Welcome to heal. balance. restore.

This is not your every day, run-of-the-mill mental health therapist blog. Anyone can use Google to find basic information on anxiety, depression, and other common mental health diagnoses. I am not interested in recreating that information here. Instead, you will find reflections on healing, relationships, mental health, wellness, and personal growth through the lens of womanism, the reality of the experiences of Black women and other folks from marginalized communities, and my own experiences as a Black woman, PhD-trained therapist, professor, holistic wellness advocate, Certified Reiki Practitioner, healer, and mama. And yes, I bring all of my identities and lived experience into this space.

Many of my essays are on topics such as burnout, boundaries, racial trauma, resilience, and the realities of navigating life within systems that often ask us to carry more than our share. I enjoy taking complex clinical concepts and making them emotionally understandable. I also write about reclaiming joy, rest, softness, and whimsy as a necessary part of healing. Because yes, I absolutely believe that rest is resistance and joy is often the reclamation.

May your journey support your ability to fully claim joy, to embrace softness, and to actualize a life in which you are immensely full, whole, and well.

Wishing you love, peace, and healing.

Dr. Shalandra Hollins, LMFT, BC-TMH

Founder, Serene Life Counseling & Wellness