Seshio

Your brain isn't broken. It's just untrained.

ADHD myths we're still fighting: "just for kids," "just laziness," "only hyper boys."

New myths: "everyone's a little ADHD," "TikTok symptoms = diagnosis."

Let's separate the hype from the neurodiversity.

What makes a good therapist for you?

Not a good therapist in general. Not what Instagram says. For you specifically—what matters? What's your green flag? What's a dealbreaker?

Let's hear it. Your answer might help someone else figure out what they need.

Starting therapy? First month isn't about breakthroughs. It's about building safety, learning patterns, and setting your pace.

Progress shows up as subtle shifts—better sleep, less self-blame—before the big stuff moves. You're not behind. You're just starting.

Shadow work isn't about your "dark side." It's about integrating the parts you've been taught to hide.

What's suppressed doesn't disappear—it shows up as tension, reactivity, patterns. Healing isn't about cutting those parts off. It's about bringing them back.

Burnout looks calmer when it rains.

The "laid-back PNW" myth tells people they should be fine in a place this beautiful. But still waters don't mean still minds. Regional stereotypes don't erase struggle—they just make it harder to name.

Integration over elimination.

Healing isn't about cutting parts of yourself off. It's about listening to what they're trying to say.

Your body remembers. Systems shape you. Community holds you. Real therapy integrates all three.

What book helped you see through the wellness industry BS? Always looking for new recs.

Statement card with decorative green leaf-pattern border and cream textured background. Purple header text reads "SESHIO TOOLKIT | BOOKS THAT TELL THE TRUTH." Large bold red condensed sans-serif text dominates left side reading "A SESHIO TOOLKIT IS ABOUT REAL TOOLS FOR REAL PEOPLE." Below in blue handwritten text: "THE KIND THAT QUESTION SYSTEMS AS MUCH AS THEY SOOTHE SOULS." Right side shows four book covers arranged vertically: "Trick Mirror" (yellow/pink at top), "Disability Visibility" (geometric colors), "Burnout" (black/hot pink), and "The Collected Schizophrenias" (swirled patterns at bottom). Bottom right corner features "HEALING @" in red handwritten text above "Seshio" in black bold text with ".org" in smaller purple text. Design philosophy statement positions reading as active resistance rather than passive consumption—these books are tools for systemic critique as much as personal healing.

Book recommendation card with decorative green leaf-pattern border and cream textured background. Purple header text reads "CRITICAL THINKING | CULTURAL AWARENESS." Large black handwritten-style quote states "We trade authenticity for a performance of self-improvement" attributed to excerpt from "Trick Mirror" by Jia Tolentino. Left side shows the book cover—bright golden yellow background with bold hot pink and coral text reading "Trick Mirror" and "Jia Tolentino" with "reflections on self delusion" in smaller text, featuring a white circular "New York Times bestseller" badge and black circular award seal at bottom, plus white diamond shapes in corners giving playing card aesthetic. Right side contains black serif text explaining: "A sharp look at how the wellness industry monetizes insecurity & how to notice when 'help' feels like a hustle." Bottom right features red handwritten text "CHECK OUT MORE BOOKS" with arrow. Design uses bold color blocking and mixed typography.

Book recommendation card with decorative green leaf-pattern border and cream textured background. Purple header text reads "NARRATIVE HEALING | TRUTH TELLING." Large black handwritten-style quote states "Illness is not metaphor. Its biography" attributed to excerpt from "The Collected Schizophrenias" by Esmé Weijun Wang. Left side shows the book cover featuring vibrant swirling patterns in blue, gold, red, and coral with a white circular center containing the title "THE COLLECTED SCHIZOPHRENIAS ESSAYS" by Esmé Weijun Wang, noting "WINNER OF THE GRAYWOLF PRESS NONFICTION PRIZE" with black spine visible. Right side contains black serif text explaining: "Deeply personal essays on mental illness, identity, and recovery that resist neat narratives or inspirational tropes." Bottom right features red handwritten text "CHECK OUT MORE BOOKS" with arrow. Design combines accessibility with artistic sophistication, using the book's striking abstract cover art to visually represent the complexity.

