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Learn with Pacifica
Supportive video guidance from our clinicians—starting with Dr. Hanna Cespedes.
Why High-Achieving Kids Are More Anxious Than Ever | Therapist Review
In this video I review The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson. As a licensed therapist, professor, and parent, I explore the book’s central argument about autonomy, motivation, and why anxiety is increasing in high-achieving children.
We discuss:
• Why control increases stress in kids
• How autonomy builds motivation
• What parents can do differently
If you’re a parent, educator, or mental health professional interested in child development and anxiety, this book offers an important perspective.
We discuss:
• Why control increases stress in kids
• How autonomy builds motivation
• What parents can do differently
If you’re a parent, educator, or mental health professional interested in child development and anxiety, this book offers an important perspective.
Choosing Strong Isn’t What You Think: A Therapist’s Perspective
In this video, Dr. Hanna Cespedes explores the idea of strength through a trauma-informed and attachment-based lens. Drawing inspiration from the Choose Strong mindset, she unpacks how strength is often misunderstood—especially for those who grew up having to survive rather than feel safe.
For many people with childhood trauma, strength looked like endurance, self-reliance, emotional control, or pushing through pain. These were not flaws—they were survival skills. But as adults, healing often asks us to redefine strength in quieter, more honest ways.
In this reflection, Dr. Cespedes discusses:
How childhood trauma shapes the nervous system
The difference between survival strength and healing strength
Why rest, boundaries, and vulnerability can be acts of courage
What “choosing strong” can look like in adulthood
This video is not therapy or medical advice, but an invitation to reflect, soften, and consider what strength means in your current season of life.
If this resonates with you, you are not alone—and you don’t have to carry it by yourself.
For many people with childhood trauma, strength looked like endurance, self-reliance, emotional control, or pushing through pain. These were not flaws—they were survival skills. But as adults, healing often asks us to redefine strength in quieter, more honest ways.
In this reflection, Dr. Cespedes discusses:
How childhood trauma shapes the nervous system
The difference between survival strength and healing strength
Why rest, boundaries, and vulnerability can be acts of courage
What “choosing strong” can look like in adulthood
This video is not therapy or medical advice, but an invitation to reflect, soften, and consider what strength means in your current season of life.
If this resonates with you, you are not alone—and you don’t have to carry it by yourself.
What No One Tells You About Being a Therapist in January
January is often framed as a fresh start — but for therapists, it can be one of the most emotionally demanding months of the year.
In this live conversation, Dr. Hanna explores what no one really talks about when it comes to being a therapist in January: the pressure to feel renewed, the emotional weight clients bring into the new year, the carryover of burnout from December, and how attachment dynamics often intensify after the holidays.
This is a reflective, honest discussion for therapists, trainees, supervisors, and mental health professionals who are navigating the quiet heaviness that can show up alongside “new year” expectations.
Topics include:
• Why January sessions often feel more intense
• Burnout that doesn’t reset on January 1
• Attachment and emotional permanence after the holidays
• The internal pressure therapists place on themselves
• Why a slower, steadier start is often the healthiest approach
If January feels heavier than expected, you’re not behind — you’re human.
💬 Feel free to share reflections or questions in the comments.
🤍 For therapists who value depth, sustainability, and thoughtful growth in this work.
In this live conversation, Dr. Hanna explores what no one really talks about when it comes to being a therapist in January: the pressure to feel renewed, the emotional weight clients bring into the new year, the carryover of burnout from December, and how attachment dynamics often intensify after the holidays.
This is a reflective, honest discussion for therapists, trainees, supervisors, and mental health professionals who are navigating the quiet heaviness that can show up alongside “new year” expectations.
Topics include:
• Why January sessions often feel more intense
• Burnout that doesn’t reset on January 1
• Attachment and emotional permanence after the holidays
• The internal pressure therapists place on themselves
• Why a slower, steadier start is often the healthiest approach
If January feels heavier than expected, you’re not behind — you’re human.
💬 Feel free to share reflections or questions in the comments.
🤍 For therapists who value depth, sustainability, and thoughtful growth in this work.
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