Bright Hope Counseling

Here are a few of my favorite somatic tools to help repattern your nervous system and reduce anxiety in your body.

Cheers to making more space in our bodies, minds, and hearts!

Do you have a favorite embodiment practice or tool for self regulation? Let me know in the comments!

Do you trust your moods?

I didn’t.

In fact, I was given the message that my moods were NOT to be trusted….that my moods were a sign of my “disorder.”

So to protect my self image, I learned how to denied my emotions; I learned how to hide my feelings from myself and others; I learned how to fight against my moods that people might categorize as “crazy.”

But here’s what I observed:

The more I fought, denied, or hid from my feelings, the bigger and louder they got. And the more “crazy” and “broken” I felt.

So I made a radical choice. I began to trust my feelings instead of fight them.

A twinge of hopelessness didn’t become a full blown depressive episode. A spark of inspiration no longer spun me into mania.

Why? Because I learned to listen and attune. I’ve never been more “stable.”

My moods are now my greatest advisors. I trust their wisdom and have learned to make decisions from this place.

How do you relate to your moods? Do you trust them?

You’ve got to be honest
with yourself about your needs before you can meet them with compassion.

Get curious with your emotions. Feelings (especially the uncomfortable ones) give us amazing insight into what parts of our lives need to be refreshed, rebalanced, and restored.

Follow for more on building more self-compassion care tips!

For the folks that often feel like depression just sneaks up on them out of the blue…

See you can spot some of these lesser known symptoms of depression. In my experience, these neurological changes often show of first before the endless bouts of crying, sleeping for days and still waking up tired, rageful symptoms of a major depressive episode.

Attuning to the body’s early cues and implementing strategies to care of the body at this stage of the episode can help lessen or head off a full blown major depressive episode.

Comment below if you resonate!

If you’ve ever found yourself down the rabbit hole of a negative thought spiral, this post is for you!!

Scheduling specific “worry time” gives your brain and body and clear boundary and task to focus on. In addition, it allows the anxious part inside of you to feel heard and validated.

IMPORTANT: There are no “irrational fears” during your worry time. If another inner voice swoops in and tries to tell you “this is so ridiculous that I’m worried about XYZ”, gently ask that part to please find a cozy spot to sit while you are spending time with the very anxious part inside of you 💕

And inner expectation of perfection is often paired with an external behavior of procrastination.

And it makes sense, doesn’t it? Why would anyone want to begin a task that has a mountain of overwhelming pressure attached to it?

So we wait. And wait. And wait. Until either the deadline passes and we resign ourselves to self-loathing or “should” all over ourselves (“I should have started earlier!” “I shouldn’t have been so lazy!”).

You familiar with the cycle? Me, too.

It’s one of the many shame cycles that keep us stuck in anxiety and can cause all sorts of distress in relationships, career, school, passion projects etc.

Here are a few of my favorite affirmations if you are working with unsticking this very sticky thought/feeling/behavior pattern inside of you.

For more tools from a therapist on how to work with this perfectionism/procrastination spiral join me and on IG Live this week where we chat about this very topic and how to work with your shame cycles to create more fluidity and freedom in all facets of your life and identity!!

Hey Rebels! I have been loving the connection and community that has been building in energy and magnitude over the last few weeks. It is a gift to serve in this way.

It is just me behind the scenes running this account (in addition to being a mama, therapist, biz owner, and more!). I’ll do my best to respond to folks, but if it takes me a while, please know that is more about me than it is about you.

Grateful for you being here ✨

Let’s keep the rebellion going!!

🖤 Kristen

There is not finish line to healing, where we feel whole and beautiful and confident 100% of the time. Healing is about acknowledging and accepting the hurting parts in us that are forever changed. Allowing those parts to exist without judgment and shame IS the beauty.

🦋

Beach walks are my spiritual practice.

Today I was greeted by this little beach angel ☺️🕊🤍

June's blog post is up, with not a moment to spare :) I've been in my feelings and my body beginning to process the deep anger and despair over the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade. While certainly not the most pleasant of emotions to feel into, I allowed them to be. Here is some of the wisdom I've learned from these emotions...thus far...

https://bright-hope.com/resources/f/on-rage-and-the-power-of-regenerative-healing

May's blog post is up and dedicated with love to my maternal grandmother who is turning 90 years young this weekend! If parts of you are feeling into the traumas of the past few years, months, and this last week especially, you may find this read helpful. It was a healing birthday gift for me to write.

