That I’m carrying into 2025.

2024 was quite a whirlwind. Though my own writing has taken a backseat during this busy season, I’ll rely on the experts to guide us into the new year with a solid foundation and a renewed sense of hope. Here are a few of my favorites … you may notice that much of my 2024 work focused on neurodivergence, parenting, and systemic shame!

“There’s a very common, pervasive misunderstanding that shame is an effective strategy to change behavior. And actually the opposite is true. Shaming pushes people farther into emotional states and patterns of behavior that are destructive to self and others.” – Shira Sameroff

“Sometimes I wake up and have to remind myself there is nothing wrong with me. I have patterns to learn, new behaviors to embody, and wounds to heal, but there is nothing wrong with me. And the core of who I am.” – Yolo Achille Robinson

“Generally speaking, relationships with parents that include responsiveness, warmth, predictability, and repair when things feel bad set a child up to have a secure base. A child who sees a parent as his secure base feels a sense of safety in the world” – Dr. Becky Kennedy

“Systems do not maintain themselves; even our lack of intervention is an act of maintenance. Every structure in every society is upheld by the active and passive assistance of other human beings.” – Sonya Renee Taylor

“Systemic shame is something that I see as a political force that involves offloading the blame for systemic problems and telling the individuals most affected by it, this is your fault.” – Shira Sameroff

“Grind culture is violence and violence creates trauma. We have been traumatized deeply.” – Tricia Hersey

“Many parents see behavior as the measure of who our kids are, rather than using behavior as a clue to what our kids might need.” – Dr. Becky Kennedy

“I just hope that more people will ignore the fatalism of the argument that we are beyond repair. We are not beyond repair. We are never beyond repair.” – AOC

Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional therapy. For therapeutic treatment, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional.

If you or someone you know would like support, and you don’t know where to start with healing, I am here for you. Set up a free, 15 minute consultation by visiting Whippoorwill Counseling.