Remembering My Name: Reclaiming Lebanese Roots Through Folklore, Faith, and Fire There’s a kind of ache that comes from forgetting things you never knew you were supposed to remember. A pull in the blood. A whisper in the bones. My name is Kevin. I was born a Peterson—but that wasn’t our name before America. My family names were Saab and Bahudub , once proudly carried through the mountains of Lebanon. When they arrived on American soil, those names became Raymond , and just like that, a thousand years of memory got folded into silence. I was raised Roman Catholic. My family was Maronite Catholic before that. I knew the prayers, the sacraments, the incense and holy water. But I didn’t know the stories of our people. I didn’t know our ancestral dialects, our folklore, or the way we used to touch the sacred before colonial borders were drawn and religion became a box. I Went Back to Find Myself I didn’t go looking for Islam out of religious interest. I went searching for Leb...

The Unfinished Business of Trauma: Why Your Body Needs to Shake and Cry We've all been told to "be strong," "hold it together," or "suck it up" in the face of a crisis. From a young age, many of us learn to suppress the raw, messy, and often loud physical reactions to overwhelming events. We clench our jaws, stifle our sobs, and force our trembling hands to be still. We see these reactions as signs of weakness, a failure to be in control. But what if that shaking, those tears, and that deep, shuddering breath aren't weaknesses at all? What if they are the body’s ancient, innate wisdom at work, trying to heal you in real time? A therapist once shared a powerful story with me. She was in a car accident—a terrifying moment of screeching tires, impact, and shattering glass. After ensuring everyone was physically unharmed and the immediate danger had passed, she pulled her car safely to the side of the road. And then, she did something remarkable. She d...

  Returning to Movement and Song: A Decolonized Path to Healing In today’s clinical landscape, healing often becomes confined to neat boxes—diagnoses, talk therapy, symptom management. However, for many, this structure does not fully capture what it means to be human, nor what it means to heal. Healing is more than talking; it’s remembering that, before therapy offices and diagnostic codes, we healed through the body, through song, through ritual, and community. Returning to Movement for Healing The body remembers what the mind forgets. Trauma, grief, loss—they live in muscle, fascia, posture, breath. When we sit still for too long, we trap these stories inside. Movement is the key to unlocking what has been frozen. In cultures around the world, healing has traditionally included movement, such as dance, walking meditations, and ritualized gestures. These are not simply physical acts—they are embodied expressions of pain, joy, grief, and hope. In returning to movement, we begin to ...

  Beyond the Bowel: How Eating More Fiber Can Boost Your Mental Health We all know fiber is good for us. We hear it in relation to heart health, keeping us "regular," and managing weight. But what if one of the most powerful benefits of this humble carbohydrate had less to do with our gut, and more to do with our head? Emerging science is revealing a fascinating and powerful connection between dietary fiber and our mental well-being, suggesting that what we feed our gut has a direct line to our brain. If you've been looking for a holistic way to support your mental health, it might be time to look at your plate. The Gut-Brain Axis: A Two-Way Street The foundation of this connection lies in what scientists call the gut-brain axis . This isn't science fiction; it's a complex, bidirectional communication network linking your central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord) with your enteric nervous system (the nervous system of your gastrointestinal tract). Think ...

  The statistics are stark and sobering: men are struggling with their mental health, often in silence. Globally, suicide rates are significantly higher for men than for women. In the United States, men die by suicide 3.85 times more often than women. This isn't just a statistic; it's a silent epidemic, a crisis that demands our attention and action. For generations, society has handed men a script that dictates they be strong, stoic, and self-reliant. This "man box" of traditional masculinity has left little room for emotional vulnerability. The pressure to suppress feelings, to "man up," has created a dangerous environment where asking for help is often seen as a sign of weakness. But the tide is beginning to turn. The Invisible Weight: Common Mental Health Challenges for Men While mental health conditions don't discriminate by gender, they can manifest differently in men. Recognizing these signs is the first step toward breaking the cycle of silence....

  Reclaiming Power: How Trust, Control, and Kink Can Support Trauma Healing For many trauma survivors, healing isn't just about moving on—it's about reclaiming power , reconnecting with the body, and restoring trust. While traditional therapies play a vital role, some individuals are finding healing through kink , particularly when it's rooted in consent, communication, and control . This might sound surprising at first. But the idea that kink—especially BDSM—can be therapeutic is supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed research . Kink as a Healing Modality Trauma often leaves people feeling disconnected from their bodies, silenced in their needs , or robbed of control. In consensual kink dynamics, those same areas are actively engaged—with intentional negotiation, trust, and choice . A 2022 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that participants who had experienced trauma reported feelings of empowerment, emotional regulation, and self-awareness thro...