<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Emotional Alchemy Co.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Emotional Alchemy Co]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/my-blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:40:05 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[How I Reverse-Psychology’d My Own Brain ]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you would’ve told me a few years ago that assuming the best intention  would become one of the most regulating skills in my relationships, I would’ve laughed. Hard. As someone who lives with a sensitive nervous system, big emotions, and a lifelong fear of disappointing people, this skill felt almost… delusional. Why would I assume the best  when my brain had already spent years preparing for the worst? But learning this skill—both through my own healing work and as a counseling...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/how-i-reverse-psychology-d-my-own-brain</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6933533f4f0e700bce2fd09c</guid><pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:12:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_ff4714b118de468c9504597f4b9aa213~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Rebuild Self-Trust When You’ve Spent Years in Survival Mode]]></title><description><![CDATA[Self-trust sounds simple until you try to practice it. If you grew up needing to anticipate other people’s reactions… If you learned to avoid conflict at all costs… If your nervous system adapted to chaos, inconsistency, or emotional neglect… Then trusting yourself isn’t second nature; it’s a skill you were never taught. Most people don’t realize this, but self-trust isn’t a personality trait. It’s not something you either “have” or “don’t have.” It’s a nervous system experience  that...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/how-to-rebuild-self-trust-when-you-ve-spent-years-in-survival-mode</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6933562104019cd6c2c9e45e</guid><pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:04:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_1b91e20480df4dd9ab20070f9c384904~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Green Therapy: How Nature Heals the Soul]]></title><description><![CDATA[In today's fast-paced world, where screens demand our attention and an instant dopamine hit is one click away, many of us have become disconnected from nature. Have you heard of the saying, "Go touch grass"? Well, it turns out that isn't just a passive aggressive way to tell someone to chill the eff out, but there is some truth behind it. Research shows that spending time outdoors isn't just a nice break from daily life but shows positive trends relational to the reduction of stress and...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/green-therapy-how-nature-heals-the-soul</link><guid isPermaLink="false">691758850dbc57ddd097b551</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:28:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_e84598d826b04a30b70df1c93085269d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What No One Tells You About Starting Therapy (But I Will)]]></title><description><![CDATA[So, you’ve decided to start therapy. Congratulations! That’s a huge  step, and you deserve a trophy, a nap, or maybe a sweet treat. But here’s the thing no one really prepares you for: therapy is amazing… but also awkward, messy, weirdly exhausting, and sometimes makes you cry over something unexpected.  Let’s talk about it. 1. You Might Overshare Immediately or Say Nothing at All Some people come in hot — “Here’s my childhood trauma, my breakup playlist, and a color-coded list of reasons I’m...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/what-no-one-tells-you-about-starting-therapy-but-i-will</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6917582d1f80f6e25f6133c6</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:27:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_c7894498819b4864bb3e44289707732f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Letter to the High-Functioning but Hollowed Out]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dear Reader, You probably don’t think this letter is for you. You’re busy. You’re booked. You’re composed. People turn to you when shit hits the fan. The one who can “handle it.” You get things done. You show up. You smile when you’re supposed to. You joke just enough so no one asks the hard questions. You function. But I know that, underneath all that… you’re tired. Not just physically, but soul-tired. That kind of ache you can’t sleep off. That kind of hollow that sneaks in when the world...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/a-letter-to-the-high-functioning-but-hollowed-out</link><guid isPermaLink="false">691757dfca5e1f678b2de1e5</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:25:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_4d8b6b7ae21949f7b588c13a225147bb~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Actually Rest When You’re Used to Hustling Through Pain]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let me guess: You tell yourself, “I’ll rest when it’s done.” But “done” never really comes. There’s always something else, right? And even when you do get a free hour, you sit down… and feel weirdly guilty. Or twitchy. Or like you should be doing something productive.  Because rest isn’t rest when your nervous system is stuck in go-mode. If that’s you, hi there. You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’ve just been surviving. So here’s a soft guide. Not a list of “fixes.” Just some invitations...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/how-to-actually-rest-when-you-re-used-to-hustling-through-pain</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6917577eac91d0c222da1ca8</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:24:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_8f0530321e964a0c8a5740fb7a3badb9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[TikTok Therapy, Trauma Dumping, and the Rise of the Armchair Psych]]></title><description><![CDATA[Somewhere along the line, we went from “I feel overwhelmed.” To: “My nervous system is dysregulated because your anxious attachment style is invalidating my boundaries.” Don’t get me wrong, as a therapist-in-training, I love that people are finally talking more about mental health. For years, mental illness and emotional struggle were whispered about (if acknowledged at all). Now you can open Instagram and get a full rundown on the polyvagal theory, inner child healing, and what it means...