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Greetings! This is my belated New Years Newsletter. Now it’s a Late-letter, if you will. I meant to write this over the holiday break and release her into the wild right around January 1 along with all the other New Year’s intentions, resolutions, and wishful thinking that tends to launch en masse on or around the beginning of every new calendar year. But then all that rain came and kept coming. There was water to bail by the bucketful, followed by baking to do, seasonally scented candles to enjoy, and oh so many holiday movies to watch. When the rain paused, I absolutely had to take my dog and my children and myself out of the house to see how much vitamin D we could get on a cloudy day. I still don’t know about the D, but wow did we see some RAINBOWS! I hope you did, too. Anyways, this better-late-than-never Newsletter is the launch of a quarterly offering; love letters to you including bits of information and support, along with any relevant professional announcements, no more than four times a year. For example, I’m excited to share that I am facilitating not one, but two weekly Therapeutic Writing groups. In person in Solvang on Mondays, and online on Fridays over zoom. I will hold space and provide some inspiration, and you will Write Your Heart Out. If you would benefit from some guidance and companionship around writing for deeper knowing, please email me (erin@erinpollaromft.com) for more info or to sign up. Why this late Newsletter, or new Lateletter, you may rightfully be wondering. Well, it was among my New Year’s Intentions to integrate more writing into my life, both personally and professionally. As AI so conveniently and eerily accomplishes more and more jobs that writers have traditionally performed, I want to be proactive about claiming and preserving this beneficial practice before it disappears along with my ability to memorize phone numbers, or our tolerance for wondering about things before we just “searched up” the answer to every arising curiosity. Writing as an exercise can help foster insight and release stress. When we write “beyond what we already know” as one of my teachers recently coached, we find that writing can be a powerful tool for discovery, healing, and growth. With just a pen and some paper, or maybe a keyboard, together with a little quiet time and a smidge of intention, we can use writing to delve into our own deeper knowing. Writing about my own life experiences— the things that have entertained, inspired or confused me, as well as those which upset, scared me, or even scarred me— writing out these thoughts, feelings and experiences, originally because I thought I would share with others what I had learned from them actually led to deeper understanding for myself. I thought the writing journey was in service of others, “in case my stories help someone else find understanding and self-compassion.” But I wound up discovering those things for myself and coming away from my written stories with expanded kindness, truer acceptance, and surer knowing. And a remembrance of the power of writing itself. If you’ve made it this far, I appreciate your time, attention and consideration; sincerely. I realize it may feel unexpected and possibly even unwelcome to discover this note from me in your inbox. I know this form of communication will be outside of the norm for us, because, well, I’ve never done anything like this before! Which makes it a bit scary for me, truthfully, but it’s a variation of fear that makes doing a thing feel brave. Thank you for letting me practice courage on you! That said, if you do not wish to receive future letters from me containing both musings and offerings much like this one, please don’t hesitate to unsubscribe. As always, I encourage you to take only what’s helpful and leave the rest. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the stress, overwhelm, and heartache that so many of us are feeling in response to a range of devastating current events that are dominating headlines and occupying our minds. I believe that any and all of your feelings are valid and I’m confident that you are coping the very best you can. Individual self-care, relational connection and local community wellness can seem granular when compared to national unrest and global instability. And yet it is crucial— during these times especially— that we nurture ourselves and each other. Fuel your fortitude, whatever that means for you. For me, that’s meant hunkering down, listening to rain, and searching for rainbows. And now it means reaching out to each of you, if for no other reason to say Hi, I’m here, and I hope you are well. Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful winter; may you have everything you need to thrive. See you in group or wherever I typically get to see you, and/or I’ll be in touch again in the spring. Around the equinox, weather permitting.
Erin Pollaro
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
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