April 2017. Nine years ago. Have you ever heard the theory that your body holds trauma? I know it does because nine years later, every April, I struggle. I struggle with anxiety and depressive symptoms I just cannot shake. When asked what is wrong, I do not always have a clear answer. Nothing catastrophic is happening right now, so why does my body feel like the sky is falling? This is known as the Anniversary Effect ( Learn More ), sometimes called an anniversary reaction. I

I Am Infuriated And As a Social Worker I Should Be I am infuriated. We live in a country where some of the leading causes of death, like heart disease, are largely preventable. Preventable. And yet the very systems designed to prevent illness remain inaccessible to so many people. Preventative care is treated like a privilege when it should be a right. From a clinical social work lens, this is not just frustrating. It is a systemic failure that contradicts our ethical commitm

The Protective Instinct to Overachieve All my life, I’ve carried a protective instinct to overachieve ( Learn more about protective parts within Internal Family Systems (IFS) here .). As the oldest daughter, I learned early that doing more, doing it well, and being the best wasn’t just encouraged, it felt necessary. Somewhere along the way, achievement became tied to worth. This part of me wanted to feel validated, good enough, affirmed. So I did what it knew how to do: I kep

LEAD 2026 was my second LEAD experience. Although last year was technically LED, long story. But what matters is how different this year felt compared to last. Not just the event itself, but me, and the political landscape we were stepping into. Walking back into the Capitol this year felt familiar in a way I did not expect. It also felt heavier, clearer, and more intentional. Who I Was Then A year ago, I attended LED unsure of my macro social work goals. I knew I liked commu

My time in school social work has been short, but I am already finding my values and identity. To a lot of the adults in the building, when a kid blows up, storms out, yells, or just won’t sit still, it looks like aggression, attention-seeking, or straight-up avoidance. The response is usually fast: consequences, office referrals, being sent out of class. But as the social worker, I have to start somewhere else. Why is this happening? And once I understand the why, what can I

Exercise is a privilege, not a punishment. Somewhere along the way, skinny became romanticized at any cost, as if thinness itself were proof of discipline, health, or worth. What we do not talk about enough is that there is a very real price tag attached to being thin or even just being perceived as healthy, and that price tag is privilege. Capital shows up in multiple forms. Financial capital is the obvious one. Healthy food costs more. Gym memberships cost money. Fitness cl

Spending the last year at RISE Community Solutions / CAC Osceola has been an unforgettably formative experience. Leaving almost feels like a breakup. Packing my office to move back to Tampa, I am excited for this next chapter but forever grateful for the learning and experiences I had here. I will always hold other organizations and jobs to the standards this one gave me. I had a Executive Director who was consistently honest, prompt, and vulnerable about the political landsc

Disclaimer:  The ideas shared in this post are a synthesis of lessons from mentors, insights from peers, and my own personal reflections. They represent an effort to unify the valuable teachings I’ve received throughout my professional and personal journey. While not all concepts are original to me, I’ve gathered and presented them here as a collection of the wisdom, guidance, and “golden nuggets” I’ve absorbed from others. The Bigger the Boat, the Slower the Movement One of

Currently in therapy I am learning the difference between capability and capacity. As social workers, our hearts are large, and our instinct is to say yes . We are capable, competent, compassionate people. But just because we have the capability to do something does not mean we have the capacity to do it. Understanding Capacity vs. Capability Think of capacity like a glass of water. The capacity  of that glass determines how much water it can hold. How much it can “handle.” C

I am 24.Wild. The life I have is far from what I ever imagined, which I think is true for most people. When I look back on this past...

A raw and introspective reflection on navigating the “birthday blues,” healing from past trauma, and learning to celebrate survival and self-worth amid lingering guilt and societal pressure.

RISE & Shine: Standing with Families in Uncertain Times, a community event centered on hope, advocacy, and prevention. It explores Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the harm of the “bootstraps” mindset, the weight of stigma, and the financial case for prevention. It also highlights the role of social workers as navigators, advocates, and sources of hope. At its core, this piece is a call to action: survival is not enough—every family deserves the chance to thrive.

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“The rat is always right” comes from B.F. Skinner’s work on operant conditioning. The principle reminds us that a subject’s behavior is...

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After spending a week serving at Camp HOPE , a camp for children who are survivors of domestic violence, I came home with more than...

“But Tori… why are you even there if you’ve been so vocal about your critiques of the organization?” Simple: The power of AND. Not...

Do You Know What a CAC Is? If you don’t, that’s actually a good thing. When 1 in 4 girls  and 1 in 5 boys  experience sexual abuse before...

What CS/SB 254 Really Means—and Why You Should Be Paying Attention Let’s be clear about what CS/SB 254  is—beyond the sterile legislative...

I always knew pageantry carried a stigma—at one point, I even perpetuated the harmful discourse myself. I knew people would have...