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/tiktok-therapy-trauma-dumping-and-the-rise-of-the-armchair-psych</link><guid isPermaLink="false">691756d8d87a8b897640052b</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:22:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_06c1e7125f384e8dbace55081c5c1f1a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Let’s Talk Boundaries: The Difference Between Compassion and People Pleasing]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Of course setting boundaries feels uncomfortable - you were taught that love means abandoning yourself.” That quote hit me in the gut the first time I heard it. As someone who’s spent years untangling the difference between showing up for others and disappearing into them, I want to talk about a quiet but essential part of healing: boundaries. Not the kind you post about once and forget. I mean the deep, soul-stretching kind. The ones that might make your voice shake when you speak them out...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/let-s-talk-boundaries-the-difference-between-compassion-and-people-pleasing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6917561cd87a8b89764003a0</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:19:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_657f1d5dbc4746249d79a96df843c0f6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reclaiming Empathy: Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Strength, and the Latino Narrative]]></title><description><![CDATA[Care Note:  This post touches on cultural trauma and community grief. If you’re in a tender place today, please read gently. Take breaks. Come back when you’re ready. Your healing matters, too. “When you're only seen through a lens of labor, crime, or poverty — there’s no space left for softness, sadness, grief, or joy.” Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about empathy—about how, somewhere along the way, it got labeled as weakness. Especially when you come from a marginalized background. The...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/reclaiming-empathy-emotional-intelligence-cultural-strength-and-the-latino-narrative</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69175593ca5e1f678b2ddd09</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:16:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_41f2ac459f774396b9a63a126bde0d79~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Beyond Boundaries: What Kendra Hilty’s Story Teaches Us About Ethical Care]]></title><description><![CDATA[A deeply personal story is unfolding on TikTok, one that’s sparked widespread conversation and reflection around mental health, ethics, and the evolving nature of therapeutic relationships.  Kendra Hilty, an ADHD coach and wellness practitioner, has gone viral for documenting her years-long emotional entanglement with her psychiatrist. But it’s not just the blurred lines between patient and provider that have caught the internet’s attention; it’s the way Kendra processes that experience:...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/beyond-boundaries-what-kendra-hilty-s-story-teaches-us-about-ethical-care</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69175521ac91d0c222da179e</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:14:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_b9561619b24b4e03a15ff019ead6d6a7~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Diagnosing Womanhood: How Psych Has Misunderstood Women’s Mental Health]]></title><description><![CDATA[Trigger Warning   This post discusses misogyny in psychiatry, emotional invalidation, and women’s mental health struggles, including PMDD. Some content may be distressing for those with lived experiences of medical trauma or dismissal. Mental health has long been seen as a field of healing, but when we peel back the clinical curtain, what we often find is a deeply gendered, and sometimes misogynistic, history. From the days of “female hysteria” to the modern dismissal of PMDD and other...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/diagnosing-womanhood-how-psych-has-misunderstood-women-s-mental-health</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69175488973bdd08dc7ba3de</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:12:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_f36f195155154a73af8174fcddbf674a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[AI Infidelity: When Emotional Betrayal Comes in Algorithmic Form]]></title><description><![CDATA[This week in my counseling program, we were asked to explore a modern issue shaping today’s families—something that didn’t exist a decade ago but now quietly affects relationships everywhere. I kept circling back to one question: what does infidelity look like in the age of artificial intelligence? That curiosity led me down a fascinating (and unsettling) rabbit hole—one filled with AI companions, emotional intimacy with algorithms, and the way technology is rewriting the rules of connection....]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/transform-your-emotions-strategies-for-lasting-change</link><guid isPermaLink="false">691750cff72649b5993c974b</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:54:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_c003eabe3bdf4b998924698d1b91125c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Living on the Border(line): What It’s Really Like (and What It Definitely Isn’t)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Content Warning:  Includes discussion of BPD symptoms, emotional intensity, and common misconceptions. Mentions of trauma, rejection sensitivity, and identity struggles. Read with care if you’re in a vulnerable headspace. Let’s just say it upfront: Yes, I have Borderline Personality Disorder . It’s kind of like being emotionally allergic to life sometimes, but we’re managing. I say that with love, humor, and just a sprinkle  of exhaustion, because if you’ve ever told someone you have BPD, you...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/unlocking-emotional-growth-through-self-discovery-techniques</link><guid isPermaLink="false">691750c5ca5e1f678b2dd19f</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:54:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_e8383b90236f4d609d8e96179f8a8b3e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Men’s Mental Health Matters: Challenging the Emotional Cost of Masculinity]]></title><description><![CDATA[T rigger Warning  This post discusses men’s mental health, emotional trauma, and suicide. Please read with care and take space if needed. When we talk about patriarchy, we often discuss how it harms women, and rightfully so. But there’s another truth that deserves just as much attention: patriarchy is killing men, too. Not in the obvious, external way, but slowly, silently, internally. Men are dying by suicide at alarming rates. They’re under-diagnosed, under-treated, and emotionally isolated...]]></description><link>https://georgiavarela2000.wixsite.com/emotional-alchemy-co/post/navigating-emotional-challenges-tools-for-personal-transformation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">691750c4f72649b5993c972f</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:54:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9e640_daddfbb7d1a649ba899e35415d1fc170~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gia Varela</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>