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Welcome to Carlita's Way
Writing That Holds Work and Life Together
A Note from Carlita
Dear Reader,
In work and in life, I often notice the same questions and emotional patterns surfacing across different moments and conversations. Writing has been one of the ways I sit with those questions thoughtfully and with curiosity, allowing reflection, meaning-making, and emotional truth to stay present long enough to be understood. The writing moves between my work as a therapist and my own lived experience.
In sharing these reflections, my hope is that this space feels like a companion as you navigate change, offering room to notice, reflect, and better understand your own inner landscape.
Thank you for being here and finding your way through Carlita's Way.
Love and Light,
Carlita
Communion With The Ancestors
Walking toward the sun, listening to my spirit, with Crue always close. I lit the candles because I missed the ocean. A few months ago, I started walking the beach at sunrise because something in me said to walk toward the sun. I did not have a plan or an intention to start a ritual, I just woke before the light, went to the water, and walked in the direction of the rising sun as it came up. The sound of the waves did something to my nervous system that I did not know I neede
Jan 13 min read
The First Step Home
There was a stretch of time when everything in my life seemed to shift at once, and I found myself moving through the days with a kind of quiet awareness I hadn’t known before. I began to notice the weight of my grief, the changes in my body, the strain in my relationships, and the ways I had overlooked myself for so many years. It wasn’t dramatic. It was simply honest. And somewhere in that slow noticing, I recognized that I had been finding my way back to myself without rea
Dec 8, 20254 min read
When Grief Meets Gratitude: How to Manage the Ache of Absence in Life, Loss and Love
I didn’t expect a quiet breakfast to open such a delicate door. The dining area was mostly empty, the kind of space where strangers nod politely and move on — but instead, I found myself in slow, honest conversation with a man who was grieving.
Jul 10, 20255 min read
When Grief Meets Gratitude: How Shared History Brings Connection
Sometimes grief surprises us — not only in how it breaks us open, but in how it draws us close. It can bring a tenderness to moments we might have otherwise overlooked, wrapping even the smallest interactions in a sense of meaning.
Jul 8, 20255 min read
When Grief Meets Gratitude: Navigating Shifts in Generational Patterns and Conflicts
Nothing challenges the fragile balance within a family quite like loss. When someone passes away, emotions can spill over, and even simple conversations can feel loaded with history.
Jul 3, 20256 min read
What We’ll Carry Forward: A Sibling Reflection on Love, Laughter, and Legacy of Daryl Richardson
Some people leave behind a soundtrack. Daryl left behind a symphony — woven from laughter, love, and every life he touched. In the days since my cousin Daryl passed, our family has sat with countless memories — some tender, some hilarious, all part of the man we loved so deeply. In the first days of grieving, I wrote a personal reflection to hold my own sorrow. But something gently nudged me to see that Daryl’s story was bigger than my memories alone. I wanted to create space
Jun 30, 20257 min read
What We'll Carry Forward: A Tribute to the Music, Mentorship, and Memory of Daryl Richardson
Grief has a way of opening our hearts to things we didn’t know we needed to say. After my cousin Daryl passed last week, I found myself sitting with the weight of that loss and began writing as a way to process my grief. But as I listened—to the stories people shared, the way they spoke his name, the emotion behind their words—I realized my experience was just one thread in something much larger. There was a wider chorus of voices—students, colleagues, families—each holding t
Jun 22, 20258 min read
What I’ll Carry Forward: A Personal Reflection on Grief
Sometimes grief shows up without warning. It doesn’t knock first. It doesn’t ask whether you’re ready. It just arrives—quietly, or suddenly—and sits beside you like it’s been there all along. As a therapist, I spend a lot of time sitting with other people’s grief. I know how layered it can be—how it loops back on itself, how it shows up quietly and then all at once. It shows up differently for everyone. But when my cousin Daryl passed a few days ago, I was reminded—personally
Jun 17, 20254 min read
Reconnecting to Heal: A Journey Through Family, Creativity, and Travel
Sometimes, the most unexpected connections are the ones that guide us home—not to a physical place, but to a part of ourselves we thought was lost or had never fully surfaced. These connections remind us that healing and growth often come in the form of a person, a shared story, or a journey we didn’t know we needed. This is a story of such a connection, born not out of convenience or tradition, but out of timing, intention, and love. Growing up, she and I lived in different
May 22, 20255 min read
Why I Write the Way I Do: From People-Pleasing to Presence
There’s something vulnerable about writing in your own voice—especially when you know people are watching. Recently, someone close to me questioned whether I’ve been too open in my blogs. “Aren’t you worried about what people will think?” they asked. I used to be. I’m not anymore. As I’ve gotten older, I care less about what people think—and am not controlled by it—but remain conscious. I'm not writing to impress or be seen, for noise or notice - I'm writing to create connec
May 22, 20256 min read
Montego Bay Meditations: When Stillness Sets You Free
Montego Bay offered more than turquoise waters and tucked-away cabanas. It gave me breath, pause, and a mirror to see myself clearly again. As I wrap up this Montego Bay Meditations series, I do so with a heart full of peace and reflect on the moments that shaped my journey, both outward and inward. This wasn't merely a vacation; it was a pilgrimage back to myself. A Moment That Reframed It All Here—under this roof, wrapped in ocean breeze and quiet—was where I told him I’d d
May 18, 20254 min read
Montego Bay Meditations: Belonging to My Self - Whole, Wandering, and Unwed
What if being alone wasn’t something to overcome, but something to honor?
