Blooming Prairie Psychology- Sara Kenney,PsyD

09/05/2026

Chronic pain is expensive.

And I don’t just mean money.

It costs time. Energy. Sleep. Spontaneity. Attention.

Sometimes it costs relationships.
Sometimes pieces of your identity.
Sometimes tomorrow’s energy just to get through today.

One of the hardest parts of chronic pain isn’t simply being in pain.

It’s constantly doing the math:

Can I do this?
What will I have to give up to do it?
And how much will I pay for it later?

That’s the part of chronic pain people don’t always see. 💙

What have you had to give up or take extra time to make sure you can do it?

09/04/2026

September is Pain Awareness Month. 💙

So here’s a glamorous little behind-the-scenes look at life with chronic pain: sometimes I nap at work.

Not because I’m lazy.
Not because I don’t have things to do.
And definitely not because my to-do list is finished. 😂

Because one thing people don’t always understand about chronic pain is that pain is exhausting.

So, in honor of Pain Awareness Month, here are 10 things people who don’t live with chronic pain may not realize:

1. Pain takes energy. Your body can be doing very little while your nervous system is doing a LOT.

2. Rest isn’t always optional. Sometimes lying down for 20 minutes is what makes the next several hours possible.

3. Being able to do something doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. We get very good at functioning while uncomfortable.

4. Pain isn’t always visible. Someone can be laughing, working, traveling, teaching, parenting—or posting pictures on Facebook—and still be hurting.

5. The question isn’t always “Can I do it?” Sometimes it’s, “What will it cost me afterward?”

6. Good days don’t mean we’re better. And bad days don’t necessarily mean something new is wrong.

7. Pain affects more than the painful body part. Sleep, concentration, patience, mood, memory, energy and motivation can all take a hit.

8. We make calculations other people never have to make. How far is the walk? Where can I sit? How long will this take? What do I have tomorrow? When can I recover?

9. Canceling plans can be disappointing for us, too. We aren’t necessarily choosing rest instead of something we wanted to do. Sometimes our body makes the choice for us.

10. Adapting isn’t giving up. Naps. Braces. Mobility aids. Pacing. Asking for help. Changing plans. Sitting instead of standing. These aren’t failures—they’re ways of continuing to live a meaningful life in a body that sometimes requires accommodations.

So yes, sometimes the psychologist naps at the office. 😴

Then she gets up and keeps going.

This month, I’m going to talk a lot more about chronic pain and not just what it feels like, but what it does to a person’s life, relationships, identity, work, mental health, and nervous system. And, how can we help some of that with psychology.

Because pain awareness needs to go deeper than “that must hurt.”

09/04/2026

Hot take: Your coffee isn’t self-care if you’re drinking it while ignoring everything your mind and body are begging you to change. ☕

Don’t get me wrong. I love a good coffee. Especially at small local coffee shops. Sometimes sitting down with something you enjoy really is exactly what you need.

Today I stopped in for a coffee after a post-op appointment. It’s been a trying few weeks for me & my health. And I needed that moment to sit and not think about where I “should” be.

But somewhere along the way, we have made self-care synonymous with treats.

Coffee. Bubble baths. Massages. Shopping. A day off.

Those things can absolutely be part of self-care. But they’re the easy-to-photograph version.

The deeper version of self-care usually isn’t nearly as cute. And a lot more work.

It’s setting the boundary.

Having the uncomfortable conversation.

Going to therapy.

Making the doctor’s appointment.

Taking the medication.

Leaving the unhealthy situation.

Asking for help.

Resting before you’ve “earned” it. (By the way, you never have to earn it).

Saying, “I actually can’t do that right now.”

Accepting that someone might be disappointed in you.

Recognizing that constantly pushing through isn’t resilience when your body has been asking you to stop.

And sometimes it means taking a hard look at your life and asking:

“What keeps draining me that I keep calling normal?”

So yes—buy the coffee. ☕
Sit somewhere you enjoy.
Take the picture.