Book recommendation card with decorative green leaf-pattern border and cream textured background. Purple header text reads "INCLUSION | REPRESENTATION." Large black handwritten-style quote states "Our stories are our activism" attributed to excerpt from "Disability Visibility" edited by Alice Wong. Left side shows the book cover featuring bold geometric design with overlapping triangular shapes in hot pink, purple, teal, yellow, and other bright colors creating dynamic angular composition. White irregular shape in center contains title "Disability Visibility FIRST-PERSON STORIES FROM THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY" with "EDITED BY Alice Wong" at bottom in black and yellow. Praise quote at top from Gaelynn Lea. Right side contains black serif text explaining: "Thirty-six essays reframing disability as identity, culture & power. A reminder that 'wellness' shouldn't erase difference." Bottom right features red handwritten text "CHECK OUT MORE BOOKS" with arrow.

Drowning in mental health awareness content that's just toxic positivity with a therapy rebrand? Here's our anti-wellness reading list: books that tell the actual truth about stress, systems, and who profits from your "self-improvement." 📚

Sometimes you can understand your trauma perfectly and still feel stuck in your body.

That's because trauma doesn't live only in your thoughts—it lives in your nervous system.

Somatic therapy works where talk therapy can't always reach. Your body gets a vote in how you heal.

Therapy myth: "Good therapy should feel comfortable all the time."

Reality: Growth lives at the edge of discomfort. Sometimes good therapy feels hard—but there's a difference between being challenged and being harmed.

You deserve both safety and growth.

Not every seed becomes a harvest. Not every bloom lasts. Growth can be quiet, hidden, tired.

October asks: what actually took root? Boundaries? Rest? A shift in perspective?

Notice what grew—even if it's messy or incomplete.

"Día de los Muertos Playlist" graphic featuring an ornately decorated sugar skull wearing headphones. The skull has traditional floral patterns in pink, orange, and teal. Musical notes float around it against a turquoise background with papel picado banners. Orange marigold flowers and candles surround the skull. Vibrant colors: red, turquoise, orange, cream, pink. Text reads "Music for Honoring What We've Lost." Combines traditional Día de los Muertos imagery with modern music culture.

You don't heal from grief by forgetting. You heal by remembering in ways that keep you connected. 🕯️

Start with Chavela Vargas "La Llorona," add Juan Gabriel's "Amor Eterno," end with cumbia. Let grief + joy share space. 🌼

What song makes you feel seen? Drop your recs below.

Idea: Make a playlist of songs that validate your feelings without trying to fix them. Because sometimes "it's gonna be okay" isn't what you need to hear. Sometimes you need "yeah, this is legitimately hard." 🎧

What's one thing you're carrying into November?

Mixed-media collage on gray textured background featuring central black and white photograph of figure in white sheet ghost costume with eye holes, creating classic Halloween ghost appearance. Figure is surrounded by layered collage elements: orange, yellow, and coral geometric shapes; purple spray paint marks; torn newspaper text fragments; autumn foliage photographs; purple mask illustration in upper right. Two cream-colored torn paper pieces overlay image—top left features black handwritten text "OCTOBER WRAP-UP:" and bottom right shows orange handwritten text "WHAT WE LEARNED →" Above the black box in bottom right corner: "@SESHIOFOLK" in white text. Design aesthetic blends punk zine energy with contemplative tone, using ghost figure as visual metaphor for themes of masking, hidden selves, and authenticity explored throughout October. Layered collage technique suggests complexity and multiplicity of experience. Autumn elements (orange leaves, seasonal colors) root image

October lessons: Masking isn't always bad (it's often survival). "Fun" can be exhausting. Authenticity ≠ exposure. Integration > performance. Wellness culture is often anti-wellness. Validation > rushing to solutions. You're not a problem to fix. 👻

Halloween question: which "costumed" part of you only gets airtime one night a year? Your anger? Your chaos? Your gender that doesn't fit boxes? Integration > performance. Let the hidden parts breathe. They showed up for good reasons. 🎃

What's your "I'm tapped out" strategy during holiday season?

Bright orange textured background with yellow text at top reading "A Seshio FIELD GUIDE." Center features four rounded square icons with pink borders containing simple illustrations on blue/purple/green backgrounds: top left shows tilted open book with black spine on blue, top right shows crescent moon with white stars on blue, bottom left shows white coffee mug with steam on purple, bottom right shows yellow sun with blue rays and black silhouetted figure resting against gradient blue-green sky. Large yellow condensed sans-serif text across center reads "WHEN HALLOWEEN 'FUN' FEELS OVERWHELMING" with "FUN" in quotation marks. Bottom features black handwritten text: "A MINI SURVIVAL LIST FOR THE OVER-STIMULATED, UNDER-RESTED + SOCIALLY GHOSTING" with arrow pointing right. Design uses playful icons (rest, nighttime, caffeine, burnout) to visually represent states of overwhelm while maintaining accessible, non-judgmental tone.

