Welcome to The Shedding Space: A Letter From Jacquelyn
Dear Beautiful Soul,
Hi Y’all! I’m Jacquelyn, a licensed Professional Counselor Associate, trying my best to live my healthiest life. If you’ve found yourself here, I want to say HELLO and WELCOME, not just to this blog, but to a safe space that was created with you in mind. I titled my first blog, ‘The Shedding Space,’ a home for women who are learning to feel, heal, and rebuild.
For years, I’ve carried stories of grief, of quiet resilience, of rebuilding a life after loss, heartbreak, divorce, disappointment, or simply burnout. I’ve been the woman who smiles through the pain, who keeps showing up, who didn’t always have the language for what she was going through. Maybe you have too. For years after the loss of my son, I found a coping strategy that helped me mourn that grief. It took me a very long time to understand what to call it, but one day it came to me. That is when I coined the term “shedding.”
What Is “Shedding”?
The word shedding came to me during a time when I could no longer hold everything in. I began to allow myself to feel my feelings in real time. Not later. Not once it was “safe.” But in the moment. Not when you have a day off. Not in a couple of hours when you have a lunch break. In real time. Shedding, to me, is the sacred process of releasing what no longer serves us—grief, shame, outdated beliefs, and toxic patterns, and making space for something softer. Something honest. Something real. Some ways you can do this are by crying or screaming into a pillow. Over time, you will be able to find your method of “shedding.”
This space is not about perfection. It’s about permission.
Permission to:
• Grieve.
• Rest.
• Start over.
• Not know (and that’s okay)
• Find joy again.
Each week (or two), I’ll be sharing:
• Reflections on grief, healing, self-compassion, empowerment, and self-growth
• Mental health insights for real-life challenges
• Tools and journal prompts to help you reconnect with yourself
• Stories from my own healing and counseling journey
• Love notes for the woman who’s trying her best
There are plenty of spaces that tell women to “just be strong.” This isn’t one of them. Here, you can be soft, strong, unsure, hurt, upset, and growing—all at once. Here, you don’t have to have it all figured out. We are here to figure it out together. Whether you’re healing from loss, rediscovering your voice, or learning how to love yourself from the inside out, I want you to know that you belong here. You are not alone. Thank you for being part of this community.
Love Jacquelyn