But maybe while you’re drinking it, go a little deeper:

What do I actually need to take care of myself—not just for the next 20 minutes, but for the life I’m trying to build?

That might be where the real self-care starts.

08/29/2026

Thank you to everyone who has sent well-wishes during this unexpected absence from the office. I am out of the hospital and plan to rest up this weekend and return to work on Monday.

I appreciate your grace as I try not to overdo things this coming week and see how busy I can comfortably be! I will also be working to unblock dates in coming weeks because I am not home with a new hip. The new hip is scheduled for late September, but I may postpone this if I’m not feeling up to it. Stay tuned!

As I have said, I spend a lot of my days talking about chronic conditions, accepting what seems unacceptable, coping with pain, and staying positive. The last few years have really had me put my own words into practice. While I’ve been dealing with autoimmune stuff of my own, I did not expect the most recent turn of events (that don’t seem to be related).

I am so grateful for our community of amazing physicians, nurses, imaging staff, OR staff, medical transporters, hospital room service, and more. Every role is important and didn’t go unnoticed! I had wonderful care during both of my recent hospital stays. I am a bit bummed my one night on the pediatric unit didn’t include a trip to a toy room, though !

If you have been waiting for a call back, text back, appointment confirmation, records sent etc, I will be working on these in the coming days. I am especially sorry to those of you who got cancelled, rescheduled, and cancelled again. I wish my body had taken a better note of my plans and not been working against me!

The one downfall of my private practice is that I don’t have a full office staff to help me field all these things I have to catch up on. And, honestly, I have hardly known what day it is so haven’t had my laptop open to start working through things. My daughter will help me as she can, but has more than full-time other work & school on her plate, too. Again, your patience and understanding is not unnoticed and so appreciated!

08/27/2026

Wednesday, August 26
Sometimes coping looks a lot less like “staying positive” and a lot more like saying, “You have GOT to be kidding me.”

The last week has been…a lot.

An unexpected gallbladder surgery. A hip replacement that had to be postponed. Trying to recover, rearrange my life and my schedule, and figure out what my body is doing next. And now, some new medical issues have landed me back in the very frustrating position of needing to be out of the office again and back in the hospital.

I wish I had a more inspirational way to wrap that up. 😂

But maybe this is the lesson.

Coping doesn’t mean handling everything gracefully. It doesn’t mean being grateful every second, finding the silver lining, or pretending something doesn’t suck when it absolutely does.

Sometimes coping is being angry and disappointed… and still making the next phone call.

It’s crying, swearing, laughing because the alternative is crying some more, asking for help, changing the plan AGAIN, and doing the next thing that needs to be done.

As a psychologist, I spend a lot of time talking about acceptance, flexibility, self-compassion, pacing, and making room for the things we cannot control.

Apparently life decided I needed the experiential portion of the training. 😑

So, yes—I am unexpectedly out of the office again while I deal with some additional health concerns. If you have an appointment affected by this, I will be working on getting everyone contacted and rescheduled as soon as I reasonably can.

I know schedule changes are frustrating, and I genuinely appreciate the patience, kindness, and flexibility people have shown me.

For now, I’m practicing what I preach:

Adjust the plan.
Feel the feelings.
Accept the help.
Do what needs to be done.
And when appropriate, say, “Well, this is some bullsh*t.”

Because coping and being pi**ed off are allowed to coexist. ❤️

08/25/2026

Apparently, my gallbladder had other plans. 😅

An unexpected emergency gallbladder surgery last week means my previously scheduled hip replacement, planned for tomorrow, has been postponed. While I’m not exactly thrilled with my body’s creative approach to scheduling, there is one silver lining: my clinical calendar will be opening up more than expected over the next few weeks.

We will be reaching out to patients who have been waiting for appointments or who may want to move an appointment sooner. You’re also welcome to call the office to ask about available times. Please note I have very part-time office help and will get back to you as soon as we are able.

One important note: not all available appointment options will appear in the online scheduling system, so please don’t assume that what you see online is all that’s available.

