Summer Healing Series: Exploring the Intersection of Story, Identity, and Safety

By Michelle Tillman‑Cureton, LCMHC   Founder, Transitional Pathways PLLC

Born in Providence by Elizabeth Bouvier

August has always felt like a threshold month to me—still summer but already hinting at transition. A quiet turning point. A place where reflection becomes possible if we’re willing to slow down enough to notice what’s stirring beneath the surface.

This year, I wanted to honor that energy with intention. So beginning this month, Transitional Pathways PLLC is launching our Summer Healing Series, a space where literature, meaningful conversation, and therapeutic reflection meet.

Our featured book is Born in Providence by Elizabeth Bouvier—a memoir that invites readers into the tender, complicated terrain of family, identity, and the stories we inherit. Through her writing, Elizabeth offers a powerful reminder: when we examine our personal narratives with honesty and compassion, healing becomes not only possible, but deeply transformative.

Born In Providence is more than storytelling. It’s an act of reclamation. A way of saying, This is what shaped me—and this is how I’m choosing to move forward.

And that’s why I’m so thrilled to welcome Elizabeth Bouvier as a guest on my podcast, Let’s Circle Back. Together, we’ll explore the healing power of narrative, the resilience that emerges when we confront our histories, and the ways our lived experiences influence the paths we choose.

This series isn't a traditional book club.

It’s an invitation. An invitation to reflect. To journal. To ask difficult questions. To embrace hope. You don’t need to be a writer. You don’t need to be a long‑time reader. You don’t need to be in therapy—though you might be, or you might be considering it.

You simply need a willingness to pause and make space for yourself.

Because healing doesn’t happen just because time passes. Healing happens because we choose it. Because we create room for it. Because we decide our stories deserve restoration. And perhaps that’s the invitation this new month offers each of us:

To pause. To breathe. To begin.

I hope you’ll join us throughout August—whether through the book, the podcast conversation, or your own quiet moments of reflection. Your story is worthy of care, and your healing is worthy of intention. Ms. Bouvier's book can be purchased via Amazon. She is also on IG @BornInProvidence

“Healing is required—not because you are weak, but because your story deserves restoration.”