hampshire.

I feel so honored to co-facilitate and hold space for such a beautiful group. It’s always moving to witness healing in process… to offer my heart’s work and simply be with what unfolds through yoga and meditation, journaling and letter writing, a fire ritual and connection. Autumn showed up for us, too: crisp air, colorful leaves, and a sense of healing in every breath.

I’m still processing and integrating all that was shared and felt. More reflections and insights to come soon...

10/29/2025

I just returned from co-leading a wellness retreat with It's Lifey in New Hampshire for widowed women. Everything is still integrating, but then this post arose in my newsfeed.

Thank you, Jillian Pransky Yoga: "Grief does not shrink over time. Our capacity to hold it becomes greater."

More to come...

Autumn is a season of grief, and many of my students are sharing that they’re feeling a lot right now. It’s not uncommon in this season of letting go, and not surprising given what we’re all holding and seeing in the world.

Personally, I’m feeling some acute grief this week as a treasured family member recently transitioned.

We’re often taught that we should “get over” our feelings—especially the big ones. We tend to label emotions like anger, sadness, and grief as “negative,” which only adds more stress to the body. But emotions are simply energy in motion, E-motion. They’re meant to move through us, not be fixed or forced away.

If we don’t allow our feelings to flow, they can build up and create dis-ease—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When we soften and let them move, our nervous system learns safety, our body learns spaciousness, and we remember our innate capacity to hold life as it is.

Grief does not shrink over time.
Our capacity to hold it becomes greater.

10/29/2025

Healing isn’t just something we talk about; it’s something we feel, sense, and live through the body. As a therapist and emotional wellness yoga instructor, I believe the mind alone can’t do all the work. The body holds the story. The heart holds the truth. Real healing begins when we invite both to be part of the conversation. ❤️

Thank you to Elephant Journal and author Kait Melendy

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2025/10/rise-of-the-conscious-therapist-what-the-future-of-healing-looks-like-kait-melendy/

"Healing can’t happen by talking alone. If we ignore the body’s role, we miss where the pain is being held."

Article link in comments. 👇

10/28/2025

I agree with the author, Nyk Danu,"For me, yoga is not a f*cking workout; it’s my way in."

For many, the physical practice is the first introduction to yoga, but the yoga poses (asana), which we think of as "yoga" in the West, is just one small part of yoga.

I say this all the time, and as the writer indicated, "You don’t need to be super-flexible, strong, or skinny to practice yoga....I strongly believe if you can breathe, you can do yoga."

Join me for yoga! It's a way in.

Thank you, Elephant Journal and Nyk Danu

"Yoga is not about getting strong enough for the pose on our vision board—it’s about building inner strength when our vision is not clear."

🔗: https://elejrnl.com?p=2820426

10/22/2025

✨ This upcoming weekend, I’ll have the honor of co-leading the It's Lifey Widows Wellness Retreat alongside the incredible Jen Newberg and an inspiring group of women who are coming together with such courage, tenderness, and strength.

We’ll be sharing in healing through yoga, meditation, fire ritual, journaling, art, and heartfelt conversation. They will experience JourneyDance, a Medium, and a healing Sound Bath. Sounds amazing, right?!!?!

My intention is to hold space for rest, renewal, and connection... a space where each woman can feel seen, supported, and reminded of her inner light.

I am grateful to my visionary co-leader, Jen, for her passion and heart in bringing this retreat to life. I can’t wait to witness what unfolds. ✨