What's in a name?

Picture this: I am sitting in church with my family and my tooth falls out.  I absolutely LOSE it, and my mom rushes me to the bathroom.  I am inconsolable despite her many negotiations, and so in all of her parenting wisdom, she directs my attention to a bouquet of flowers on the sink ledge.  She asks me to breathe them in through my nose, and then blow out an imaginary candle that she "held" in her hands and she coined the now famous term (at least in my family!) "Birthday Breaths".

Birthday Breaths are the classic "in through your nose, out through your mouth" technique, now completely revolutionized for little me.  It became the staple of every other stressful moment after that: first day of school, doctor's appointments, new job orientations, and everything in between.

​So what do these breaths have to do with Daisy Counseling?  This calming tool has been at the heart of my life, both personally in my own mental health journey and professionally as I became a therapist.  It felt only fitting for her favorite flower to become the name of my practice.

Daisies also happen to represent new beginnings, which in a lot of ways, is what therapy can be.  It's a space to explore which parts of your story you are ready to leave behind, which aspects of yourself you want to nurture, and ultimately, who you want to become.

Looking back, it's funny how a small moment taught me something so lasting.  Life is full of moments that challenge us, and sometimes the smallest tools (say, for example, Birthday Breaths!) can make all the difference.  They remind me that even in big emotions, we can find a little calm, and maybe even a new beginning.

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