Reflecting on 2025: A Year of Growth, Connection, and Compassion at Teal Saguaro Wellness

As the year draws to a close, there is a natural invitation to pause — to take a breath, to look back, and to acknowledge what has unfolded. At Teal Saguaro Wellness, 2025 was not simply another year on the calendar. It was a year marked by growth, connection, learning, and the quiet, courageous work of healing.

In a world that often urges us to move faster, do more, and push through, this year reminded us of the power of slowing down and listening — to our bodies, to our stories, and to one another.

Moving from Self-Blame to Understanding

One of the most meaningful themes we witnessed this year was a shift in understanding. Again and again, we watched clients begin to truly understand their nervous systems and lived experiences — often for the first time.

For many, this understanding brought relief. People who had spent years blaming themselves for their anxiety, exhaustion, emotional reactivity, or shutdown began to see these patterns not as personal failures, but as adaptive responses. Their bodies and minds weren’t working against them — they were trying to protect them.

This shift matters. When self-blame loosens its grip, space opens for compassion. Healing becomes less about “fixing” and more about supporting what the body already knows how to do when it feels safe enough.

We also worked with clients who arrived feeling defeated — people who felt like they had “tried everything.” Therapy, medication, self-help books, podcasts, lifestyle changes — all with limited relief. What many of them discovered wasn’t a lack of effort or discipline, but a lack of the right kind of support. When care is aligned, attuned, and responsive to the nervous system, change becomes possible in ways that effort alone cannot create.

Honoring the Moments That Don’t Show Up on a Calendar

Some of the most meaningful moments of this year never appeared on a schedule. They happened in quiet realizations, in tears that finally felt safe to fall, and in sessions where something softened after years of holding tight.

We celebrated breakthroughs — moments when insight landed, patterns shifted, or hope returned. We also celebrated life milestones, including the arrival of new babies, and the profound transitions that come with expanding families. We witnessed meaningful connections form not only between therapist and client, but between colleagues, professionals, and community members who found resonance and support in shared spaces.

These moments remind us that mental health care is not transactional. It is relational. It lives in connection, safety, and the slow building of trust.

The Work Beyond the Therapy Room

While individual therapy sessions remain at the heart of Teal Saguaro Wellness, 2025 was also a year that highlighted the importance of community and professional connection. Mental health care does not exist in isolation — and neither should the clinicians providing it.

This year, I welcomed clients into my office 548 times, holding space for healing, insight, regulation, and the hard work of growth. Each session represented a commitment to presence, attunement, and ethical care.

Alongside that work, Teal Saguaro Wellness continued to intentionally invest in the professional community that supports and sustains our field.

Over the course of the year:

• 195 mental health professionals were hosted across 12 CEU luncheons, creating space for learning, collaboration, and meaningful connection

• 121 hours were spent in luncheons, groups, and individual meetups with fellow professionals, strengthening relationships that ultimately benefit the clients we all serve

• 86 hours were invested in consultation and professional development, ensuring ongoing growth, reflection, and accountability

• 93 hours were dedicated to participation in COCA and OCA events and meetings, showing up for our profession and contributing to its future

Each of these hours reflects a belief we hold deeply: that clinicians deserve community, support, and spaces to think together. When providers are supported, care improves. When isolation decreases, sustainability increases.

A Commitment to Intentional Care

At Teal Saguaro Wellness, our approach is rooted in intentional, compassionate mental health care — care that respects the complexity of the human nervous system and the lived realities people carry with them into the therapy room.

This year reinforced the importance of staying curious, staying grounded, and continuing to learn. It reminded us that good therapy is not about having all the answers, but about being willing to sit with uncertainty, complexity, and growth — both our clients’ and our own.

Professional development, consultation, and community engagement are not extras; they are ethical responsibilities. They keep the work alive, responsive, and aligned with best practices.

Gratitude for the Community That Makes This Work Possible

None of this happens in isolation.

To our clients: thank you for trusting Teal Saguaro Wellness with your care. Thank you for your vulnerability, your honesty, and your willingness to show up — even on days when it felt overwhelming. Your courage is not lost on us.

To our colleagues and collaborators: thank you for your presence, your curiosity, and your dedication to this field. The conversations, shared learning, and mutual support make this work richer and more sustainable.

To the broader community: thank you for valuing mental health care that is thoughtful, relational, and grounded in compassion.

Looking Ahead to 2026

As we step into 2026, we’re excited to continue growing the spaces that support and connect mental health professionals across Central Ohio. Our monthly CEU luncheons will continue, offering consistent opportunities for learning, collaboration, and meaningful professional connection in an environment that feels welcoming, thoughtful, and grounded.

In May, we’re also thrilled to launch a new milestone event: the Central Ohio Mental Health Professionals Conference. This one-day conference is designed to bring clinicians together for high-quality education, interdisciplinary connection, and conversations that support ethical, sustainable practice. Created in response to what professionals have been asking for, this event centers the real needs of clinicians — offering learning that is practical, relevant, and rooted in community.

We believe that when mental health professionals are supported and connected, everyone benefits. We can’t wait to gather, learn, and grow together in 2026, and we’re honored to continue building a professional community that values intentional, compassionate care.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

See you soon 🤍

~ Kaela Vance, LPCC-S

Teal Saguaro Wellness