Mary, therapist and SAFE EMDR practitioner at The Pursuit Counseling
If you’re someone who shows up for other people—day in, day out—this is for you.
If you’re the one who leads the classroom, runs the small group, keeps the team grounded, or checks in on your coworkers before checking in on yourself… this is for you.
You’re not burned out (yet), but something’s off.
You’re doing the work—but feeling like your roots are tangled.
You’re still growing—but something’s not landing the way it used to.
That feeling?
That might be your sign.
Not that something is wrong with you—but that it’s time to repot.
What I’ve Learned About Helpers (Because I Am One)
I work with a lot of people like you—educators, school counselors, youth pastors, support staff, caretakers. You’re thoughtful. Empathetic. High-capacity. The kind of person people go to when they need something steady.
But here’s the pattern I’ve seen over and over:
You’re so good at caring for others, you’ve forgotten how to care for yourself without guilt.
You’ve learned to minimize your own stress because someone else “has it worse.”
And somewhere along the way, you picked up the belief that you have to earn rest.
You don’t.
What EMDR Has to Do With It
A lot of the clients I work with don’t come in saying “I’ve experienced trauma.”
They say things like:
“I’m just really overwhelmed.”- “I can’t figure out why I’m so tired all the time.”
- “I know I should be fine… but I’m not.”
We carry beliefs that were shaped in quiet moments:
“I’m not enough.”
“I don’t matter as much as everyone else.”
“I can’t stop or everything will fall apart.”
EMDR gives us a way to work with those beliefs—not just logically, but physically.
Not to dig up your past or make you re-live pain, but to let your brain finally stop rehearsing it.
To give your nervous system a reset.
To make space for something else.
What Is SAFE EMDR?
I use a method called SAFE EMDR, which helps you tune into the signals your body sends when you’re feeling something—especially when words are hard to find.
It’s gentle.
It’s structured.
It meets you exactly where you are.
Through this work, I’ve seen clients sleep better.
Feel more connected to their partners.
Catch themselves responding differently in moments that used to shut them down.
Not because they’re “fixed”—but because they’re free.
Repotting Isn’t Dramatic. It’s Just Time.
When you repot a plant, you don’t do it because the plant is dying.
You do it because it’s outgrown the container it’s been living in.
It needs space. Light. Breath. Support.
The same goes for you.
You’re not broken.
You’ve just been holding it together in a system that’s no longer working.
You don’t need a breakdown. You need room to breathe.
If You’re a Helper Who’s Hit a Wall (Quietly)
I see you.
And I want you to know: you’re allowed to ask for support.
You’re allowed to have needs.
You’re allowed to grow, too.
You don’t have to do this alone.
And you don’t have to wait until you’re exhausted to start.
If any part of this feels familiar, I’d be honored to walk with you through this next season.
Let’s give your roots room to move again.
