W AP KOUTEM M AP KOUTE W

Have you ever been told that you’re “too emotional”? Maybe someone said it to you when you were crying. Maybe you heard it as a child when your feelings felt too big. Maybe you have said it to yourself. Or maybe you have seen it said about an entire group of people. In this episode of W Ap Koute M, M Ap Koute W , I’m reflecting on why the phrase “you’re too emotional” has been sitting heavy with m...

For years, people have asked me whether therapists ever stop being therapists. Does your therapist brain ever turn off? Do you analyze everyone around you? What is it like being married to a therapist? For a long time, I thought I knew the answer. Then I attended a healing retreat and realized something I had never seen before. In this personal episode, I share the experience that helped me unders...

In this episode of W Ap Koute M, M Ap Koute W , I sit down with Kimberly Lauriston, LCSW-S, to explore Haitian identity, culture, ancestry, spirituality, and healing. Together, we reflect on what it was like growing up Haitian in the United States, the traditions that connected us to our culture, and the ways migration can shape our sense of identity. We discuss the wisdom passed down through our...

In this special video episode of W Ap Koute M, M Ap Koute W , I sit down with Dr. Gaetane Saint-Victor for a deeply honest conversation about healing in the Black and Haitian communities. Together, we explore the emotional weight many people carry silently while still appearing “strong” to the world. We talk about the “strong Black woman” archetype, perfectionism, survival mode, vulnerability, gen...

There’s a common belief that inner child healing is about being overly emotional, avoiding responsibility, or “coddling” yourself. But that’s not what it is. In this episode, I explore what inner child work actually means—and why so many adults are learning emotional skills later in life that they needed much earlier. For the first time, I’m joined by a very special guest: my daughter. Through our...

Sometimes what we call anxiety or depression is not random. It’s not something separate. It’s something your body has been holding for a long time. In this episode, I explore how trauma can live in the body and show up as anxiety, panic, emotional numbness, or depression — often without us realizing it. We talk about: * what trauma actually is (beyond the event itself) * how the nervous system res...

In this episode, I explore a question that has been sitting with me lately: Why is it so hard for so many of us — especially in the Haitian community — to ask for help? Many people are carrying anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, chronic stress, and emotional pain… while still functioning every day. They are going to work, taking care of their families, showing up for everyone else, and because th...

Sometimes, when you finally allow yourself to feel anger, the next emotion that shows up is guilt. In this episode, we explore a common and confusing part of the healing journey — especially when it comes to our relationships with caregivers. As adults, when we begin to reflect on our childhood, we may recognize moments where our needs were not met. This awareness often brings up anger — anger tha...

Why do some people pull away when relationships get close while others feel anxious when distance appears? In this episode, we explore attachment styles and how our earliest relationships shape the way we connect with others in adulthood. Attachment is the emotional bond we develop with our caregivers early in life. These early experiences often influence how we show up in romantic relationships,...

Have you ever walked into a space with a clear vision, only for everything to unfold differently? In this episode, I share a recent personal experience that challenged me to slow down, sit with discomfort, and reconnect with a younger part of myself. When things didn’t go as planned, old patterns around vulnerability, safety, and expressing needs resurfaced, and I had to pause long enough to liste...

If Valentine’s Day brings up loneliness, longing, or old wounds, this episode is for you. With Valentine’s Day approaching, I wanted to talk about self-love, not just for this season, but for all year long. In the therapy room, this time of year often brings up feelings of loneliness, abandonment, and worthlessness, especially for people who wish they had a partner or someone to celebrate with. In...

This is a bonus episode — a raw and honest check-in. In this episode, I’m showing up human in a moment where the world feels unsafe. The feelings I share come from different parts of myself, different experiences, and different layers of my life — as a therapist, an advocate for social justice, and a Haitian immigrant. We reflect on how current events activate the nervous system, collapse time, an...

