From Chaos to Clarity: What Seizures Taught Me About Resilience

A Note Before We Start
The healthcare system in the U.S. is far from perfect, but I believe it's trying. I’m not anti-medication—in fact, I think medication can be life-changing for some people. But as a therapist, I encourage everyone to feel empowered and in control of their medical choices. Sometimes medications work beautifully, and sometimes they don’t. I’ve experienced both sides of that coin.

Let’s Dive In

My life was hunky dory—until it wasn’t. Out of seemingly nowhere, I had a grand mal seizure during a family vacation and ended up in a hospital in Rome. That’s where I was first put on anti-seizure medication. Things quickly spiraled after that. My grades dropped, my mood took a nosedive, and I felt like I was falling apart.

I leaned into partying as a way to cope—chaotic, emotional, impulsive, and mischievous. Life at home and school felt overwhelming, but what scared me most was what was going on inside my own mind and body. I didn’t have the tools to understand it all at the time.

As my seizures continued, doctors experimented with medication after medication, mixing and matching in hopes of helping me. But instead of getting better, I got worse. Two medications in particular triggered side effects that threw my mental health into a full-blown crisis. It took me a while to connect the dots, but eventually, I realized those meds were amplifying my struggles. Sure, I’d never been the poster child for emotional stability, but this was different—these medications were wreaking havoc on my brain and body.

Thankfully, I wasn’t navigating this journey alone. With the support of therapists and loved ones, I worked on my mental health, processed trauma, and started to grow in ways I never thought possible. But the real breakthrough came when I finally switched epilepsy medications. It felt like a fog lifted. Suddenly, all the inner work I’d been doing—despite the side effects—revealed its full impact. It was like I’d been training at high altitude without even knowing it, and now I could breathe deeply and run freely.

Through this experience, I’ve come to trust something powerful: intuition. For years, my gut told me that particular medication wasn’t right for me, but I ignored it. Now, I see intuition as a guide—a force we may never fully understand but one we should trust when it speaks. It leads us toward authenticity and love.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the therapists and healers who stuck by me during my hardest moments. Like marathon coaches, they prepared me for a life I didn’t even know I could have. Their belief in me, even when I couldn’t see it for myself, was life-changing.

Looking back, I’m even grateful for the challenges those medical missteps created. They gave me the ability to sit with clients in their pain and believe deeply in their capacity to heal. Whether someone is struggling with trauma, genetics, bad luck, or something else entirely, I know transformation is possible.

Traditional talk therapy often overlooks the deep connection between mind and body. But the truth is, healing happens when we embrace both. As a psychotherapist, I’m here to help you explore that connection—to see how your mind and body work as one.

Healing isn’t pretty, and it’s definitely not perfect. But you don’t have to pretend or hold it all together anymore. I’m here to walk this journey with you. I’ve been there, too. I know what it’s like to feel like your mind is your biggest enemy—but I also know it’s possible to make peace and thrive.