You Don’t Need Big Resolutions—You Just Need to Keep Going

As the new year approaches, you might feel pressure to set goals, make resolutions, or reinvent yourself. But what if the most powerful thing you could do is keep going? At Sprout Therapy PDX, we believe that survival, healing, and small, steady steps are worth more than any dramatic reset. You don’t need to overhaul your life to be making progress.

Therapy ProcessEmelie DouglasDecember 29, 2025new year reflections, anti-resolution, therapy Portland Oregon, inclusive therapy, trauma-informed therapy, identity-affirming therapy, mental health support, OHP therapy, self-compassion

Chosen Family Is Real Family

As the holidays roll in, many of us are asked—explicitly or silently—to perform connection. To return home. To make the best of strained relationships. But what if your family isn’t safe? What if your love doesn’t live at your childhood dinner table? For queer folks, trans folks, neurodivergent people, and trauma survivors, “family” often looks different. At Sprout Therapy PDX, we know that chosen family is real family.

Identity & InclusionEmelie DouglasDecember 22, 2025chosen family, queer mental health, LGBTQ holidays, therapy Portland Oregon, inclusive therapy, trauma-informed therapy, OHP therapy, identity-affirming therapy, family estrangement, holiday support

What Did Therapy Help You Survive This Year?

As the year winds down, you might be thinking about goals, plans, or what’s next. But before you leap ahead, we invite you to pause and reflect: What did therapy help you survive this year? Not just what you accomplished—but what you endured, healed, grieved, or made it through.

Therapy ProcessEmelie DouglasDecember 15, 2025therapy reflection, therapy progress, mental health support, trauma-informed therapy, therapy Portland Oregon, identity-affirming therapy, inclusive therapy, OHP therapy, surviving the year

You’re Not Obligated to Make the Holidays Magical

If you’re feeling pressure to make the holidays special for everyone else—while running on fumes yourself—you’re not alone. Many people, especially caregivers, parents, and those socialized to prioritize others, carry the unspoken expectation to “create magic” this time of year. At Sprout Therapy PDX, we want you to know: you’re not obligated to perform holiday joy. Your well-being matters too.

Seasonal SupportEmelie DouglasDecember 8, 2025holiday stress, emotional labor, burnout, perfectionism, therapy Portland Oregon, mental health support, inclusive therapy, identity-affirming therapy, OHP therapy, boundaries during holidays

Winter Doesn’t Have to Feel Like a Struggle: Mental Health & the Season Shift

As the days grow shorter and colder, you might find yourself feeling more tired, irritable, or disconnected—and wondering why. Winter can bring on big emotional shifts, especially for those navigating seasonal affective disorder (SAD), grief, depression, or burnout. But the problem isn’t you. It might just be the season. At Sprout Therapy PDX, we believe your mental health deserves care that honors the natural rhythm of winter.

Seasonal SupportEmelie DouglasDecember 1, 2025seasonal affective disorder, winter depression, SAD therapy Oregon, therapy Portland Oregon, trauma-informed therapy, mental health support, inclusive therapy, identity-affirming therapy, OHP therapy, low energy winter

Men Get Sad Too: Rethinking Strength and Mental Health

You’ve probably heard the messages your whole life: Be strong. Don’t cry. Handle it. For many men—and anyone raised with expectations of masculinity—these beliefs become barriers to emotional expression and mental health care. During Movember and Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re here to say: you’re allowed to feel. And getting support isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom.

Identity & InclusionEmelie DouglasNovember 24, 2025men's mental health, Movember, masculinity and mental health, therapy Portland Oregon, LGBTQ therapist Oregon, trauma-informed therapy, mental health support, inclusive therapy, identity-affirming therapy, OHP therapy

You’re Allowed to Grieve During the Holidays

The holiday season often arrives wrapped in expectations of joy, celebration, and togetherness. But for many, it’s a season of grief—grief for people who have died, identities we’ve left behind, families that aren’t safe, or versions of life we hoped to have. If this time of year brings more ache than cheer, you’re not broken. You’re human.

Seasonal Support, Grief & LossEmelie DouglasNovember 17, 2025grief, holiday grief, chosen family, trauma-informed therapy, family estrangement, inclusive therapy, LGBTQ therapist Oregon, OHP therapy, therapy Portland Oregon, mental health support, identity-affirming therapy

How to Protect Your Peace This Holiday Season (Even When the Darkness Creeps In)

The holidays are supposed to be joyful, cozy, and connected. But for many people, this time of year brings more stress than celebration—especially when paired with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), social pressure, and complex family dynamics. At Sprout Therapy PDX, we want you to know: you’re not alone if you’re dreading the holiday season. You deserve to protect your peace.

Seasonal SupportEmelie DouglasNovember 10, 2025therapy Portland Oregon, mental health support, inclusive therapy, identity-affirming therapy, OHP therapy, trauma-informed therapy, LGBTQ therapist Oregon, holiday stress, seasonal affective disorder, LGBTQ+ mental health, family boundaries, SAD support