Word of the Week: Shift, A Permission to Evolve with the Seasons

There’s a moment every year, right around when the air turns crisp and the leaves start to let go, that reminds us just how natural change really is. Fall doesn’t rush its transformation. It doesn’t question whether it’s the right time.

It simply shifts.

And maybe that’s the lesson we’re meant to carry into our own lives.

So many of us fight change, even when we can feel it tugging at us. We stay in situations that no longer fit because they once did. We cling to habits that once brought comfort but now drain us.

We tell ourselves we’ll make a change “when things settle down," as if life ever really stops moving long enough for that perfect timing to appear.

But what if the change you’ve been avoiding isn’t chaos waiting to unfold, but it’s alignment asking to begin?

A shift doesn’t always announce itself loudly.

Sometimes it’s quiet.

Sometimes it looks like slowing your mornings down instead of racing through them.

Saying “no” where you used to automatically say “yes.” Releasing the version of yourself that needed to hold it all together, and welcoming the version that simply wants to feel whole.

We’re conditioned to believe that growth only counts when it’s visible. A promotion, a new relationship, a big move. But real shifts often happen internally first. They start with awareness: a tug in your gut that says, "This isn’t working anymore."

Or a spark that whispers, it’s time for something new.

Nature doesn’t resist this process, and neither should we. Trees don’t apologize for shedding their leaves. The days don’t feel guilty for growing shorter. The world just adjusts, and somehow it all still makes sense.

You’re allowed to do the same.

Maybe this is your season to release what’s been weighing you down. The unrealistic expectations, the people-pleasing, the self-doubt that whispers you’re behind. Maybe this is the season where you reclaim your energy and trust that you don’t need to have every answer before you take the next step.

Shifting isn’t about reinventing yourself from scratch. It’s about returning to who you are beneath all the noise. The version that’s ready to live in rhythm with what matters now.

Give yourself permission to evolve.

To let this season shape you in quiet, intentional ways. To stop forcing what feels forced.

Fall reminds us that letting go isn’t a loss, it’s a sign of growth. You don’t have to hold everything the way you did before.

You’re allowed to shift.

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About the Author: Carrie Summers, LCSW

Therapist • Mental Health Educator • Safe Space Creator

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and the founder of Noreila Healing & Wellness in Wheaton, Illinois, Carrie Summers brings a deep commitment to creating inclusive, judgment-free spaces where all people feel seen, supported, and safe.

Whether working one-on-one with clients or shaping mental health conversations within the MDW community, Carrie leads with warmth, insight, and advocacy.

Her therapeutic style is person-centered, strengths-based, and trauma-informed, grounded in the belief that every individual already holds the potential for healing within.

Carrie supports clients navigating a wide range of challenges, including perinatal mental health, relationship stress, divorce and separation, narcissistic abuse recovery, and major life transitions. Her work is guided by a commitment to meeting people exactly where they are.

Carrie holds a Perinatal Mental Health Certification from Postpartum Support International (PSI), allowing her to provide specialized care for individuals facing fertility struggles, postpartum mood disorders, and the often overlooked experience of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

She also serves clients as a certified Divorce Coach, helping people move through endings with clarity and empowerment.

“Healing happens when people feel heard. I want every person to know they matter and that there’s no shame in their story." - Carrie

Carrie offers both in-person and virtual therapy sessions through her private practice, ensuring flexibility and access for clients throughout Illinois.

Outside the therapy room, you’ll find Carrie joyfully curating her next Nordstrom haul (no apologies) and fully embracing the philosophy that treating yourself is a form of self-respect. Reach out to Carrie at (630) 474-5275 or

carrie@noreilahealing.com