This isn't normal. If you feel yourself reacting to the threats, grieving the loss of community and safety, and hurting for trans and BIPOC neighbors, that's normal reaction. It's normal to feel horrified by horror.

What you're feeling may be the trauma of pervasive, state-sanctioned violence.

This week did you watch an ICE agent unalive a fellow mom? Or think about all of the constitutional rights and protections we just lost in a single year? Do lovely people feel they need to move to be safe?

I was reading about the way folks strike in other countries to reclaim their power and bring about social change and see how masterfully US leaders have dismantled the financial, political & social power of the people. Could we truly outlast them in a strike with this level of wealth disparity?

I'm scared. We keep stiving to both take a stand in our community while also keeping our family safe. We are still building financial stability and community, slowly and painstakingly. In the meantime, I'm seeing the compex trap that's been built around us for years if not decades and it scares me.

We've wondered whether to grow where we're planted, and contribute to kindness and resistance here. Or whether to uproot in hopes of our family being safer elsewhere. It's such a hard choice and I think we should hold compassion for those who have to make it. #immigrationsky #choosekindness

Image of Dr. Layton's book shelf showing an art print of the Shire by Tim Doyle (Nakatomi) with blues and a swirling night sky of stars, a rounded blue vase holding two Lego sunflowers, and a lotus shaped candle holder atop a stack of books. The books are "Man's Search for Meaning" by Victor Frankl, selected poems of Emily Dickinson, "Tribe" by Sebastian Junger, "the Art of Living" by Erich Fromm, "the Gift of Therapy" by Irvin Yalom, and "Hunger" by Roxane Gay.

So much of therapy is about helping people discover that systemic problems are not actually our fault, that we are worthy, and that our emotions are here to help. 🩷

I want to rage against the systemic neglect of parents in our society. But I'm also just embarrassed that when trying to sign my kiddos in for daycare I genuinely thought L came before K in the alphabetized sign in sheet.

This may be telling someone how you want to be treated or setting a boundary at work. We aren't just meant to cope with our emotions, but to apply them towards living more authentically. 🩷 Coping without making a change is asking yourself to shrink for others. Coping so to make a change is healing.

I see why coping skills are so popular - our and others' emotions are vulnerable, real, messy, and revolutionary. And that can feel uncomfortable. Don't just soothe & silence your emotions. Find out what they are telling you about what matters to you. And then make changes to align with that value.

Everyone shares "coping skills," but did you know these are meant to be paired with "change skills"? For every technique to help you soothe, there's a technique for advocacy, change, & communication. Coping isn't the solution alone. It's what helps us center ourselves so we can apply a change skill🧵

I keep reminding myself that we can find comfort in community. No governmental power is greater than our common humanity. I think that's why tonight after our babies fell asleep, I couldn't stop watching the #NoKings protests. Every march, speech, & sign were warming reminders that we are not alone.

I'm a trauma therapist and nearly every one of my patients has been negatively impacted by Trump's actions.

I'm seeing courageous people who worked so hard to heal struggle with collective trauma. If you are feeling hopeless, enraged or scared, you aren't alone. We will get through this together 🩷