Honouring The Spaces in Between

I honour the spaces I have grown in, including my motherland of San Salvador, El Salvador. As a 6-year-old child, I left Central America to begin my journey of migration. It was in this time and place that a new identity was shaped, first through learning English in Grade One and then attending secondary and post-secondary education in Toronto, Canada. I carry both ancestral wounds and healing practices with dreams of carrying the torch for my own family. Assimilation doesn’t mean letting go of who you are. Identity is the narrative we choose to share when the world tells us to rid ourselves of our past to assimilate into new lands.

In retrospect, with Bad Bunny’s steady climb, he shows us how to be an artist with a vibrant narrative, painting his own legacy with a colourful brush. The pride carried forth from humble beginnings is a testament to the threads of Latin America. In his music, he describes the wounds of colonialism, grief, and loss, alongside the celebrations of life and love. His Grammy-winning album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, tells us the words beyond description of these themes and stories we carry. He has shown the world that being authentic and rooted in your storyline is worth more than any accolades. He is unafraid and steadfast in his Puerto Rican identity. An identity he graciously shares with the world.

Within my own narrative, I paint a picture that enmeshes all my senses of being, including the hardships and the triumphs. The processes of honour, celebration, and healing practices as a Salvadoran immigrant and Latina therapist weave the threads of who I am in the spaces I choose to exist in.

Are you looking for a therapist who knows firsthand the intersection of culture and identity? Reach out at martha@marthasegoviacalles.ca to see if I’m a fit for your therapeutic needs.

Finding Justice in an Unjust World

Does it feel like each new headline highlights the injustices of the world? From systems of harm, oppression, and division, these realities feel like an unmovable weight to bear witness to. When the world is on fire and hope seems bleak, I light a fire to warm my spirit. I do not give in to hopelessness and indifference.

I anchor myself to the things and words that direct my compass of hope and value in action. Finding justice can mean connecting with like-minded individuals, sharing spaces, and laying the groundwork for community care. It can appear as if you're slowing down, taking formative steps to meet your needs and ground your nervous system with intention. What keeps me hopeful for tomorrow includes acts of mutual aid, healing practices, and voicing soul-calling efforts. These efforts exist in the quietest spaces just as in the loud spaces. The systems of harm by oppressive factors want the barren, the lack of care, and the indifference in you and me.

With resistance comes rest and compassionate care. I find the ember to light a fire where I can manage efforts to resist time and again. No action is perfect, but inaction creates space for apathy.

Resistance means answering the call to fight efforts of injustice, existing in Queer bodies, racialized bodies, and harmed bodies throughout systems of oppression, is an act in itself. When you are existing outside the realm of societal expectations, othered, and in defiance, the fight may be more delicate, however, not impossible. As a first-generation immigrant from the Global South and queer, racialized person, this fight is familiar.

Are you seeking a therapeutic space for validation and rapport for assurance in this fight? Email me at martha@marthasegoviacalles.ca to see if we are a good fit!

Life’s Transitions

Life in between transitions can feel destabilizing, such as a big move, a life-altering decision to make, or processes of loss. These moments in life feel difficult because the unknown is so overwhelming, and you can’t quite find your footing. It’s moments like these where grounding yourself and finding your anchors help ease the burden. Whether you can anchor to loved ones, pets, places, or things that bring you ease is recommended. When the world is on fire, finding moments of stillness aids in grounding to continue the necessary efforts rooted in collection, compassion, and care.

I ground myself with each breath, intentional and relieving with deep inhales and exhales. I nourish my body with balanced meals and hydration. In those moving moments, meeting my physiological needs becomes an afterthought thus I keep intention in mind. I take moments to reflect and fill my cup, as they say, you can’t pour from an empty cup. I find stillness in Mother Nature to ground myself in this season of hibernation in the northern hemisphere. I notice the still branches, the snow on the ground, and the cooling effect on my skin.

It’s with winter hibernation in mind that I ground myself, shower myself with grace, and welcome a slowness in hand during transitory times.

Are you looking for a therapist to speak to during the cold months? Reach out at martha@marthasegoviacalles.ca to see if I’m a fit for your therapeutic needs.

Mindfulness in The Ordinary Moments

Ever get distracted by thoughts while folding laundry or washing dishes? Everyday activities can spark worries about dinner, workouts, or work deadlines, pulling us from the present moment and trapping us in cycles of rumination that remove our focus.

Try a mindfulness approach that uses these ordinary moments to slow down. A present-focused attention allows us to notice our thoughts to increase understanding of our body sensations and feelings in those moments. A non-judgmental approach allows us to situate our thoughts, feelings, and sensations with calm introspection.

Every Sunday afternoon, I take a few moments to water my plants and notice any new growth. I clean away dust and dead leaves with precision and focus on the task at hand. Sure, some nagging thoughts might arise, and I allow them to come as fast as they go with practice and assurance that, at this moment, my plants are my key focus. 

