Sarah | Psychotherapist | RSW

As a social worker and psychotherapist with over a decade of experience, my life's work has always been dedicated to providing support to those who have been silenced and marginalized. I have always been committed to amplifying the voices of those overlooked or ignored by society. Nothing will change this core value of mine. Everyone deserves to have their voice heard and their needs met, and I am committed to doing everything I can to make that a reality. Though my team and I will continue providing wellness resources, it will not end our advocacy here in this space and in private. #EyesOnSudan #FreePalestine #Afghanistan #SaveHaiti #CongoIsBleeding

YES TO THIS VIDEO! 💛 Showing up for our friends doesn’t always mean having the right words. Sometimes it’s simply being there, steady in the quiet, without needing to ‘fix’ anything. It’s in the small moments, the unasked-for presence, that we remind each other we’re not alone in this. True friendship is a promise to stay, even in the spaces where words don’t fit. Just showing up—gently, faithfully, without question—is sometimes all that’s needed. 🌿

You have spent too many years carrying everyone else’s load—today, I’m inviting you to release what was never yours to hold, 🤗. You are not selfish for putting your well-being first ☝🏽; you’re brave, you’re worthy, and you’re ready✨. Embrace that freedom, choose your peace, and watch how your soul rises. After watching this - hey? Who’s ready to let go and lift themselves up? 💛⚡️ Drop a ‘❤️’ if you’re choosing YOU today.

Thissssssss 😭😩 — The waaaaay I hate this growing up, ‘You should be thankful.’ For so many of us, this phrase holds weight—especially when family sacrifices are involved. But forced gratitude doesn’t heal pain; it hides it. As BIPOC folk, we carry a legacy, but we also carry ourselves. And as a therapist, I want to say it is okay to honour their sacrifices while still creating space to feel, to struggle, and to heal. True gratitude sets you free, never does it keep you silent. If you’re working through this, start small. Speak it, process it, and remind yourself—you are allowed to want more. At @helloLeena_, we see you and hear you. Healing begins when gratitude and growth walk side by side. 💛

We’re starting Mondaaaay hot, 🔥. The pressure to succeed when your family sacrificed everything is real, and it’s heavy, 🤯‼️ You want to make them proud, to repay them for their sacrifices—but somewhere along the way, you lose sight of you, 😔. Research shows us that this pressure, especially in immigrant households, can lead to burnout, anxiety, and a constant feeling of ‘never enough.’ I have to say this ☝🏽: honouring their sacrifices doesn’t mean abandoning your dreams. It means finding balance—success that feels right to you. You don’t have to carry the weight of their dreams alone. ♥️

THISSSS ☝🏽‼️ Have you ever been called ‘too dramatic’ or told to ‘get over it’ when you tried to express your pain? Being dismissed like that doesn’t just hurt—it teaches you to question your own feelings, to silence yourself when you most need to be heard. But here’s the truth: your emotions are not the problem. They are signals, telling you where you need healing. ❤️‍🩹 Families often dismiss pain not because it isn’t real, but because they haven’t learned to face their own. 🤷🏽‍♀️That’s not your burden to carry. Healing starts when you stop waiting for others to validate your pain and begin trusting your own voice. You deserve to be heard—by others and by yourself. This is your permission to feel, to heal, and to rise beyond the labels they’ve placed on you. ♥️

TO THOSE WHO SAY SORRY ALL THE TIME 😩‼️ If you’ve ever caught yourself saying ‘sorry’ for things that don’t even need an apology—like asking for help or taking up space—you’re not alone. Over-apologizing often starts in environments where you’re taught to prioritize harmony over your own needs 😔. But research shows that this pattern slowly chips away at your self-worth, convincing you that you’re always ‘too much.’ — wild right? It’s time to pause. To ask yourself: Am I apologizing to avoid discomfort 🤔 or because I truly need to? Replacing unnecessary apologies with gratitude or simply taking up space without guilt is a small shift that speaks volumes. Healing begins when you stop saying ‘sorry’ for being yourself

WRITE THIS DOWN NOW ‼️: A friend said this to me today and I got super emotional. “You can pray, hope, and wish for everything you want—but without the work, those dreams stay just that: dreams.” Ouuuuf, I needed to hear that. Your dreams aren’t something you’re waiting for; it’s something you’re creating. If you’re willing to show up, stay disciplined, and believe in your worth, the life you’ve imagined is within reach. Don’t ever quit on yourself. Your future is waiting for you to step into it. We owe it to ourselves ♥️

Eh, healing is not always a social media pretty photo, 🤷🏽‍♀️. It’s not as straight, ‘profound’ and, linear process we often see portrayed online. What shows up in the therapy room, 🫣… 🤯.. It’s raw, emotional, and can feel like you’re unraveling before you’re rebuilding. Seriously — even research shows that this discomfort, and chaos in healing, is a natural part of the process—your brain resists change because it craves familiarity, even in unhealthy patterns. But hey ☝🏽 growth happens when we push through that resistance, confronting what’s been holding us back. If you’re in the messy middle, remember: healing isn’t about avoiding the storm—it’s about learning to weather it. That last bit, GEMS 💎! TLDR: ♥️⚡️ Keep going—you have to — you’re creating something stronger than what you had before!

Where did this year go 😳, and if you can find it - let me know where. TOUGH TRUTHS, and gentle lessons I learned this year, sharing them with you. Let me know what YOU learned this year, BELOW! ♥️ 👇🏽!

For so many of us, especially in South Asian families, asking for help feels like breaking an unspoken rule. We’re taught to be strong, handle it alone, and never “trouble” anyone. ☝🏽 But strength isn’t about suffering in silence—it’s about choosing to heal, even if that means leaning on someone else. You’re not weak for needing help—you’re human.

THISSSS‼️ We all hold on to relationships that hurt us longer than we should, let’s be honest 🤷🏽‍♀️. Sometimes it’s fear, sometimes it’s guilt, and sometimes it’s just the comfort of what we know. But ☝🏽 staying in a friendship that drains you doesn’t mean you’re loyal—it means you’re stuck. The hardest part of letting go isn’t losing them; it’s trusting that you’ll be okay without them ♥️. And here’s the truth: you will. Real friendships don’t demand your peace as a price. Let’s start normalizing choosing ourselves, not for 2025 - NOW! ✨