Halloween "fun" feeling more like work? Here's your survival list: Skip the party (it's capacity management, not failure). Rest after crowds (it's regulation, not laziness). Keep it low-key (full sentence, no elaboration needed). You belong even when you're quiet. 🎃

What's your go-to grounding move when you're overwhelmed in a crowd?

Central sheet ghost figure (white fabric with oval black eyes and mouth) with arms outstretched against mixed-media collage background featuring paint splatters, vintage photographs tinted blue and purple, geometric shapes in orange and yellow, and textured elements. Black sans-serif header "A FIELD GUIDE -->" in top right corner with orange vertical "@seshiofolk" text on right edge. Large bold black handwritten text across ghost's torso reads "COSTUME SEASON ISN'T JUST ABOUT COSTUMES." Red vertical text on left edge: "MENTAL HEALTH FOR THE COMMON GOOD." Orange jack-o'-lantern decoration visible in bottom right corner. Black box with white text "NEXT -->" in bottom right. Yellow smiley face icon in collage background. Design uses playful Halloween imagery to introduce serious concept about social masking and performance anxiety during high-pressure social seasons. Ghost as central figure serves as metaphor for invisibility, authenticity struggles.

Field guide card with mixed-media collage background featuring paint splatters in orange, blue, red, and yellow, vintage postage elements, geometric shapes, and textured papers. Black sans-serif header reads "A FIELD GUIDE -->" in top right corner. Orange vertical text on right edge reads "@seshiofolk." White lined notebook paper overlay with red vertical text on left reading "MENTAL HEALTH FOR THE COMMON GOOD." Black handwritten heading states "QUICK RE-CENTERING MOVES BEFORE A SOCIAL EVENT." Four bullet points with alternating purple and orange handwritten text: "Name one thing that like feels yours (your breath, necklace, song)," "Anchor with texture (hold your sleeve, a mug, a cuff)," "Pre-plan exits that sound kind but honest," and "Small talk ≠ small worth." Bottom right shows sheet ghost figure with oval black eyes and mouth next to orange jack-o'-lantern decoration. Black box with white text "NEXT -->" in bottom right corner. DIY punk aesthetic with accessibility focus.

White lined notebook paper with mixed-media collage background featuring paint splatters, geometric shapes, and textured elements. Black sans-serif header "A FIELD GUIDE -->" in top right with orange vertical "@seshiofolk" text on right edge. Red vertical text on left: "MENTAL HEALTH FOR THE COMMON GOOD." Large purple hand-drawn speech bubble outline contains bold black handwritten text "YOU DON'T NEED A COSTUME TO BELONG!" followed by orange handwritten text "YOU CAN SHOW UP HALF-MASKED, QUIET, UNSURE" and black text "& STILL BE PART OF IT!" Below speech bubble, scattered orange question marks surround black handwritten text "WHAT HELPS YOU FEEL GROUNDED IN A CROWD?" Bottom right shows partial sheet ghost figure and orange jack-o'-lantern. Black box with white text "COMMENT BELOW-->" in bottom right corner. Design directly challenges performance expectations around social participation, explicitly validating partial presence, quietness, and uncertainty as legitimate forms of belonging

Costume season + social anxiety = already performing one character, now you need a literal costume too. Here's your field guide for showing up half-masked, quiet, unsure—and still belonging. You don't need maximum energy to deserve to be there. 🎃

Where do you feel like you can drop the performance, even for a minute?

Three overlapping theatrical mask shapes arranged diagonally across a soft peachy-coral textured background with subtle white speckles. Each mask features simple black geometric features—oval eyes and curved smile lines. The masks are colored in bright yellow, teal/turquoise, and periwinkle blue, each with a white border and tan/beige drop shadow creating depth. At the top, bold black sans-serif text reads "ON HALLOWEEN, WE WEAR MASKS FOR FUN. ALL YEAR, WE WEAR THEM FOR SAFETY." At the bottom, a black rounded rectangle contains peachy-orange text reading "HALLOWEEN & AUTHENTICITY" above larger bold black text stating "PSYCHOLOGY OF MASKS" with a small arrow. The @seshiofolk handle appears vertically on the right edge. The design uses a modern, bold graphic style with texture and grain adding warmth. The juxtaposition of the playful, colorful masks with the serious message creates visual tension that mirrors the content's exploration of psychological masking.s.

