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Profile
Join date: Apr 30, 2025
About
Hi, I’m Esther, LCSW-C and the founder of Serenity Place. With over 20 years of experience in the field, I’ve had the honor of walking alongside clients through grief, trauma, parenting, major life transitions, and everything in between.
This blog is a space where I share thoughts on healing, therapy, and the messy and meaningful work of being human. I write to offer perspective, reflect on what I’ve learned in practice, and hopefully help you feel a little less alone in whatever you’re navigating.
Posts (76)
Dec 11, 2025 ∙ 3 min
Life After Letting Go: Part Three
This post explores the challenges of stepping back into dating after a period of personal healing. It reflects on boundaries, the discomfort of vulnerability, and recognizing when one isn’t ready. Through missteps and tough moments, it emphasizes the importance of space, self-compassion, and moving forward at a pace that feels right.
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Nov 17, 2025 ∙ 5 min
Reflections on Family Dynamics: Losing My Baby Sister
I grew up watching how birth order shaped everything in our family. My sister was the true baby, the center of my parents’ world, while I floated somewhere in the middle, trying to be seen. Losing her forced me to look back at those roles and how they followed us into adulthood. Grief has a way of reopening old dynamics, and I’m still learning how to make sense of the space she left behind.
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May 29, 2025 ∙ 3 min
Life After Letting Go: Part Two
In this vulnerable continuation of her divorce journey, Esther explores what comes after the heartbreak: the quiet, often overlooked moments when healing begins. From simple home projects to reclaiming her identity, she shares how grief transforms into empowerment, and how silence—once deafening—can become sacred. This blog is an invitation to honor your healing, feel your grief fully, and begin to choose yourself again.
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Esther Vanderwal
Writer
Therapist, LCSW-C, President of Serenity Place, LLC
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