Turtles and Rabbits blog posts:
 Healing inspired blog posts written by a trauma expert with a lot of life experience

Women's March in Washington D.C., 2017. It feels like every few days something big hits the news that resurfaces trauma in myself and my clients. Lately, it all just feels “up.” With Cornell 7 combined with the memoir that I have been writing about my multiple traumas, and me being the mother of boys, this week has been a lot. My first reaction was “I need to keep talking to my boys about NOT being silent when something creepy is going on, or even said in a group.” After mul

A few years ago, I started noticing how many of my colleagues, friends, and clients were leaning on plant medicine to help them through symptoms. Some were processing trauma, some were processing life stressors, and some seemed to be looking for something outside of traditional therapy. I am not shy about my personal experience with trauma and healing. I wrote a memoir about it, but I didn't touch on the times I leaned on plant medicine and spiritual communities to heal becau

Lately, I’ve found myself circling back to the same question, almost obsessively: what has happened to the world of therapy training, and why does it feel so much like a never-ending treadmill? I write about this often, and every time I hit 'post,' I can’t help but worry that I’m being too dramatic. But I’m learning to shut out those old, patriarchal voices that want me to shrink my concerns, and instead, I’m choosing to stand by my observations. And lately, I know I’m not th

It isn't often that I ride the Blue Line with my whole family. Why don't we do this more? We live right by a stop, and Chicago offers so much—especially the museums we used to visit all the time when the kids were little. As we sat on the train, I found myself staring at Jasper's luggage. I remember buying that luggage—a whole matching set. The first time I'd ever bought something that matched and was brand new. Being the youngest, I'm a hand-me-down type of human, so buying

You hold so much in you—in your mind, in your heart, in all those pain spaces that ache when things are out of your control. I have had the kind of life that is hard to explain when people politely ask, and it feels hurtful when, after they ask, they are already looking past your shoulder for an excuse to exit the conversation. I cringe when clients ask me how I am doing, even though they are just being polite. I cringe because it’s a very loaded question these days, and it’s

Sometimes it takes the reflections of others for us to truly see ourselves. This week, I had several conversations with friends, family members, and even beloved former clients. Some were brief exchanges, while others were deeper conversations. Each one offered a reflection of how I had impacted them at some point in their lives. This isn't an attempt to brag or self-promote. Rather, it's about the small moments that helped me reconnect with my confidence. My hope is that it

My weekend rant—apologies if I offended anyone, but I'm not really sorry. The State of the Field I’m so mad at my field. Furious, honestly. Business and therapy feel like oil and water—completely separate worlds that somehow get forced to mix. Everywhere I turn, I hear horror stories: abusive practicum sites, practice owners who treat their clinicians like mindless productivity machines, pushing us to pack session hours so they can keep spending on digital assistants, web des

Healing in families, holding the news, and staying present without numbing Jenny Korotko May 28, 2026 Today I was struck by a mix of sadness and gratefulness. I noticed how much I value my morning routine—and how privileged I am to have one. I also kept noticing the quick tears that rose while listening to NPR. It continues to be such a dysregulating time to be an empathetic, want-to-be-in-the-know human. I refuse to step away from the news; I feel a duty to at least know the

I am in the helping field. I love it, and I absolutely hate parts of it all at the same time. This field is filled with people whose hearts are often larger than the systems holding them. We are those who quietly carry our own histories of pain while helping others stay afloat. Many helpers find themselves here because of lived experience. We know what it feels like to be unheard, not believed, abandoned, dismissed, or alone in suffering. Because we know that feeling so intim

One of the strangest things about being a therapist, trauma healer, or someone people place in the “helper” category is how quickly others assume you must be healed. As if the certifications, trainings, books, and years of sitting with people somehow exempt you from being human. I think many healers get miscategorized this way. We become symbols of arrival instead of people still walking the path ourselves. The truth is: I am struggling alongside many of my clients. And I don

In private therapy practice, supervision is often described as a cornerstone of ethical and professional development. In theory, it is where clinicians refine their clinical thinking, process complex cases, explore countertransference, and strengthen ethical decision-making. In practice, however, not all supervision functions in this way. One concerning pattern that emerges in some private practice settings is what clinicians refer to as “rubber stamp supervision.” This term

I used to believe the phrase “we’re like family here.” A lot of therapists do. We enter this field because we care deeply about people. We want to help. We want to heal. So when a practice markets itself as warm, collaborative, mission-driven, and “family-oriented,” it can feel like exactly where we belong. Until one day you realize the “family” language was never about support. It was about compliance. I’ll never forget the moment that realization hit me. I was recovering fr

Bowling Mike D was a guy who would hang out at the house I shared with several roommates, and I found him mostly full of shit but also a little interesting. Mike D was very into indie rock and everything that made him "cool." Mike D dated some of the roommates and most of the cute art school women. I loved to tease him by calling him "disco Mike" because he was so, well, full of himself. He did not appreciate my nickname for him. Mike D also had a ton of money after winnin

Unethical behavior in private therapy and spiritual healing circles is a serious issue that often goes unspoken. Many new therapists enter the field with passion and dedication, only to face environments where business ethics are overlooked or ignored. This creates harm not only to therapists but also to clients who rely on these services for support and healing. From personal experience, I have witnessed troubling tactics such as using my family’s insurance as leverage to si

When I first began exploring ways to heal from deep emotional wounds, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. The journey toward healing trauma is deeply personal, and finding a path that feels safe and accessible can be challenging. Over time, I discovered that virtual trauma therapy offers a gentle, flexible, and profoundly effective way to reconnect with myself and release the burdens I carried silently for years. In this post, I want to share my reflections an

There is a unique kind of exhaustion that comes from giving so much of yourself to others. When you are the one who listens, comforts, and guides, it’s easy to forget that you too need healing. I have walked this path, feeling the weight of emotional fatigue and spiritual depletion. It was in those moments of vulnerability that I realized the importance of a dedicated space for those who heal others. This is why the healer wellness program exists - to nurture the nurturers,

Job loss is something many families, including mine, are familiar with. I recently experienced back-to-back toxic work environments, surprisingly common even in my field, resulting in abrupt job loss. Today, the everyday struggles of the average American family are often ignored by those with economic privilege. It's uncomfortable to acknowledge unearned advantages, but it's important not only to understand it but to talk about it with your family. Some privileged individuals

I was recently on a radio show and was asked what we can do to help us through these difficult times in America, from a therapeutic standpoint. There I was, a trauma expert asked to be on the show due to that, and I blanked when asked, “How do we get through this?” I looked at the guest who asked me the question, fear in my eyes. The answer is, I don’t know. This is beyond comprehension. This is an extreme, inhumane situation, and it’s normal for the mind to reject such a re

I started a podcast after a very challenging time at the beginning of summer. I was overwhelmed by old symptoms that I thought were gone...

https://youtu.be/iiaiX63kEqA Stine and Virginia are both powerful and highly ethical healers that I have had the honor of training with...