The last two weeks were quite exciting! We went even deeper in the live series, “It’s an Honor to Treat You,” hosted by Matt Cartwright (@matterofpractice), LCSW, a psychotherapist, spiritual life coach, and TEDx speaker, and me, Gahmya Drummond-Bey of @EvolvedTeacher.
Remember, in this series we’re talking about how to practice emotional presence in a culture of chaos, and how to become your own therapist when the world feels unwell.
Week 3: The VIP Method + The Power of I AM
Election-year aftershocks, rising money stress, and a loneliness epidemic have a lot of nervous systems running hot. Surveys show politics, the economy, and the election remain top stressors, many communities still lack access to mental health care, and loneliness is now considered a serious health risk in the U.S.
In “The VIP Method,” Matt walked us through a practical framework for self-therapy when resources are stretched. We practiced noticing our inner cues before they become crises, and choosing responses that align with our values, not the timeline. When therapy access is uneven, tools that help us pause, breathe, and re-choose become essential. (Think of it as building your own inner “first-aid kit” for election-season anxiety and everyday overwhelm.)
Then in “The Power of I AM,” we explored how language wires the nervous system. What we place after “I am” either rehearses fear or rehearses freedom. In a moment when labels are weaponized and rhetoric is loud, we asked: What stories are we reinforcing with our words? Reframing “I am failing” to “I am learning” or “I am behind” to “I am beginning again” isn’t fluff—it’s nervous-system training that supports real behavior change. (And yes, it felt like a collective exhale.) This was one of my favorite experiences!
Week 4: I Am Who I Think I Am + It’s an Honor to Treat You (Finale)
By Week 4, we brought the practice home. With financial anxiety up and headlines cycling fast, identity can start to feel outsourced to the feed. We took it back.
In “I Am Who I Think I Am,” we named how algorithms, misinformation, and old survival patterns shape self-perception, and we did the work of reclaiming authorship. Matt invited us to gently question inherited identities (“Who told me this is who I am?”) and update them with compassion (“Who am I choosing to be now?”). This wasn’t about pretending things are fine; it was about locating our agency inside real uncertainty.
Our finale, “It’s an Honor to Treat You,” was a love letter to the self. We practiced gratitude for the versions of us that got us here, forgiveness for the parts still healing, and commitment to keep showing up on purpose. The takeaway: in a culture of outrage and distraction, steadiness is a radical act. And treating ourselves, and each other, with honor isn’t soft; it’s structural.
Remember:
We can’t fix everything happening in the world.
But we can learn to treat ourselves, and one another, with honor.
Together, we’ll practice the courage to feel, the power to pause, and the grace to begin again.
I'm Gahmya!
pronounced "Juh-me-yuh"
Hey! Welcome to evolvedteacher.com where I share tips on evolving education, curriculum design, and becoming your best self.
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