Welcome to Empowering Cycle Breakers
What is a cycle breaker?
A cycle breaker is someone who intentionally changes harmful or dysfunctional patterns within their family across generations.
Cycle breakers recognize unhealthy traits in their family’s culture and choose new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving.
Cycle breakers go against the status quo, even if it means causing disruption. This role can feel both burdensome and rewarding, as it often involves deep reflection and personal growth. (Psychology Today)
I want to expand upon this definition to point out that a cycle breaker can recognize unhealthy patterns not only in their families of origin, but in their relationships to self and others, in their work environments, in their communities, and in society.
Cycle breakers are often deeply empathetic and contemplative people who are labeled “emotional, sensitive, introverted, over-thinkers" if we are being polite. Other terms given to cycle breakers (generally from the status quo) are terms to “other them,” such as hysterical, crazy, unhinged, a problem, etc.”
A bit about Amy McIntosh, M.S. Counseling, M.S. Ed, LPC
Serving MN & ND
After nearly two decades in higher education in the Pacific Northwest, in various roles championing the psychology of adult learning, I chose to follow my life’s calling to support individual mental health and well-being. In 2019, I sold my home in Washington state, packed up my car, and returned to rural Minnesota, near where I grew up in Fargo, North Dakota.
I attended Minnesota State University, Moorhead to earn a Master of Clinical Counseling degree with the plan to eventually open my own practice. Our world needs an accessible understanding of mental health, more than ever.
I am very passionate about bringing my clinical knowledge and personal life experience to not only every client I work with, but with anyone who finds this space online.
This work is deeply personal to me as I’ve navigated my own mental health and continue to come to terms with who I am in an ever-changing world, as an ever-changing woman.
I have always had a passion for understanding human behavior and I believe many people skip the most powerful piece of understanding; the understanding of self.
Imagine this world with fewer fingers pointing and more authentic personal reflection and self-accountability!
What about you?
Have you ever considered that a healthy reaction to witnessing pain, is pain?
Have you considered that many people with diagnoses of depression, anxiety, or PTSD are struggling because they are having a normal reaction to a painfully harmful experience and/or environment?
Most of us battling mental health struggles have been impacted by societal, generational, and/or personal trauma, we are not a problem to be solved; we are the solution!
If you have found this space and are reading these words, I hope you take a moment to consider your own experience, family, community, and society.
If something resonates, feel free to sign up for ongoing blogs and informational updates and share with anyone who might need a space to feel safe, seen, and empowered.
