October 1, 2026 If shame says, "Something is wrong with me," self-compassion answers, "Something painful is happening, and I can meet it without abandoning/insulting/betraying myself." In the first part of this reflection,(https://www.catalinauribekling.com/post/when-shame-wants-to-become-your-identity) I wrote about how shame can become identity. How it can take pain, disappointment, fear, or failure and turn them into a global conclusion about who we Are. The question that

September 28, 2026 There is a voice that can become very loud in moments of darkness. It says: You are not good enough. You are a failure. There is something terribly wrong with you. When that voice takes over, it can feel as though everyone else can see it too. As though your "shortcomings" are obvious, your "brokenness" is visible, and the distance between who you are and who you think you should be is so wide it can never be crossed. What Shame Does Shame does not just tel

Catalina Uribe-Kling September 19, 2026 I have never believed that my job is to fix anyone. Not because I lack tools. Not because I do not care. But because the people who walk into my office are not broken. They have simply forgotten (as we all do) what they already are. What I Actually Do I sit. I listen. I love. Even when the story in the room is heavy, even when neither of us knows the why. I can hold great amounts of pain. Not because I have answers, but because I know t

September 16, 2026 The same room feels different after an argument. The same body, lighter or heavier, depending on what story you are telling yourself about it. The same person in front of you: a stranger, a beloved, a threat, all depending on the lens you have chosen, or the lens you have inherited without knowing. This is not a trick of perception. This is the structure of reality itself. The Reality We Build We do not experience the world as it is. We experience the world

Setting Boundaries in Immigrant Families For many people who grew up in Spanish-speaking immigrant families, or who are the children of bicultural immigrants, boundaries are not just about communication. They can also touch something much deeper: love, loyalty, identity, belonging, and responsibility. From the outside, setting a boundary may look simple. It may mean saying no, asking for space, making a different choice, or expressing a personal need. But internally, that sam

People pleasing is often misunderstood as a personality trait, but it can actually be a trauma response or childhood survival strategy. Many protective patterns that helped us stay safe, loved, or accepted as children can follow us into adulthood, where they begin to create self-abandonment, anxiety, and disconnection from our true needs. Many of the ways we struggle as adults are not signs that something is wrong with us. They are often signs that something in us learned, lo

People pleasing and self-abandonment often begin with the pressure to be "good." Learn how compliance disconnects you from your authentic self, joy, and inner truth. For much of our lives, the highest praise we can receive is that we are "good." A good child, a good partner, a good friend, a good worker. But if we look closely, what does "being good" actually mean? In most cases, it has nothing to do with deep moral integrity. It is simply a code word for being agreeable, com

Have you ever felt like you can't bring your whole self into your own life? As if, to keep the peace or gain acceptance, you had to leave a part of yourself at the door. It’s not just you, and there is nothing wrong with you. What you are feeling is the weight of programming you received a long time ago. Since childhood, we were taught to please. We were shown that having value meant staying within certain limits: satisfying others, not making too much noise, not making anyon

When stress spikes, your body is trying to protect you. “Resourcing” means giving your nervous system enough cues of safety and support that it can soften, re-center, and choose rather than react. These three practices are simple, kind, and doable almost anywhere. Go slowly; less is more. If anything feels off, pause and return to what’s neutral or pleasant. Orient to safety (30–90 seconds) What it does: Signals “I’m here, and I’m safe enough” to your midbrain, easing fight/f

By Catalina Uribe-Kling Many of us carry invisible weights.They don’t always look heavy on the outside, but inside, they tug quietly at every decision we make.These are the unspoken expectations : the cultural, familial, and emotional “shoulds” that shape how we move through life. For many Latinos living in the United States, those expectations can feel strong. We often grow up with deep family values, for example, caring for others, making parents proud, being resilient, sta

Creating the Reality You Desire We all hold the ability to create new experiences for ourselves with awareness, unequivocally believing in yourself and imagination. I want to invite you to practice the The Call from Future Self exercise so that you can step into the powerful creative space within you; where your body, mind, and spirit already know how to live with ease, love, and peace. When you imagine the life you desire as already being your reality, your system begins to

Most people experience periods of depression, anxiety, or emotional emptiness, wondering when the spark went out of daily life. What we call depression is much more than sadness; it’s a disconnection from our true self. We move through routines, meet expectations, and live by the “shoulds” we inherited from family, culture, religion and society. Gradually, we can lose touch with the part of us that knows joy and a fully embodied peace. This programming runs deep. Amongst many

Reflections on immigration, third culture identity, and the search for belonging. By Catalina Uribe-Kling, LMFT Some people grow up rooted in one place. One language, one cultural rhythm, one clear sense of where they belong. Others grow up between worlds. They carry more than one language in their bodies. They move between cultural codes without always noticing. They may feel deeply at home in multiple places, and yet sometimes nowhere entirely. For many immigrants, second g

By Catalina Uribe-Kling, LMFT Compassion, kindness and mindfulness are essential tools to living motherhood with wellness and as much...