7 Tips for Trauma Recovery I learned from my grandmother. My maternal grandmother turns 90 years old today. As I look behind me at all the ancient mothers that stood before my grandmother, who bore my mom, who bore me, I am reminded of the sheer power inside my bones. My grand...

Hey, Buttercup! Just want to say, if today has been hard and you’re having those thoughts that creep in from time to time that make you question everything, including life itself, please know you there are beautiful tomorrows awaiting you, dear.

Today, I turn 34 years old. Some of those years were hard. Days filled with shame, secrets, hurt, and insecurity. On my darker days, I met some “firefighter parts” in me that didn’t know if life was worth the pain. They wanted to put the fire out by any means necessary. I’m so grateful for the other “trusted advisors” in me who have guided me through the fog and storms to allow me to experience joy like this. Wow!!! Does it just keep getting better with age??? Because, today, I’m all in on life!

Bring on the harder days…

I am learning to ride the waves of my emotions, trust in my own resilience, and alchemize my wounds into healing balm to share out with the world.

Thank you for being here with me. I’m deeply appreciative for you 💛
***deawareness #34

At dinner last night, we played “Rose, Bud, Thorn.” This is a game I learned as a school social worker and would use as a way to start a group counseling session.

What’s your “Rose” (your highlight from the day)?

What’s your “Bud” ( something you are looking forward to)?

What’s your “Thorn” (something that didn’t go so well or hurt you)?

After we went around, my 5 yo had the brilliant idea to add a “seed” (an idea you are planting)!

Intention is everything. Plant beautiful seeds for a beautiful harvest. Happy Earth Day to all! 🌍 ☀️ 🌱

April's blog post it up! Sign up on my website to receive these monthly mental health posts in your inbox!

Transforming Heart Ache Ahhhh…. it’s finally Spring! The cheerful forsythia is looking brilliant against the back drop of the bright blue skies. The tulips are starting to peek their little heads up from the soil. In my personal life, I’ve expe...

Transgender Day of Visibility is dedicated to the recognition and accomplishments of the transgender community.

Today I am celebrating the trans people in my life for all the beauty, contributions, successes, and resilience they bring to this world.

Today I raise awareness about the struggles and discrimination they face on a daily basis.

Today, tomorrow, and forever, I continue to advocate for more protected human rights for them, which are currently very much under legislative attack in the states of Florida, Texas and many others. The current research indicates over 100 bills attacking transgender people have been introduced in state legislation since 2020.

These laws are deadly. Please consider donating your time, treasure, and/or talent to support transgender people.

Follow .specialist and for more trans news 🏳️‍⚧️ 🏳️‍🌈 ⚧

Rabbit, Rabbit! This month's blog post is now up on my website. If you'd like to receive these monthly postings directly to your inbox, please subscribe via the link below.

This one feels more vulnerable for me and as always, I am committed to holding space for all people who also experience this kind of vulnerability.

https://bright-hope.com/resources/f/whats-the-point

https://bright-hope.com

Depression sucks. Scattered thoughts, mind/body fatigue, inability to concentrate and changes in appetite can make accessing your healthy coping strategies all the more challenging.

Checklists have always helped me. On harder days, I just take it one box at a time. As my mood lifts and the routine becomes muscle memory, I find I don’t need to rely so heavily on this type of support….but I know I can always access it when I need it.

Here’s an example of what works for me! Feels free to steal it, modify it, and share it with a friend that could use some support with depression right now.

You’re doing great.
***deawarness

“Oh hey! How are you?!” …

…a perfectly neutral question on the surface; a nicety, really. But when your day begins with the insurmountable challenge of getting out of bed and mayyyyybe changing into you day-pajamas (let alone thinking about facing the responsibilities you signed up for on a mentally stable day) this can be a sensitive question to answer. At least, it is for me.

The other day (when I was experiencing a dip in my mood) my mother posed this question to me instead : “And what has your day been like?” It felt so gentle and unassuming and actually made me pause to respond instead of just rattling off the perfunctory “fine.”

I later learned that just earlier that day, my maternal grandmother had posed the same question to my mother. My grandmother, a woman who lost her own mother (my great grandmother) to su***de when she was 18. My grandmother, who in her own pain, shame, and grief, developing ways to cope that created emotional distance between herself and own children (one of whom if my mom). My grandmother, who has put in the work and done her part in the generational chain to heal as best she could in the lifetime.

