Oh, the holiday season. This time of year is full of food talk, family time, and gift-giving pressure. And as the holidays get closer, so does the pressure to lose weight.  Every year, like clockwork, the headlines appear: “How to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain!” “Burn Off That Pumpkin Pie!” “Detox Before the New Year!” This rhetoric pops up in ads, on social media, and even in casual conversations.  Between “Turkey Burn” and “12 Days of Fit-mas” workouts and the “Jingle Bell” and

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has become one of the most trusted, research-supported therapies for healing trauma, reducing anxiety, and strengthening a person’s sense of self. But many people still wonder how it works - especially because it can feel so different from traditional talk therapy. What Is EMDR? EMDR was developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Francine Shapiro, who famously noticed something surprising during a walk in the park: as she

Have you ever noticed that the more you try to get rid of  difficult thoughts or feelings, the stronger they seem to become? Maybe you’ve told yourself not to worry, not to feel sad, or not to think about something painful—only to find it’s still there. You’re not alone. Most of us spend a lot of energy fighting our inner experiences, hoping that if we could just think differently or feel less, life would be easier. But what if the goal wasn’t to get rid of those thoughts and

Earlier this month, our team at Speakeasy Therapy had the honor of serving as captain for The Climb: Team NW Chicago, Postpartum Support International’s annual event raising awareness for perinatal mental health. For me, my  “why”  has always been about creating connection — spaces where parents, caregivers, and families don’t have to carry the weight of mental health struggles alone. As both a therapist and a mom, I’ve seen firsthand how isolation can take hold quietly, even