RACHEL MORGAN has traveled and lived in many places here in the U.S. and abroad, and has lived a lot of life despite it only being about halfway through. She has been an educator, a professional ballroom dancer, and a paralegal by trade, but her passion is writing. She is the author of Waltzing with Elephants, as well as the Substack newsletter, Mental Wellness. Rachel’s 19 years of therapy have lent her a unique perspective and a deep well of personal experience, which shines through her collection of mental health articles and her memoir, too. She's currently working on a poetry collection and a fantasy novel. Rachel’s superpower is figuring out how to fix whatever joint has dislocated that day, while her downfall is probably owning too many books. She currently lives in North Augusta, South Carolina, with her life partner. Most days, Rachel can be found hugging trees and playing with her service dog and crazy cat.
RACHEL MORGAN has traveled and lived in many places here in the U.S. and abroad, and has lived a lot of life despite it only being about halfway through. She has been an educator, a professional ballroom dancer, and a paralegal by trade, but her passion is writing. She is the author of Waltzing with Elephants, as well as the Substack newsletter, Mental Wellness. Rachel’s 19 years of therapy have lent her a unique perspective and a deep well of...
Waltzing with Elephants is a deeply personal, unflinching memoir on Rachel Morgan’s tumultuous journey through mental illness. She transforms from a sheltered child into a world traveler, finding solace in foreign lands yet battling personal demons and heartbreak. Her stories resonate with courage and resilience, from childhood antics in Russia...
The Author's Club of Augusta is hosting the Literary Lounge at the annual Arts in the Heart of Augusta, Georgia on the weekend of September 18-20, 2026. This is a must-do...
As a continuation from my last post on living a values-driven life versus a goal-driven life, I want to look at another one of those components of the hexaflex which is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (“ACT”). It’s called Contact with the Present Moment.
As a reminder!!!! ACT is another type of psychotherapy (like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT) that practitioners use to help people like me who are struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, and PTSD. Google AI actually has a great...
When I was in residential treatment (crazy story, which you can read here!), the therapists there introduced me to a psychotherapeutic treatment called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT. I had never heard of it before, and they threw around terms like “radical acceptance” and “psychological flexibility” like I was supposed to know what they meant. This irritated me and when I asked questions, I received a lot of evasive answers which just made me angrier (this was during my angry...
Every week I’d like to present a new grounding technique or coping strategy that can help anyone who is struggling with overwhelming anxiety, intrusive thoughts, PTSD triggers, or stress. Not all of the strategies and techniques I provide will work for everyone. You will just have to try them and see what works for you. The more tools you have in your toolbox, the better!
Today I’m going to teach you about the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique, which I have found very helpful for me. When I feel like a...
