Live Brighter with Tara

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Live Brighter with Tara

Empowerment to Live a Brighter Life!

10/29/2026

I had some professional pictures taken for updating business pictures. They turned out nice with the fall backdrop 😀🍁 🍁

10/28/2026

What happens when a label determines whose story gets believed?

This was one of the most painful parts of my experience after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

I was living in an abusive marriage, struggling with severe sleep deprivation, and dealing with undiagnosed thyroid problems.

But once I had that diagnosis, I felt like my perspective on my marriage was often dismissed. My husband's version of events carried more weight, while my concerns were viewed as distorted or unreliable.

It was incredibly isolating.

And I've come to realize this happens in so many areas of life.

Crazy. Addict. Narcissist. Selfish. Difficult. Overly sensitive.

We put labels on people, and sometimes we stop listening to what they're actually trying to tell us.

I believe diagnoses can be helpful. They can give us answers and guide treatment. But they should never replace curiosity, compassion, or the willingness to hear someone's story.

This week's episode of Live Brighter with Tara is one of the most vulnerable I've ever shared.

I'm opening up about my experiences with psychiatric hospitalization, the impact of labels, and the healing journey that followed.

My hope is that sharing my story encourages us to listen a little more deeply and look beyond the labels we place on others.

Because a label never tells the whole story. ❤️

🎙️ Watch the full episode of Live Brighter with Tara.

Have you ever felt like someone made up their mind about you before really hearing your story?

10/27/2026

“A diagnosis should help us understand someone, not become the reason we stop listening.”

This is something I've come to believe deeply because of my own experiences.

Years ago, during one of the most difficult seasons of my life, I found myself in a psychiatric hospital. I was experiencing very real symptoms, but there was also so much happening in my life that I felt wasn't being fully understood.

I was living in an abusive marriage, struggling with severe sleep deprivation, and dealing with undiagnosed thyroid problems.

I don't believe diagnoses are bad. They can be incredibly helpful in understanding what we're experiencing and finding appropriate treatment.

But what happens when a diagnosis becomes the only lens through which people see us? When our circumstances, our experiences, and even our own voices get lost behind a label?

I've spent years healing from those experiences, and one of the things I've learned is how important it is to remain curious about the person behind the diagnosis.

We can acknowledge someone's symptoms while still listening to their story. We don't have to choose one or the other.

This week's episode of Live Brighter with Tara is one of the most vulnerable I've ever shared. My hope is that it encourages more compassion, curiosity, and understanding for people navigating mental-health challenges.

Because we are all so much more than the labels we carry. ❤️

🎙️ Listen to the full episode of Live Brighter with Tara.

Live Brighter—1% at a time.

10/26/2026

What happens when a diagnosis becomes the lens through which everyone sees you?

And what happens when questioning that diagnosis makes people question your credibility even more?

This is something I've spent years processing.

During one of the most difficult periods of my life, I was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility and diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

I was experiencing very real symptoms, but there was also so much happening in my life that I felt wasn't being fully understood.

I was living in an abusive marriage, severely sleep-deprived, and dealing with thyroid problems that hadn't yet been diagnosed.

I don't believe diagnoses are inherently bad. They can be incredibly helpful in understanding what we're experiencing and finding appropriate treatment.

But I do believe there's a danger when we stop being curious about the person behind the diagnosis.

A label should be a tool. It shouldn't become a prison.

This week's episode of Live Brighter with Tara is one of the most vulnerable I've ever shared.

I'm opening up about my experiences with psychiatric hospitalization, the impact of labels, shame, and the healing journey that followed.

My hope isn't to discourage anyone from seeking mental-health support. It's to encourage us to listen more deeply, ask better questions, and remember that a person's diagnosis never tells their entire story.

🎙️ The full episode is available now on Live Brighter with Tara.

Have you ever felt like someone saw your label instead of seeing you?

10/23/2026

What if everything you thought you knew about psychosis was only part of the story?

Psychosis is often misunderstood, and the stigma surrounding it can make it even harder for people to feel seen, heard, and supported.

