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If someone were to ask you, “how are you, really?”… what would you honest answer be right now? So, my honest response to “how are you, really?” would not be a short answer — it’d be an answer that acknowledges all of my parts. We all have parts, working inside of our nervous systems, helping us to navigate life in whatever way makes sense. (If you have experienced Internal Family Systems therapy or “parts work,” this language will be familiar to you.) Parts might show up as emotions, sensations, images, thoughts, or a wave of energy. 🌿 Parts of you might numb out in response to overwhelming events. 🌿 Other parts of you might feel things intensely. 🌿 Some parts might hold rage, grief, sadness, or fear. 🌿 Other parts of you might feel hopeful & motivated. What I appreciate about parts language is that it acknowledges complexity. It reminds us that multiple experiences can be true at once. You can be hopeful & exhausted, grieving & angry, joyful & overwhelmed. One part doesn’t cancel out the other. They all exist in relationship to each other. The world is complex & multifaceted, and our inner parts reflect that. Every part of us is here for a reason (even if it’s not immediately obvious). 🔥 Deeply feeling parts keep us connected to our humanity. 🔥 Numbed-out parts protect our nervous systems from drowning in overwhelm. 🔥 Parts that hold rage may connect you to your sense of justice, your purpose, and your values. 🔥 Parts in grief may be a reminder to slow down, rest, and acknowledge what has been lost & what needs healing. 🔥 Hypervigilant parts point us to areas where we don’t feel safe, and show us what is needed in order to move toward safety (like connecting with community, or watching a Know Your Rights training — here’s one training & here’s another). Do you see how every part of us has something important to share (even if it’s not always easy to hear)? ❤️ Today, I invite you to be curious toward your parts, as you ask yourself, with genuine care, “how are you, really?” With care & solidarity, P.S. In case you missed last week’s email announcement: I’m starting a podcast, and it’s called Nervous System Care & Healing. 🎙️ The first few episodes will come out later this month. You can check out the 3-min trailer on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. I can’t wait to share more soon. P.P.S. If you're overwhelmed & burnt out, but too busy for weekly therapy, I am here to support you. I offer Nervous System Healing Intensives — three 90-minute sessions, using brain-body modalities (Brainspotting, IFS, EMDR) that go deeper than talk therapy & help you feel better, sooner.
Intensives are a type of short-term, accelerated therapy — for folks who prefer a hyper-focused approach to healing; who need longer than 50-min sessions to warm up & process deeply. Our three 90-minute sessions are scheduled across 1-2 weeks. 👉🏽 If you want to get an Intensive on the books, click here to book an intro call. P.P.P.S. Know someone who needs to hear this? Forward it along. New readers can subscribe HERE. I help highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults heal their nervous systems & connect with their authentic selves. 💗 Need a nervous system reset? —> Join me for a Calm Place meditation.
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👉🏽 Subscribe for thoughtful, bite-sized emails — from Liz Zhou, a neurodivergent therapist — on how to take care of your nervous system & understand your brain.
While scrolling on my phone last night, I counted 26 tabs / apps open and running the background. 26!!! Favorites include: my beloved astrology app; my YNAB (You Need a Budget) app that I swear by; recipes ambitiously bookmarked for “later”; and my clock app, where I set alarms to prepare me for the next alarm. (8:00am - soft wake up, 9:00am - seriously, wake up now.) The sheer number of tabs made me realize just how many directions my attention is pulled these days. It also made me reflect...
When do you feel most like yourself? 😹 When you’re laughing with friends over an inside joke? 📚 When your nose is buried in a book, making the hours pass by like minutes? 👐🏽 When you’re creating something beautiful/messy/tactile with your hands? 🗺️ When you’re at home? Or on the road? Or waiting at airports, the ultimate in-between space? What I find fascinating is that I could ask 1,000 people this same question, when do you feel most like yourself?, and I would hear 1,000 different answers....
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “nervous system regulation”? 🧘🏻♀️ Maybe you think about breathing techniques or mindfulness skills. 🍵 Or all the teas we’re told to drink, and supplements we’re encouraged to take. 🛁 Or bubble baths, self-care products, and spa appointments. All of the above are valid, and potentially extremely helpful, options for nervous system regulation. Different things work for different people. (I, for one, love my weighted pillow that smells like...