Welcome to The Roundup - a monthly overview (and recap) of all the articles + content we’ve shared this month, plus reminders, updates + curated resources for you to save, download or pass along to someone who needs it!

As therapists we get lots of data that help us see what folks in our direct community are experiencing, how people are interacting with each other (on a micro and macro level), and the topics and issues on the top of people’s minds as they move through the world.

The major themes for this month (across the board) were:

Does everyone secretly hate me? This month we’ve seen a lot of folks dealing with social anxiety — overwhelming pressure to ‘get it right’ around others and a strong fear of being perceived negatively. This can sometimes be so debilitating and impactful that these worries can prevent us from connecting with others, going to work, or even doing things we usually enjoy.

Dealing with emotionally immature families: Many of us who grew up with emotionally immature caregivers who were unable to meet our needs may continue to struggle in adulthood with managing our own emotions and engaging the way we want to in our relationships. Remember that emotional maturity is not the absence of experiencing emotions, rather, it is the ability to experience, notice, and regulate in ways that foster healthy relationships and personal growth — and this is something that can be learned even in adulthood.

Body image struggles: With vacation, wedding, and outdoor gathering season officially upon us, this time of year can bring up complicated feelings about our bodies for many of us. If you’ve been feeling uncomfortable in your body lately, this is your gentle reminder that every body is a beach body and you don’t have to change anything about your body this summer.

Dread around the current state of the world: If things have not been feeling like business as usual for you, know that you’re definitely not alone. It seems like every day we’re inundated with awful news that just gets worse and worse with no end in sight. A quote we come back to time and time again in moments like this is:

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society” -J. Krishnamurti

Any of the above resonate? Drop your comments, questions and reflections below and tell us what’s on your mind. We gotchu.

👀 ICYMI: What we wrote about this month

Save & share, or bookmark for a rainy day read ☔️

• Rewriting Your Money Story: Healing Financial Trauma in Real Life 💸 — Our relationship with money is deeply personal, and is shaped by family history, cultural expectations, and systemic inequality. → Read more here

• Silly me, I almost forgot that feeling my grief is the point of it all. — On facing the tears and the messiness of healing. → Read more here

• Re‑Mothering ourselves in real time. — A gentle survival guide for folks facing Mother’s Day with an emotionally immature, estranged, or no‑contact parent. → Read more here

🌳 Bloom in The Media

When we’re not writing here, find us sharing our thoughts across social media and publications across the web 👩🏾‍💻

💜 Essence Magazine | After My Mother Died, I Used Her Wisdom To Parent Myself  — My mother was the most important person in my life. Using her sage advice, I am rebuilding myself after losing her. Written by Dominique Fluker. → Read online

 HuffPost | Is Your Resilience Actually Toxic? Here's How To Know When You Need A Break. — Our hustle culture only makes it harder to spot.Written by Jillian Wilson. → Read online

📖 Books we love & recommend 🤓

If you’ve ever wondered what your therapist is reading, or what books they really recommend, check out the latest in our series What’s On Your Therapist’s Bookshelf? Growing Pains readers get the full list we don’t share on IG, so tap in below and add a few to your TBR list (or bookmark this post for later!)

(Notion Link) ☞ Bloom Book Recommendations 🌷📚 (edits ongoing!)

📅 Where to find us: upcoming events

We’re practicing what we preach, and taking some time to rest up from the constant wheel of events. As a team we’re focusing this summer on both supporting the community and connecting to each other — stay tuned for more events to come soon and in the meantime watch this space 👀

💻 Digital reads & downloads: resources curated just for you

• [Article] Why I Think Being “High Maintenance” Needs A Rebrand

• [Article] The Surprising Ways That Siblings Shape Our Lives

Catch you next month.

With love,

The Bloom team 🤎

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