Why TAS? It’s hard.
Welcome to Talk About Stuff! As you may have seen on the home page, Talk About Stuff (TAS) was created to foster deeply meaningful connections rooted in empathy, trust, and empowerment—for children, teens, parents, and adults alike. But TAS is about more than therapy alone. At its core, this space exists to give people permission to be vulnerable. It’s a place to learn, grow, explore, and reconnect with that intrinsic motivation to live a meaningful, authentic life. The name Talk About Stuff has been a long time in the making, and I’m excited to finally share the story and purpose behind it.
When I was 13, I knew I wanted to be a therapist. I grew up in a small mountain town where money and achievement were highly valued, and everything seemed to revolve around “who knew who.” It often felt like there was an unspoken shame around talking about what you were really going through—you were expected to appear on track, doing just as well as your neighbor.
For me, that was incredibly hard. I remember thinking, How could I be experiencing one of the most difficult times in my life and not have anyone to talk to? I had wonderful, plentiful friends & family that cared about me, but I never felt truly safe opening up—except to the few (iykyk & ilysm). I worried about being judged, misunderstood, or that my words might travel from friend to parent to neighbor—eventually making their way through the entire town. At the time, that fear felt very real. Whether it would have actually happened or not, it kept me quiet and I didn’t ask for help.
Following high school, I went to the University of Colorado Boulder and had the incredible experience of meeting, loving, and choosing to trust others. Over those four years, I built deeply meaningful friendships, relationships, and even a few important “acquaintance-ships,” learning more about myself than I ever knew existed. I found a group of friends who meant more to me than I could ever put into words. We lived together for three years, sharing heartache and happiness, celebrating accomplishments, and having more fun than I could imagine—all while showing up for one another in unwavering ways.
I also came to know incredible professors, parents of friends, and a community of people who were both strikingly similar to me and wonderfully different. Stepping away from my hometown gave me the space to truly learn who I was. I learned how to be myself—how to navigate friendships that ended, nurture the ones that still exist today, and, most importantly, how to Talk About Stuff that truly mattered.
Post-college life was difficult in ways I didn’t expect. Stepping into the uncharted territory of “adulthood” brought a whole new set of challenges. I graduated in 2020 (so fun!), and friendships and relationships began to shift. Some friends moved away because of COVID, others by choice, and some for work. Many stayed close in proximity but felt just as far away as those who left. Ultimately, this season was about honoring changing dynamics and gaining clarity around which relationships I wanted to continue nurturing.
At 27, many of the people who played big roles in my life have grown distant or are no longer in it—but so many people are still here. I have a support system that feels loyal, true, and aligned with my values. I have people I know would pick up the phone at 2 a.m. to Talk About Stuff—to really open up to—and who genuinely care about me.
From 13 to 27, I’ve come to realize one main thing: talking about stuff matters. Communicating my needs, showing up for the needs of others, and genuinely caring about what people have to say is vital. When relationships or friendships fall apart, understanding the why is critical—without it, there is no growth. And when relationships thrive, there is always a reason.
Humans are social creatures. We thrive on connection, trust, and empathy, and we have a primal need for deeply authentic relationships. Whether personal, professional, or therapeutic, every human deserves a space where they feel safe enough to Talk About Stuff.
And so began Talk About Stuff… I’m excited to have you on this journey.