In my conversation with Anneke Sips, mental health professional and author of The Wisdom of Psychosis, we explore why it's important to look beyond a diagnosis and understand the whole person.

From the role of trauma to the power of human connection, Anneke offers a compassionate perspective on mental health, recovery, and hope.

Because a diagnosis is not someone's identity—and it doesn't have to define their future.

🎧 Watch our full conversation on *Live Brighter with Tara* to explore a different perspective on psychosis and mental health.

Live Brighter—1% at a time.

10/22/2026

I feel blessed to keep up the consistency with hiking in this beautiful weather.💃🏻🥰🍁This is Ousel Falls in beautiful Big Sky🥰

10/21/2026

Have you ever noticed how quickly we want to fix something when someone we love is struggling?

We offer advice, explain our perspective, or try to convince them to see things differently. Usually because we care!

But what if the first step isn't fixing anything? What if it's simply listening?

In my conversation with Anneke Sips, she shares the LEAP method:

L — Listen
E — Empathize
A — Agree
P — Partner

Anneke has used this approach throughout her work in mental health and crisis care, especially when supporting people whose experiences of reality may be very different from her own.

What I love is how applicable this is to everyday relationships, too.

We don't have to agree with everything someone believes to acknowledge what they're feeling. Sometimes understanding needs to come before problem-solving.

And isn't that something we all want—to feel heard and understood?

🎙️ Watch my full conversation with Anneke Sips, author of *The Wisdom of Psychosis*, on Live Brighter with Tara.

Live Brighter—1% at a time.

10/20/2026

“What if the most healing thing we can offer someone isn't an answer, but the experience of being heard?”

I think most of us have experienced a time when we just wanted someone to listen. Not fix us, correct us, or tell us what we should be feeling. Just listen and try to understand.

And yet, when someone we love is struggling, our natural instinct is often to jump in with advice or solutions. Usually because we care!

One of my favorite takeaways from my conversation with Anneke Sips, author of The Wisdom of Psychosis, was the importance of human connection, especially when someone's experiences are different from our own.

Having experienced the mental-health system myself, I know how meaningful it can be to feel truly seen and heard.

Sometimes we don't need to have all the answers. We can simply be present, curious, and compassionate. We can listen without judgment while still recognizing when professional support is needed.

Being heard doesn't solve everything, but it can be a beautiful place for healing to begin. ❤️

🎙️ In this week's episode of Live Brighter with Tara, Anneke and I explore psychosis, trauma, spirituality, mental health, and the power of connection.

I'd love for you to listen to our conversation and share your thoughts.

Live Brighter—1% at a time.

10/19/2026

What if the best way to help someone isn't to fix them—but to truly listen?

When someone is struggling, our first instinct is often to offer advice or find a solution. But sometimes, what they need most is to feel heard and understood.

In this week's episode of *Live Brighter with Tara*, Anneke Sips shares the LEAP Method—four simple steps to build connection:

Listen. Empathize. Agree. Partner.

Originally developed to help connect with people experiencing mental health challenges, this approach offers valuable lessons for our everyday relationships, too.

Because understanding someone doesn't mean you have to agree with them.

🎧 Watch our full conversation as we explore psychosis, compassion, and the power of human connection.

Save this post as a reminder to listen before trying to fix.

10/16/2026

What if there's more to psychosis than we've been taught to see?

When we hear the word *psychosis*, we often think of symptoms, diagnoses, or crisis.

But what about the person behind the experience?

In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara, I speak with Anneke Sips, a psychiatric nurse and integrative trauma therapist with 28 years of experience in mental health care.

Through her work and her book, *The Wisdom of Psychosis*, Anneke invites us to explore a broader perspective—one that considers trauma, the body, spirituality, and the importance of human connection alongside clinical care.

One of my favorite takeaways? We don't have to understand or agree with someone's experience to meet them with compassion.

🎧 Curious about a different perspective on psychosis and mental health? Watch our full conversation on *Live Brighter with Tara*. I'd love to hear what stands out to you.

Live Brighter—1% at a time.

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Bozeman, MT

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http://www.livebrighter.info/

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