I’m an educator, mother, author and creator of reflective tools focused on personal growth, identity, and emotional awareness.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English and French as well as a Bachelor of Education. I completed additional training in trauma-informed practices and learning differences.

When life kept delivering one curveball after another, and I found myself knee-deep in survival mode, I blended my two world together — professional understanding and lived experience — to create tools that help people (read: me) access what’s actually beneath the surface (I was my first customer).

Drop the Mask is a guided journal, focused on emotional awareness and self-reflection. It has guided prompts, original poetry woven throughout and space to process (not perform).

she became anyway is a poetry collection about what unfolds during and after survival: the quiet, messy process of becoming. Most of these poems were written in the middle of rebuilding — after trauma, loss, identity shifts, and learning how to exist as myself again.

my linktr.ee has links + videos for the books

Substack is a new space for me and I’m looking forward to establishing it. I visited many corners of the internet over the last few months trying to find the space that fit: trying different platforms and media before designing my own website because I just needed my own space.

The story of “terelliPOV”

terelliPOV came from pieces of my children’s names — “ter” from Carter, “elli” from Ellie — woven together with the idea of perspective.

Somewhere inside motherhood, my perspective shifted completely.

The way I saw myself and the way I moved through the world changed.

terelliPOV became a space for that unfolding — the rebuilding, the reflection, the writing, and the versions of myself I met along the way.

I really wanted the aspect of community, though.

Enter substack.

Space + Belonging? A recovering people pleaser’s dream. I’m really interested in sharing my story, without a word or time limit, and helping people move from surviving to intentionally rebuilding their lives.

If it feels right —

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Thank you for reading, for being.

created by kate

through lived experience, not just theory

I began 2025 with a surgery that I DID actually wake up during. Repeatedly. On the table.

The events in my personal life that followed February—December echoed the metaphorical waking up during surgery, tenfold.

And while there were some “surgeons” (read: people in my circle) who didn’t seem to care, I was fortunate to have some real solid ones that did. And most importantly, I realized that I did. I really cared what happened to me and what was best for me going forward.

Bottom line: life happens — it continues on with the joyful, the harsh, the seemingly impossible (whether you are ready or not). It will not pause for readiness or for you to catch your breath. One moment you are “living, loving, laughing” through it, and the next you are awake during surgery. But even then — when it’s difficult, relentless, seemingly cruel, you are still awake — still living. 

Learn to recognize when something isn’t right, when you need to advocate for yourself, and then find the people who will stand tall beside you while you do that (hold onto them).

As for the rest of it/ them? Don’t spend *too* much time dwelling on botched surgeries, botched attempts, botched relationships. Recognize their purpose, what those things brought to light — yes, take a moment to recognize the damage, disappointment, hurt they caused — but then, THEN carry on in YOUR story, your strength, your light, your knowing, your LIFE. 

Don’t stay on (or at if you prefer) the table too long.

Thanks for reading, for being.

created by kate

through lived experience, not just theory

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I’m building this while rebuilding myself

I was just trying to figure myself out. Why things felt off. Why I was showing up in ways that didn’t feel like me.

At some point it turned into helping other people through similar things. Conversations, voice notes, long messages back and forth. Then I started writing things out and sending Google Docs.

One day, mid ADHD hyper-focus spiral, I thought “what if this was an ACTUAL THING?”

I’ve made so much in Canva for teaching, I was like… yeah, I could do that.

So I made a PDF.

Then a fillable version.

I set up a Linktree and put it on Gumroad so people could buy it.

(and people did)

Then someone who bought it messaged and said,

“I just want this IN my hands, you know?”

And I appreciated that. Something about pen and paper just hits different. So I turned it into a book. Reformatted and figured out how to self-publish it on Amazon.

“Drop the Mask” was born.

Because not everyone is going to talk about this kind of thing or reach out. And honestly, I get it.

But they still need something.

This was never meant to be a money thing. But I do know the value of what I made.

And people take things more seriously when they invest in them— even when it’s themselves (maybe especially then).

If you’re doing the work quietly, on your own?

If you’re living out loud and saying it with your chest?

This is for you.

If you want more of this kind of thing (real healing, in real time, figuring it out as I go) follow along.

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If you also want this “in your hands”,

get your copy on Amazon

Feel free to check out my website if this resonated. I will be slowly building this new space.

I am building this while rebuilding myself

Thank you for reading, for being.

created by kate

from lived experience, not just theory