Blog - Eye In Me

Notes to the Strong Friend

Straight talk, real tools, and fresh insights. Here, we share honest reflections, practical strategies, and new perspectives to support your growth, challenge old narratives, and help you reconnect with yourself.

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When Rest Feel Like Risk Black professionals often tie their self-worth to constant labor; a survival pattern that makes rest feel risky. Rest is not a reward earned after exhaustion, but an intentional, daily practice essential for long-term well-being and resistance against systemic burnout.

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Strength Without Support: Why Successful Black Men Often Struggle Alone Even at the highest levels of money, status, and recognition, you can still feel completely lonely. You might be functioning, producing, and leading on the outside, but internally, you are managing a constant pressure.1 Black men are often socialized to prioritize strength and independence—traits that support achievement but contribute to

Why You Might Be Lying to Your Therapist (And Why That’s Actually Okay) For many Black queer professionals, “curating the truth” is a survival skill. If you find yourself lying to your therapist, it isn’t a character flaw—it is a result of navigating a world where transparency has historically been a liability. In this post, I discuss why I view these “lies” as

Why Your Therapist Isn’t “In-Network”: A Note on Integrity and Care Have you ever wondered why so many specialized, high-level clinicians are checking “No” on those in-network insurance boxes? It isn’t about being “exclusive” or “unaffordable.” It’s about a fundamental refusal to let a multi-billion dollar middleman sit in the room during your most vulnerable moments.

Is Your Therapist Moving Too Fast? How to Know and What to Do Is your therapist moving too fast? Learn how to recognize the signs and what to do, including communication strategies to ensure your therapeutic journey is at your pace. Empower yourself to advocate for your needs in therapy and build a strong, collaborative alliance with your therapist.

More Than Identity: Understanding the Nuances in Queer Mental Health Therapy Discover the crucial difference between a Queer therapist and a therapist specializing in queer mental health, and why this distinction is vital for finding the right support.

Beyond Physical Death: Understanding the Many Faces of Grief When we hear the word “grief,” our minds often go straight to the loss of a loved one through death. However, grief is far more expansive and underpins nearly every area of mental health.

When a Boundary Feels Like Rejection: Navigating the Sting of Unspoken Shifts Boundaries receive significant attention today — social media is saturated with posts about “protecting your peace” or “learning to say no”.

Healing Doesn’t Always Make You Nicer… and it shouldn’t There’s a popular myth in wellness and therapy spaces: that healing turns you into a gentler, more tolerant, endlessly gracious version of yourself.

Two Lies and a Hard Truth About Boundaries When it comes to mental health, there are often more lies than truths circulating. The truth is rarely polished or easy to swallow.

When Hope Hurts: The Unseen Consequences of Trying to Change Others Discover the hidden dangers of hope in toxic relationships. Dr. Shatiea explores how misplaced optimism can prolong suffering and hinder personal growth. Learn to recognize when it’s time to let go and prioritize self-healing over futile attempts to change others.