The Pearla Mutombo Foundation "Autism Where Hope Lives"

05/06/2026

People don’t always look like they’re struggling.

They can be smiling, showing up, making plans, supporting others… and still feel overwhelmed inside.

Mental health isn’t always visible. And that’s why empathy matters.

✨ Check in on your people
✨ Listen without trying to fix
✨ Remind others (and yourself): it’s okay to not be okay

Because sometimes the strongest-looking people are carrying the heaviest things.

💬 When was the last time you checked in on someone—really checked in?

05/01/2026

Feeling overwhelmed and feeling completely drained aren’t the same thing, but we often treat them like they are.
Stress usually comes from too much. It can feel like pressure, urgency, and having more on your plate than you can handle. Burnout is different. It’s what happens when that stress goes on for too long. It can feel like exhaustion, numbness, and having nothing left to give.
Understanding the difference matters, because they don’t need the same kind of care.
This month’s Love Notes focuses on stress and burnout, and how to recognize what you might be experiencing.
Read more and sign up here: https://bit.ly/4g0CwVT

04/29/2026

Join us here: https://bit.ly/4bFDy9b

04/29/2026

Anxiety doesn’t just affect how we feel individually. It can shape how partners interpret each other’s behavior, respond to conflict, and communicate their needs.
When anxiety enters a relationship, couples can easily fall into a pursuer–distancer cycle. One partner moves toward connection seeking reassurance, while the other pulls away to regulate stress. Without understanding what is happening beneath the surface, this pattern can lead to frustration and disconnection.
Our research shows that relationships are strengthened in the small everyday moments. Partners who regularly turn toward each other’s bids for connection build greater emotional safety and stability over time.
If you want to understand how anxiety can influence relationship dynamics and what couples can do to interrupt these patterns, read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4uujT4A

04/29/2026

Leafy greens: your brain chemistry depends on them.
Rich in folate, these greens help brain cells function and may protect against depression by supporting mood-regulating processes.
https://wb.md/48rowTV

04/29/2026

Do you and your partner find yourselves having the same argument over and over again?
It’s rarely about the surface issue. More often, it’s the pattern underneath it.
In this webinar, we’ll help you identify the predictable cycles that drive recurring conflict, from escalation patterns like criticism and defensiveness to the deeper emotions and unmet needs beneath them.
You’ll learn how to recognize your triggers, understand your partner more clearly, and interrupt these patterns in real time using practical, research-based tools.
The goal isn’t to eliminate conflict. It’s to move through it in a way that keeps you connected.
Join us here: https://bit.ly/4bFDy9b

When: May 5, 2026 at 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT

Where: Webinar - Remote

04/29/2026

Internalizing disorders are those like depression and anxiety whose symptoms are directed inward. They are contrasted with externalizing disorders such as conduct disorder in which symptoms are directed outward.
Read the full study: https://ow.ly/s7Us50YO2uZ
University of Calgary Hotchkiss Brain Institute - HBI

A research team co-led by a BBRF Young Investigator has reported results of an imaging-based study designed to identify potential biomarkers predicting the onset of internalizing disorders in adolescents at high-risk for such disorders based on family history.

04/29/2026

What we’ve learned from studying couples is that most people aren’t bad listeners. We just try to fix things too fast.
When a partner says, “I feel overwhelmed” or “I feel alone,” it’s natural to move into solutions or reassurance. But often, what’s needed first is understanding.
Research-based relationship work emphasizes slowing down in these moments. Listening closely to the words being used and responding with curiosity instead of immediately trying to solve the problem.
It can be as simple as asking, “When you say you feel overwhelmed, can you tell me more about that?”
That shift helps partners feel seen and understood, which makes it easier to reconnect and move forward together.
If you’d like more practical, research-based tips like this, you can sign up for Marriage Minute below.
This advice does not apply in situations involving abuse.
http://bit.ly/2qB8FAc

❤️ 😔😣💔🚶

04/29/2026

Some quotes just hit different when you’re in a real relationship. 💙
We’re sharing a few favorite lines from books by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, the kind worth revisiting when you need a reset.
Want the full Gottman book list? Click the link to explore the collection. https://bit.ly/3QSb852
And if you’ve read one, tell us your favorite title and one takeaway you’ve actually used. Conflict, connection, small rituals, anything that made a difference.

❤️

04/29/2026

Here’s the thing about therapy that people don’t really talk about..
Most people don’t decide to go because everything suddenly falls apart. It’s usually more subtle than that. Something just feels a little off, or harder than it used to. Conversations don’t go the way you want them to, or you catch yourself reacting in ways that don’t feel like you.
And you start wondering what’s actually behind that.
That’s often where therapy begins. Not at rock bottom, just at a point where you’re paying attention.
It’s not about someone fixing you or telling you what to do. It’s about understanding your patterns so you’re not stuck repeating them, especially in your relationships.
It can feel uncomfortable at first, being that honest with yourself, but that’s also where things start to shift.
If therapy has been on your mind at all, even a little, that’s worth listening to.
We put together a guide that walks through what therapy actually looks like, how to find a therapist, and what to expect if you’re just getting started.
🔗 Read it here: https://bit.ly/41BumOF