The Emma Blog

Let them misunderstand you. Let them project. Let them create their own version of you in their heads. None of it actually has anything to do with you.

The greatest burden a child must bear is the unlived life of the parent. Because if we’re stuck in our own lives, our children will either be stuck too, or spend their entire lives trying to get unstuck.

For some, it creeps in like a slow-burning dissatisfaction. For others, it's a full-blown crisis, complete with insomnia, dread, and the sudden urge to buy a motorcycle.

Dante had to march through hell, Odysseus spent years dodging monsters and his own (and sometimes his crew’s) bad decisions, and Beowulf fought actual demons. Their stories remind us that transformation doesn’t happen on a yoga mat with lo-fi beats in the background — it happens in the trenches of our deepest struggles.

We have two key players in this identity game: the Self (capital S) and the ego (little e).

There are many reasons and combinations of reasons that people burnout. But a deeper root cause is often overlooked.

Many believe coaching is only for when things go wrong, but you might argue that the best time for coaching is when you’re stable yet underperforming relative to your potential.

How does failure plays a critical role in the second half of life transition? And what does it mean to shift from living for the ego to living from the soul?

When you search for “anxiety” online, it’s often an act of desperation, curiosity, or both. Whether you’re seeking a diagnosis, solutions, or simply reassurance, your search reveals a lot about our collective understanding — and misunderstanding — of anxiety.

Most distinctions between coaching and therapy are limited or flawed.

The conversations we engage in — both with ourselves and others — are not mere exchanges of information but powerful acts of creation and transformation.

Many spiritual traditions suggest that our true self is not something to be created, but something to be uncovered — like removing layers of dust from a beautiful sculpture. It’s already within us, waiting to be recognized and expressed.

The timeless narrative structure of the hero’s journey has captivated audiences across cultures and generations, shaping some of our favorite stories and movies.

Therapy is invaluable, but it’s not always necessary for every kind of growth

Sharing your story divides the pain in half and helps you realize you’re not alone.

We live with “purpose” when things are flowing then a crisis hits. Again and again we get derailed. How can we truly step into our purpose?

If you can't have some fun starting your new habit(s) just stop reading right now.

We delve lightly into the insights on how each Enneagram type can embody practices that nurture self-awareness and growth.

From Emma Will See You Now: Shelley Prevost and Allan Davis reflect on their 15-year relationship and professional journey, delving deeply into themes of therapy, personal growth, and entrepreneurship.

Tell your social anxiety it's time to pack up and move out. We unpack the differences between anxiety and agoraphobia, and offer actionable insights for addressing this widespread challenge.

Stress and anxiety have become fixtures of this thing called modern life. Deadlines, notifications, your internalized expectations. Don’t forget keeping up with (your projections of) the Joneses.Meanwhile, the texts just keep on coming like one hit wonders.

Why are so many people talking about this nervous system thing these days? Seems like it was just the subject matter for doctors and clinicians “back in the day,” and now we’re all getting familiar with things like the parasympathetic nervous system?

You might be a little like the boiling frog. That’s the nature of burnout. You work hard because you’re invested in your job. You work hard because you need to support your family. You work hard because it’s pretty much a cultural expectation.

Let's work together toward a solution. The need for greater accessibility, lower cost, and breaking free from the stigma, are well-documented. But that’s not the only problem.

It takes intentional focus and hard work to be strong. Mental wellness is no different than achieving and maintaining physical wellness in this way, and people are seeing it more and more.

Some long-term solutions and one that’s a little faster

Self-Care can be hard, and it's anything but a selfish act

We live — for better or worse — in a meritocracy. We live and breathe in a screened-in world. We represent ourselves on social media. We interview for jobs on Zoom calls, often from the isolation of our bedrooms. We race from traffic light to traffic light, just trying to make the next appointment. On and on we rush.It really should come as no surprise that stress is a common occurrence that affects literally everyone. All ages. All backgrounds. Stress is very democratic that way.

Epiphanies are great. We all want those “peak experiences.” We celebrate moments of Flow. But true self-development requires us to confront and integrate the darker, hidden parts of ourselves — the shadow self.

Procrastination is something we all experience, but it doesn’t make us “procrastinators” by nature. The act of procrastination is often misunderstood as a sign of laziness, but it’s far more complex. It’s not merely a time management issue. It’s an emotional regulation challenge that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. Understanding the different types of procrastinators and the underlying emotions that drive procrastination is crucial to overcoming it.

Changing your relationship with alcohol is a deeply personal journey, and it’s one that requires both courage and self-compassion. It’s not about being perfect or never drinking again (unless that’s your goal). It’s about making conscious choices that align with the life you want to live.

Your ego and your calling in life can look surprisingly similar. Both pull you toward the realization of your desires. Both can completely consume your waking (and sometimes sleeping) hours with frenetic thoughts and sparks of brilliance. They can also manifest very similar outcomes--money, fame, and power. And they can both leave you feeling exhausted.

This is about more than just being honest or real — it’s about understanding the complexities of your inner life, confronting the parts of yourself that you often ignore, and integrating those aspects to live in congruence with your values. The very pursuit leads you into purpose, and away from chronic stress and resigning yourself to suffering. It leads out of less healthier behaviors, and into relationships and higher levels of mental health.

This is me in deep burnout in 2017. On vacation. 😩 It took over a year to fully recover and find myself again. The work to heal and confront deeply held (and mostly unconscious) beliefs around my worth, identity, and values was the most important part of my recovery. I think that's true for all healing and recovery -- the emotional and mental work is the most essential, but the hardest to figure out, especially without help. That's why I'm building Emma -- to be an ever-present guide for your inner exploration.

It's high time we innovate on our understanding of mental health. That includes how we approach it, which is a lot like we think of approaching our physical health. The two are inter-related after all. Without a healthy approach to our mental health, it's like seeing the world with one eye.

Mental health doesn’t require searching endlessly for answers outside of yourself. The truth is, the answers you’re looking for are already within you