Thank you so much for your patience, flexibility, and understanding while I navigate this unexpected plot twist.

Call or text the office at 701-202-8651 about scheduling.
You can also go online, but it will not show all that's available.
bloomingprairie.clientsecure.me

08/21/2026

08/19/2026

Postpartum Psychosis awareness starts with understanding when it can occur and knowing the signs.

Signs can include:
• Significant changes in sleep
• High energy, racing thoughts, or rapid speech
• Depression, anxiety, or numbness
• Difficulty thinking clearly
• Paranoia or suspicious thoughts
• Delusions or hallucinations

The more accurate information we share about Postpartum Psychosis, the better prepared families, support people, and communities can be to recognize when someone may need immediate care.

Let’s not stop the conversation.

Tag someone who should know this information, or share this post to your story to help increase awareness and access to accurate, supportive information about Postpartum Psychosis.

🔗 You can also explore PSI’s educational materials here: https://loom.ly/XmBU0wM

💙 For help, support, and additional Postpartum Psychosis resources, visit: https://loom.ly/l-61Dso

The more we understand, the better prepared we can be to recognize when help is needed and connect pregnant and postpartum families with appropriate support.

Postpartum Psychosis is a medical emergency. Do not wait to get help. Call 911, call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-852-6262, or proceed to the nearest emergency room.

08/18/2026

This is what a dynamic disability can look like. ♿️🌲

Have you heard that term before? The term “dynamic disability” was coined by chronic illness advocate Brianne Benness around 2019 to describe something many disabled people had experienced for years: our abilities and support needs aren't necessarily the same every day.

A dynamic disability is a disability in which a person’s symptoms, functional capacity, or support needs fluctuate over time. The degree of disability may change across days, within the same day, or depending on factors such as exertion, pain, fatigue, sleep, environment, stress, illness, or recovery time.

These photos are from my visit to Muir Woods last week. I used a wheelchair that day because pain made walking through the park more than my body could reasonably handle.

On another day, you might see me walking. Or you might see me with a cane.

You might see me working, traveling, standing, or doing something that makes me look perfectly “fine.”

And none of those things make the wheelchair less necessary on the days I need it.

This is one of the realities of dynamic disability: a person's symptoms, pain, energy, strength, and mobility can fluctuate, sometimes from day to day and sometimes within the same day.

Mobility aids aren't an all-or-nothing proposition. Someone doesn't have to be unable to walk to benefit from a wheelchair. A wheelchair, cane, walker, or other mobility aid can conserve energy, reduce pain, prevent injury, and make experiences accessible that otherwise might not be.

For me, using a wheelchair at Muir Woods didn't mean giving up.

It meant I got to experience Muir Woods with my kids, and we got to walk longer than we might have otherwise. Plus, they got to have fun teasing me that they were going to let me go at the top of a hill.

That's what accessibility is supposed to do: make more of life possible.

So if you see someone stand up from a wheelchair, walk after using a mobility aid, park in an accessible space and get out walking, or seem to function differently from one day to the next, remember:

Disability doesn't have to look the same every day to be real.

And using the support you need to participate in your life isn't weakness. It's adaptation.

08/17/2026

Hi, I figured its time to reintroduce myself for anyone new to my page. I’m Sara Kenney, PsyD. I’m a licensed psychologist and the owner of Blooming Prairie Psychology in Bismarck, ND.

My clinical work focuses largely on chronic pain and illness, depression, ADHD, especially in women, anxiety, trauma, and helping people navigate the emotional impact of health challenges and major life transitions. I’m especially interested in the places where physical health and mental health overlap, and in making psychology feel practical, approachable, and relevant to everyday life.

Outside of the office, I’m also a mom, animal lover, and hobby-farm enthusiast. I value community, connection, advocacy, and probably take on more projects than I should (But I'm working on that!).

This page is a space where I hope to share useful mental health information, resources, reflections, and occasional glimpses of real life behind the professional title.

If you’re new here, welcome. I’m glad you found the page.