If setting boundaries makes your body feel anxious, guilty, or unsafe — this episode is for you. In this episode, we explore how boundaries can activate survival mode in the nervous system, even when you logically know setting boundaries is healthy. We break down what boundaries really are, why they matter for healthy relationships, and why saying “no” can feel so difficult when your nervous syste...

Trauma doesn’t only live in our thoughts — it lives in the body. In this episode, we explore how the nervous system plays a central role in healing and why we can’t bypass awareness, emotional processing, and understanding what the body has been holding. Responding to a viral message encouraging people to “stop healing” and focus only on creating safe experiences, this conversation breaks down how...

Pausing Before Moving Forward As we approach the end of the year and step into a new one, this episode of W Ap Koute M M Ap Koute W is an invitation to pause — not to rush into resolutions, but to gently acknowledge where you are. This conversation is about reflection, awareness, and honoring the season you are in, especially if change feels heavy or uncertain. When Change Feels Unsafe I share a p...

Making Space for Every Experience In this episode of W Ap Koute M M Ap Koute W , I talk about the holidays, not just as a season of celebration, but as a time that can bring up many emotions. Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Not everyone marks the New Year on January 1st. And not everyone experiences this season as joyful. Wherever you are, celebrating, observing, grieving, or simply getting thr...

Understanding Intergenerational Trauma In this episode of W Ap Koute M M Ap Koute W , we explore how unprocessed trauma doesn’t simply disappear it transforms into patterns, beliefs, emotional reactions, and ways of surviving that pass from one generation to the next. We talk about how trauma shapes: * our sense of safety * the way we love * the stories we tell ourselves * and how we navigate the...

Looking Beyond the Headlines In this episode of W Ap Koute M M Ap Koute W , I explore the heart of collective healing within the Haitian community — and why our nation’s pain cannot be separated from its history. Recently, Haitian economist Etzer Emile stated that we should stop celebrating being the first Black nation to abolish slavery, since over 200 years later, Haiti still faces poverty and d...

In this episode of W Ap Koute M M Ap Koute W, I explore one of the most tender and transformative parts of healing — the journey of healing your inner child with self-compassion. The inner child is the part of you that still carries the emotions, fears, and unmet needs from your earliest experiences — the part that learned to stay quiet, perform, or be strong just to feel loved. I talk about how t...

Exploring the pain we carry in silence and how to release it. In this episode of W AP KOUTE M MAP KOUTE W , I explore the weight of what we don’t say — the hidden pain we carry from generations, relationships, and losses that were never spoken about. Many of us were taught to be strong, silent, or self-contained. But silence can become its own wound — one that shows up in our bodies, our relations...

Before we dive into the next episode of W AP KOUTE M MAP KOUTE W , take a moment to pause and breathe. This short 3-minute grounding practice is your invitation to slow down, reconnect with your body, and come home to yourself. Through gentle breathing and awareness, I’ll guide you to release tension, quiet your thoughts, and settle into the present moment. Whether you’re starting your day, taking...

In this episode of W Ap Koute M M Ap Koute W , I dive deeper into the idea of “The Illusion of Nothing to Heal” — the belief that if nothing dramatic or obvious happened, we must be perfectly fine. The truth is, many of us carry wounds that don’t look like trauma but still shape the way we live, love, and connect. I talk about what this illusion looks like in real life: the silence that comes from...

In this first episode of W AP KOUTE M M AP KOUTE W , I dive into a question many of us wrestle with: Does everyone really need healing? Healing isn’t just about fixing what’s broken — it’s about growth, awareness, and releasing what no longer serves us. Some wounds are clear, like trauma, grief, or loss. Others are invisible, shaped by what we’ve witnessed, absorbed, or carried secondhand without...

Have you ever felt like no one really hears you? Like pieces of your past keep following you, no matter how much you try to move forward? I know that feeling—because I’ve lived it. I’m Aurelie Zephir, a licensed therapist who has spent the last six years helping kids, parents, and adults navigate anxiety, trauma, depression, ADHD—you name it. I’ve worked in schools supporting families, and now I s...