Similarly, I pick and choose a vinyl record to play with equal focus, noticing my mood at that moment and choosing what fits. These ordinary moments can be a springboard to increasing the capacity to be present and mindful. I’m not looking to fully get rid of my thoughts, but approach them with caution and compassion so as not to get carried away with them. 

Meaning, using intentionality in the most mundane of tasks can be a tool for weathering worrying thoughts.

Are you looking for a therapist to speak to about those heavy thoughts? Reach out at martha@marthasegoviacalles.ca to see if I’m a fit for your therapeutic needs.

Pacing Ourselves Around this Holiday Season

With December holidays, taking note of your pace can help ease the burden and overwhelm of a busy season. By setting a manageable pace, we can find the sweet spot to handle all the demands of relatives, to-do lists, and the load of commitments at this time. Recognizing your pace helps to be proactive with burnout prevention and stress management at the end of a demanding year.

In the spirit of self-reflection, I had a busy year managing full-time employment, sports training and competition, and life’s demands. I also started this private practice dream of mine this year. It was a fruitful year where I managed the highs and lows with these next proactive steps.

First, noting my capacity at any given moment, using check-ins and body scans helped me identify where I could use more energy and where I could step back for rest. Secondly, communication was vital in expressing my needs and limitations with myself and others. For example, journaling has been helpful to discard thoughts and ideas. Thirdly, planning and making lists helped organize my goals and actions. Lists also help shelve the mental load of the many items to check off. Some of those loftier goals of 2025 will carry into 2026 with renewed spirits to complete them at my own pace. No New Year’s resolutions here! As a goal-oriented person, the process and journey there is part of my practice to fill my cup time and time again.

These are just a few of the practices that keep me grounded and mindful of my pace this time of the year. Additional caring practices include discussion and reflection with my loved ones, engaging in enjoyable activities, and certainly, taking rest days.

“Living simply makes loving simple.”
― bell hooks

Are you looking for a therapist to speak to during this transitional time? Reach out at martha@marthasegoviacalles.ca to see if I’m a fit for your therapeutic needs.

Season’s Greetings

It’s feeling like the calendar year flew by, the weather is getting colder, and holiday stress is around the corner. Now is a good time to set a plan in motion for smoother sailing during the winter’s coldest months. Reflecting on the last year is a good way to pat yourself on the back for the big and little wins. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions and won’t be making any for 2026, because it may be a recipe for failure, in my opinion.

Life is unpredictable and can take more from us than what we put into those big, lofty goals. Making it through the last 11 months was a hurdle enough, and that is worth celebrating. I enjoy looking back and selecting my favourite moments of the year, from turning a year older to new experiences and starting new projects. This makes for a warm invitation to reflect with positive intention.

With the ‘Ber months upon us, I’m taking extra steps to care for myself to help ease the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder by slowing down, taking extra nutrients, and getting good rest. As some animals take the time to hibernate and conserve energy, I also take the time to conserve energy through the winter months, or really any season's transition.

I consume warm drinks and my favourite foods for nourishment. For example, hot chocolate is one of my favourite treats at this time! I tend to my plants as a way to include mindfulness outside of a hectic schedule. I also ensure I stick to a physical routine, like a short walk or hitting the gym.

It’s important to notice any big changes from low mood to sleep concerns or loss of enjoyment in typical activities during this time.

These are some actions I take to sail through these weather patterns with more caution, which may include reaching out to loved ones or speaking to a professional for guidance.

Are you looking for a therapist to speak to during these months? Reach out at martha@marthasegoviacalles.ca to see if I’m a fit for your therapeutic needs.

Performance is not the only metric.

Performance varies, it’s not the results but the journey there. I recently competed in another Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament in 2025. More than a hobby Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, has become a steady fixture in my life. What is the measure of success and growth whether it would be a sport, a job, an identity circumventing all parts of one’s life? 

Growth is not measured by the accolades, the job promotions or the hats one may wear in life. It’s the small wins along the way, the mental notes on a job well done, even along the hiccups because they add to the narrative. 
Resiliency is the action that keeps one going for example, getting up for the day when things feel difficult. Resiliency is also the capacity to be adaptive among life’s hurdles. Whether the road to recovery is a long one, resiliency is found in the actions beyond the performance.

Canada’s beloved Blue Jays did not win the baseball fall classic but won so much more, this is an example of their performance exceeding metrics, statistics or predictions. Whether you are an athlete, a sports hobbyist, an overachiever, an eldest daughter or a human making your way, I’m here to let you know performance is certainly not the only metric to strive for.

Therefore, performance is not the only measure worth noting in life, as life can be unpredictable, unstable, or simply, a place of existence. 

Are you looking for a therapist who understands? Reach out at martha@marthasegoviacalles.ca to see if I’m a fit for your therapeutic needs.