And this, my friends, is international healing; The transmission of a calming, curious, compassionate, present and loving pattern of response.

So I ask you, “what has your day day brought for you?” Every inhale, an act of courage. Every exhale, a gift.

Alternatively, you could answer the question my 5 year old child asks me every night before he falls asleep 🤣 💨

Since 2017, Kristen Antonio of Bright Hope Counseling has been helping young professionals, students, and families make sense of the complex emotions and experiences that come with the transitions of emerging adulthood.

In honor of President’s Day Weekend, cheers to my favorite president to occupy the White House to date -AND- to all the future leaders of this country. May we all continue to look for ways to lead with authenticity, courage, and vulnerability. Building a safer, inclusive, abundant tomorrow takes all of us showing up from our own unique heart-center. There is space for each one of us to shine 🌻

Are you checking in with yourself at work? The expectations we place on ourselves for job performance and productivity must also be adjusted with the ever changing climate of corporate America. Every single industry is strained in some way right now. How we care of ourselves must take precedent if we are too accommodate for a new work-life balance that embraces the importance of mental health.

My sister sent this post to me….she know me well 💯🧺

If you can related to the notion of brain laundry, check out my latest blog post fresh off the press up on the website! Click on the link in my bio to sign up to receive my monthly posts in your inbox.

Life is full of ups and downs, but over the past few years, all of us have sustained chronic stress from the global pandemic. It is impacting each of us in large and small ways.

The vision for my work is that we extend ourselves the compassion, grace, and resources needed to heal our own wounds/traumas. I believe in so doing, our own healing energy ripples out to touch the lives of those in our families, communities, and world. It takes all of us to be courageous in this act of inner change in order for us to contribute to collective change and healing.

Struggling to keeping up appearances can be an exhausting and lonely journey. I know because I spent many years in that space. Normalizing mistakes is great way to start your journey to overcoming perfectionism.

Sometimes our darker moments hold deep and powerful wisdom. And sometimes they don't. What is always true is that your belief system surrounding your mental health challenges does impact the way you engage with the harder moments.

To help tap into what your core belief system may be around mental illness, reflect on these questions:

1. What do I tell myself about my depression/anxiety/eating disorder/gender dysphoria/bipolar/diagnosis * ?

2. How do I experience my more challenging symptoms?

3. Is there any part of my experience that I am grateful for or compassionate towards? If not, why?

4. Have I ever been shamed, disenfranchised, and/or treated differently because of my mental health challenges? How have these experiences impacted me? doesn't mean you don't have the ability to develop the skills to cope with the mental health challenges that resulted from them.

*diagnoses can trigger all sorts of feelings, including relief, validation, fear, shame, anger, and grief. Be open to all the emotions that arise and know that a professional diagnosis is just ONE of many lenses through which to understand yourself better.

The decision of allowing yourself to get the help you need has intergenerational healing effects. This means the investment you make today heals past and future generations' traumas and wounds.

Watching the swirling blizzard whip across our window, my son turns to me and says, “Mommy, I think my ‘Inside Body’ really wants to play in the blizzard, but my ‘Outside Body’ is scared.”

I asked him, “what does your ‘Inside Body’ want to say to your ‘Outside Body?’”

Knight answered, “It wants to say, “it’ll be fun!”

Then I asked, “and what does your ‘Outside Body’ want your ‘Inside Body’ to know?”

Again, with zero hesitation, he answered, “be safe, of course!”

Sometimes our “insides” don’t match our “outsides.” That’s ok. There is often wisdom found in both perspectives. Giving space for each “part” to speak and be heard allows you to make the best choice for you in the present moment.

And if your are wondering, Knight did eventually decide he was ready to go outside. He bundled up, open the front door, and immediately shut it again when the wind hit him in the face 😂❄️🌬☃️🌨

Friday reminder for us all;
Perfection makes pressure ⤵️
Pressure makes pain ⤵️
Pain makes gain. Just kidding. That’s bu****it. Pain (emotional and physical) sends a signal from our brains to our bodies that we are in danger. It activates our flight/fight/freeze/fawn response. It is neurobiologically impossible for us to be in a state of total relaxation when we are striving for perfection.

It is sooooo much more spacious on the other side of perfection.

Let 👏 that 👏sh*t 👏go👏

Aim for progress.

Aim for failure in taking safe risks.

Aim for learning.
*tgo