So many of us grow up wondering what's wrong with us—without ever asking whether that question itself might be wrong. If you've spent your life feeling like you don't quite fit, constantly adjusting yourself to be more “acceptable,” more “normal,” more manageable for others… you’re...
Author’s Note: This essay blends personal reflection with composite stories drawn from lived experience and clinical work; identifying details have been altered to protect confidentiality. A version of this piece was originally published on Elephant Journal . I’ve spent much of my life learning how...
(Originally published on Elephant Journal and updated for Being Real PLLC.) We struggle with contradictions as humans. We like things clean, labeled, and easy to sort: good or bad, weak or strong, pretty or ugly, confident or insecure. It gives us a sense of control....
A friend of mine continued to press on me years ago during one of our conversations about something I was struggling with in a relationship at the time. She would say, "but what do you need." She just kept repeating the same question. I'll never...