A striking split-face illustration against a bright orange-red background. The face is divided vertically down the center—the left half is gray, the right half is soft pink—creating a powerful visual metaphor for duality and multiplicity of self. Both halves share large, almond-shaped eyes with black pupils gazing directly forward, creating an intimate, confronting effect. Small white four-pointed stars appear as highlights on each cheek. The upper left features a yellow and pink starburst radiating energy. A textured blue circle frames the face with white text curving along the top reading "NOT EVERY MASK IS FAKE." The teal background shows through in the upper corners. At the bottom, bold white text on the orange background reads "SOME PROTECT OUR BOUNDARIES. SOME HIDE OUR FEAR. SOME HELP US FIND WHO WE REALLY ARE." with a small white arrow. The @seshiofolk handle appears vertically on the right edge. The design challenges binary thinking about authenticity versus performance

A vibrant illustration on a coral-orange textured background featuring two purple/lavender hands holding up a simple white theatrical mask. The mask has minimalist black features—two almond-shaped eyes and a gentle curved smile. Behind the mask are layered concentric circles in teal, yellow, and coral creating a retro, psychedelic effect. White four-pointed stars float in the corners adding a playful, magical quality. The top of the image features white curved text reading "BE YOU FOR THE COMMON GOOD" following the circular design. At the bottom, bold black text asks "WHICH MASK FEELS HEAVIEST TO KEEP ON?" with a small arrow and text reading "VENT BELOW" in handwritten style. The @seshiofolk handle appears vertically on the right edge. The overall aesthetic is warm, approachable, and community-oriented—using bold colors and simple shapes to explore the psychological weight of social masking. The design invites reflection on which adaptive masks have become burdensome.

Halloween masks are temporary. The ones we wear every day to survive work/family/society? Those are the ones that quietly cost us our sense of self. Therapy helps you figure out which masks are protective vs which ones are just… expensive. 🎭

Have you ever gone to the ER for mental health? What was your experience?

Illustrated storybook-style artwork showing three anthropomorphic animals in an emergency room waiting area, rendered in soft colored pencil texture with warm peachy-pink tones. Left: dark gray/brown wild boar or warthog with tusks looking concerned. Center: orange-maned lion in teal blue garment with thoughtful, worried expression, paw on chin. Right: pink rooster or chicken with distinctive red comb looking anxious. Clock on yellow wall shows approximately 2 o'clock. Large "EMERGENCY" sign visible in pink letters on cream background at top right. "HELP" sign with medical cross symbol visible on right wall. Brick wall texture throughout setting. Animals appear to be waiting uncertainly, capturing the confusion many feel about when to seek emergency mental health care. Large white and orange-red text overlay at bottom reads "WHEN TO GO TO THE ER FOR MENTAL HEALTH" in bold letters. "Seshio.org" in red at bottom right.

when to go to the ER for mental health:

active suicide plan with intent RIGHT NOW
psychosis causing dangerous behavior
already harmed yourself, need medical care
severe mania with no judgment

when to call 988 instead:

suicidal thoughts but no immediate plan
emotional crisis but not immediate need

what's your go-to for breaking the Sunday spiral?

sunday scaries = your brain analyzing every pattern from last week and predicting seventeen disasters for tomorrow

interrupt it: change physical state, set specific "worry time" (Monday 9am), do something focus-heavy, name it out loud

don't let anxiety run your Sunday.

What's holding you back from starting therapy?

first therapy session checklist:

what brought you here (no perfect speech needed)
your hopes, even vague ones
current meds
expect to feel nervous

what you DON'T need: everything figured out, perfect story, to impress anyone
bring your messy human self—that's who therapy's for

School stress + executive dysfunction = brutal combo. 🧠📚
Executive function ≠ willpower. It’s about planning, time, memory, emotion regulation.

Tools that actually help:
⏲️ Visual timers
👯 Body doubling
📱 Gamified task apps
📝 Micro-steps

www.seshio.org/team-seshio/