In Whole, Wandering, and Unwed, Carlita Coley shares a quiet meditation on solo travel, self-trust, and the beauty of choosing presence over performance. With tender honesty and grounded insight, she explores what it means to live fully—even when life doesn’t follow the expected script.
May 14, 20255 min read
Montego Bay Meditations: The Space Between Expectation and Reality
There’s a version of motherhood I carried in my heart for years—a vision of emotional closeness, shared wisdom, and mutual care between myself and my adult children. I imagined easy conversations over brunch, spontaneous check-ins just to hear my voice, and holidays where I was a center of gravity. I believed, deep down, that all the love, labor, and sacrifices I poured in would come full circle—not necessarily with fanfare, but with intentional presence. That vision wasn’t u
May 12, 20254 min read
Montego Bay Meditations: How I Got Here - First Solo Trip with a Disability
Spoiler alert: I made it to Jamaica. Alone. Disabled. And absolutely triumphant. Traveling solo is a leap of faith for anyone—but when you live with a disability, it can feel more like a tightrope walk with no net. My Mother’s Day getaway to Montego Bay was more than a vacation. It was a declaration: that despite neuropathy, fatigue, and a world built for the able-bodied, I deserve joy, adventure, and rest too. . This post isn’t just about the miles I traveled—it’s about the
May 10, 20255 min read
Mother's Day in Montego Bay: Reclaiming My Groove, My Peace, My Power
This Mother’s Day, I didn’t wait to be celebrated—I booked a getaway to Montego Bay and chose me. In this deeply personal blog, I open up about the complexities of motherhood, the grief of unmet expectations, and the powerful act of self-honoring. From mental health revelations to reclaiming joy, this is a love letter to any woman who’s ever felt unseen on a day meant to celebrate her. Come with me as I unpack pain, find peace, and rediscover my groove in the most sacred way—
May 10, 20256 min read
How to Let Go of Roles That No Longer Fit—From Cat Rescue to Self Rescue
A compelling example of emotional intelligence because it reflects deep self-awareness, honest introspection, and the courage to evolve. Through thoughtful storytelling, she demonstrates empathy for others while still honoring her own boundaries, a key hallmark of emotionally intelligent decision-making. By navigatinhe tension between caring for others and caring for herself, she shows how emotional intelligence empowers us to choose authenticity over obligation.
Apr 17, 20254 min read
Redefining My Purpose: The Evolution of My Business and Personal Growth
As I stepped into 2025, I found myself reflecting on a whirlwind of growth, change, and evolution that took place in 2023 and all through 2024. In that time, I experienced an explosion of creativity and productivity that led me to establish not one, not two, but three separate companies . What began as a passion for creative expression and helping others, soon grew into a vision for a multi-faceted business empire focused on mental health, creative works, and animal rescue. T
Feb 13, 20254 min read
Living Left When Everything Is Right
Imagine living in an environment where most everything is created with people not like you in mind. I can't say that I have ever thought about being right-handed until I spent time at neighbors Bill and Dot's home and navigated their kitchen. Things felt off, and I experienced mild angst without understanding why. It wasn't until the after dinner conversation that my right-handed privilege was exposed. "I complained that everything in the kitchen was backwards to how I wor
Feb 10, 20256 min read
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