Welcome to
Tiny Cottage Therapy’s Blog

A Holistic Mental Health Resource for Anxiety, Burnout & Cultural Identity

A smiling woman in a light dress and cardigan standing in a grassy field with trees in the background.

I’m Caitlin Blair, LCSW and holistic psychotherapist based in California. I love helping people find more balance in their lives by building awareness & building practical habits to support their whole selves.

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Boundaries & People-Pleasing, Anxiety Caitlin Blair Boundaries & People-Pleasing, Anxiety Caitlin Blair

Guilt vs. Shame: How to Tell the Difference (And Why It Matters)

We’ve all had moments when something we said or did didn't sit right. Maybe we snapped at someone we care about. Or forgot an important birthday. In the aftermath, two powerful emotions can show up: guilt and shame.

At first glance, they can feel similar. Both bring a heavy emotional weight. Both can trigger a desire to retreat or “fix” something. But understanding the difference between guilt and shame is essential for emotional healing and mental well-being.

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Burnout Caitlin Blair Burnout Caitlin Blair

Burnout: Here’s How to Spot It, Treat It, and Keep It from Coming Back

If you're feeling worn out, irritable, or just plain "over it," you’re not alone. Burnout is something I see often in therapy—especially in high-achievers, business owners, caregivers, and folks who are constantly putting others’ needs before their own. It doesn’t just happen at work. Burnout can show up in school, in parenting, and even in your relationships.

Let’s break it down: what burnout really is, how to spot it, why some of us are more vulnerable to it, and most importantly how to recover and prevent it from taking over again.

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General Mental Health, Anxiety Caitlin Blair General Mental Health, Anxiety Caitlin Blair

Your Brain Wasn’t Meant for Constant Information

In a world where the news never sleeps and updates flood our phones by the minute, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information we’re expected to process each day. From breaking headlines to trending topics, the constant stream can leave us feeling anxious, exhausted, and emotionally drained.

But here’s the truth: your brain wasn’t designed to take in this much information at once.

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Anxiety, General Mental Health, Self Care Caitlin Blair Anxiety, General Mental Health, Self Care Caitlin Blair

7 Ways Slow Living Supports High-Functioning Anxiety

If you experience high-functioning anxiety, you might be familiar with the feeling of always needing to be on. You’re constantly pushing yourself, overcommitting, and staying busy—because slowing down feels uncomfortable, even impossible. But what if slowing down was actually the thing that helped the most?

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Self Care Caitlin Blair Self Care Caitlin Blair

Avoiding New Year’s Resolution Burnout

It's easy to start off the year with huge goals to be better, stronger, and more productive than the year before. We set objectives and tactics that maybe feel realistic at the time but after a month, we are dwindling. We are exhausted and the pace we thought we could sustain we can't.

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Self Care Caitlin Blair Self Care Caitlin Blair

Journal Practice for the End of the Year

I have always been an off and on journaler. One of these structured practices that I have been engaging in for years is an end of the year reflection. It helps me track my own progress each year and reflect on the ups and downs. It helps show me how much I've grown and synthesize lessons that I've learned. It has been so valuable to me, especially in filling the weird days between Christmas and New Year's.

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Self Care Caitlin Blair Self Care Caitlin Blair

5 Self Care Practices for Winter

With shorter and shorter days approaching Winter Solstice, I find my regular routine pushing up against the boundaries of daylight. I frequently work days that start before the sunrises and end after the sunsets. I feel sleepier and wanting to go to sleep earlier but aren't sure if I should. All these things tell me, something needs to change.

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I offer a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your needs and see if we're a good fit for working together. This brief call gives you a chance to ask questions and get a feel for my therapy approach without any obligation.

What to expect during our consultation:

  • A brief discussion about what brings you to therapy

  • An overview of how I might support your specific needs

  • Answers to your questions about the therapy process

  • Information about session rates and scheduling

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