Welcome to the Monarch’s Wellness Blog, where we talk about what it really means to heal, grow, and care for yourself.
You’ll find therapist insights, reflections from other professionals, and gentle reminders that you’re not alone in the ups and downs of life.
Our hope is that something here helps you breathe a little easier, feel a little lighter, and take one small step toward balance and peace.
When the Body Says No: What 25 Years in Medicine and My Own Health Journey Have Taught Me By Dr. Maribel “Bella” Khoury-Shaar, MDCollaborating Physician, Monarchs Therapy For more than 25 years, I have had the privilege of practicing primary care medicine. Like most physicians, I was trained to listen
Are You Losing Yourself in Your Relationships? Let’s Talk About Self-Abandonment Written by Lauren M. Liddle, MA Have you ever said “yes” while everything inside of you was screaming no? Maybe you agreed to plans when you were exhausted. Maybe you told someone, “It’s fine,” because explaining why it wasn’t
What Does It Mean to “Process” Something in Therapy? By Allison L. Rivers, ASW — Mental Health Therapist What Does “Processing” Actually Mean? You may have heard people talk about “processing” things in therapy. Processing a breakup.Processing something that happened in childhood.Processing grief, a difficult relationship, or an experience they
Let’s Talk About SSRIs (Yes, Really) By Dr. Maribel “Bella” Khoury, MD Board-Certified Family Physician | Integrative & Mindful Medicine Approach Published March 14, 2026 Let’s start with something that still surprises people when I say it out loud: I take an SSRI. There. I said it. For some people,
When Birth Doesn’t Go as Planned By Tiffany Castillejo, APCC — Mental Health TherapistPublished February 1st, 2026 The Complexity of Becoming a Parent To have children or not to have children is rarely a simple decision. For many people, the path to parenthood, whatever form that takes, is layered with
Healing Isn’t About Perfection: What Kintsugi Taught Me About Emotional Repair By Rizza J. Abuan, AMFT — Mental Health Therapist Published January 15, 2026 Welcome to Monarchs Therapy — and welcome back to those who already know us.My name is Rizza, and I’m part of the Monarchs team. I was asked to
By Judith A. Verduzco, LCSW — Therapist & Founder of Monarchs TherapyPublished November 1, 2025 As 2025 begins to wind down, I’ve been sitting with a thought I came across on social media. I remember reading it and thinking, wow… yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense. The idea
By Judith A. Verduzco, LCSW — Therapist & Founder of Monarchs TherapyPublished November 1, 2025 Music has always been part of my life—the background hum of long drives, lazy Sundays, cleaning days, BBQs, and those quiet moments when you just need to feel. Or dance it off, for that matter.
By Judith A. Verduzco, LCSW — Therapist and Founder of Monarchs TherapyPublished October 15, 2025 I love this time of year — the colors of fall, the cozy sweaters, the glowing pumpkins, the smell of cinnamon candles (and yes, the excuse to buy yet another mug I definitely don’t need).
By Judith A. Verduzco, LCSW — Therapist and Founder of Monarchs TherapyPublished September 2025 The First Time I Had a Panic Attack I was 23 years old, one semester away from graduating from Cal State Northridge, when I had my first panic attack. I was sitting in a Chicano Studies
By Maribel (Bella) Khoury Shaar, MD — Primary Care Physician and Psychiatry Fellow CandidatePublished August 2025 Why I Started Volunteering When I helped charter the Rotary Club of Mental Health & Wellness, my goal was simple: to give back. I wanted to support mental health projects and help others find
By Judith A. Verduzco, LCSW — Therapist and Founder of Monarchs Therapy Published July 2025 Why Monarchs Matter to Me For me, the monarch butterfly isn’t just a logo — it’s part of my story growing up. As a young child, I would often spend summers in Michoacán, Mexico with
