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Jessi DeLeo | Couples & Individual Therapist

@pivotingsoftly

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Pivoting Softly
RMHCI
Therapist @beyourbestselftherapy
Accepting new clients in FL
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How often have you been told you need to be less defensive? Most of us have, but very few of us have actually been taught how to do that.

This post is inspired by Harriet Lerner’s, Why Won’t You Apologize? In it, she outlines powerful reminders for what to do when you’re on the receiving end of criticism.

I’ve broken these down into 7 gentle, digestible steps to help you stay grounded, self-aware, and connected, even when your defenses want to jump in.

Because listening well doesn’t mean agreeing. It means creating the kind of space where repair is possible for you and the other person.

💛 Save this for your next hard conversation 🔁 Share with someone who listens with their whole heart

#pivotingsoftly #emotionalmaturity #lessdefensive #harrietlerner #whywontyouapologize #relationalhealing #therapytools #howtolisten #growthmindset #softskillsmatter #healingisapractice #floridatherapist #dtsp #stpetefl #stpeteflorida by @pivotingsoftly

✨ A Soft Pivot: From Circus to Therapist

For those who’ve known me through the wild, beautiful ride of owning/operating The Movement Sanctuary…thank you. That season of life shaped me in ways I’m still unpacking. Holding space for creativity, community, chaos, and healing through movement was one of the most expansive experiences of my life.

Over the last few years, I’ve been transitioning from circus artist and entrepreneur to becoming an individual & couples therapist.

This shift has been grounded in 3 ½ years of graduate school, over 700 hours of clinical training, and completing both Level 1 & 2 of Gottman Method Couples Therapy.

The path has been anything but linear and every step has brought me closer to the work I know I’m meant to do. Holding space, supporting healing, strengthening connection, and continuing to grow right alongside the people I work with.

I’m still learning to trust this slower pace. To listen more than I fix. To sit with, rather than move through.

This page is for the in-between moments. The small shifts. The quiet pivots we make when we’re ready to live more honestly, more gently, more connected.

Thanks for being a part of my journey, then and now. I’m still holding space. Just in a different way.

This next chapter is about learning, unlearning, and becoming. I’m sharing the journey as it unfolds through therapy, relationships, nervous system healing, and the quiet power of change.

If that speaks to you, I’d love to have you here @pivotingsoftly
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#pivotingsoftly #lifetransitions #fromcircustotherapy #healingjourney #lifepurpose #livingourbestlife #softchange #mentalhealthcommunity #florida #stpetefl #floridatherapist #dtsp by @pivotingsoftly

🌿 Welcome to Pivoting Softly

Hi all! I’m Jessi, a therapist, lifelong learner, and human doing my own healing work right alongside you.

I created Pivoting Softly as a space to share what I’m learning about mental health, relationships, embodiment, boundaries, self-compassion, and the often messy, sacred work of being human. This isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about being curious, intentional, and gentle as we navigate change.

As a queer neurodivergent woman with a background in yoga, holistic health, and community building, my lens is integrative, relational, and rooted in compassion. I believe that healing doesn’t always look like big breakthroughs. Sometimes, it’s a quiet shift. A small “no.” A deeper breath. A soft pivot.

If you’re someone who thinks deeply, feels a lot, or is learning how to take up space without apology, you’re in the right place! I’m so glad you’re here.

✨ Follow along for reflections, mini psychoeducation posts, and tiny invitations to return to yourself.
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#pivotingsoftly #queertherapist #mentalhealthspace #relationalhealing #selfcompassionpractice #gentlegrowth #attachmenthealing #somatictherapy #neurodivergenttherapist #healingjourney #dtsp #floridatherapist #stpetefl #stpetersburgfl by @pivotingsoftly

Feeling stuck doesn’t mean you’re failing.

Sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to have it all figured out or to be further along than we are. And when things don’t go as planned, it’s easy to fall into patterns of self-criticism.

But you don’t have to have all the answers right now. Give yourself grace as you navigate where you are, and remember that you’re allowed to begin again as many times as you need.🌿

#selfcompassionpractice #workinprogress #onestepatatime👣 #stpetetherapist #mentalhealthsupport by @pivotingsoftly

Hi all, Jessi here!

One of the most important tools I guide couples in cultivating is a weekly relationship check-in 💛

Life gets busy. Schedules change. Stress builds. AND small misunderstandings can quietly accumulate if we don’t create intentional space to reconnect.

A weekly relationship check-in gives couples a dedicated time to:
• Review schedules and upcoming logistics
• Address lingering hurt and work toward full repair after ruptures
• Check in on each partner’s emotional needs
• Express gratitude by sharing what has felt supportive and ask “how could I have done better this week?”

The goal is consistency. By setting aside dedicated time each week to connect, couples can stay proactive in their communication rather than waiting until disconnection, resentment, or assumptions have already taken hold.

Healthy relationships aren’t built by avoiding conflict. They’re built by returning to one another, week after week, with curiosity, appreciation, and the willingness to repair.

What’s one conversation you’ve been meaning to have with your partner? Sometimes all you need is a dedicated time to begin 🌿-Jessi

#stpetefl #couplestherapist #relationshipcheckin #couplesgoals #mentalhealthsupport by @pivotingsoftly

Hi all, Jessi here!

One of the things I’ve had to learn, both personally and as a therapist, is that being independent and being emotionally isolated are not the same thing. 💛

For a long time, I think I associated strength with being able to handle things on my own. Figure it out. Keep going. Not need too much from anyone.

But there’s a difference between knowing you can hold yourself and believing you have to.

Emotional independence, to me, looks more like knowing who I am while still allowing myself to need people. Being able to regulate myself AND ask for comfort. Trusting my own decisions AND letting someone offer perspective. Maintaining my autonomy without using it as a reason to keep people at a distance.

Sometimes “I don’t need anyone” is less about independence and more about protection.

I’m learning that strength can also look like receiving. Asking. Trusting. Letting yourself be known.

We’re allowed to belong deeply to ourselves and still deeply belong with others.🌿

#emotionalindependence #relationships #mentalhealth #selfawareness #healing by @pivotingsoftly

Here are some words from our couples and individual therapist Jessi:

“Hi all, Jessi here!

Being a queer therapist is something I hold with both pride and gratitude 🌈💛

It means I get to show up authentically while creating a space where others can do the same.

For many LGBTQ+ individuals, finding a therapist who understands the impact of identity, belonging, relationships, family dynamics, and navigating a world that doesn’t always feel affirming can make a meaningful difference. While no therapist can fully understand every lived experience, there is something powerful about being seen and supported by someone who shares parts of your perspective.

My goal isn’t to be the expert on your life. It’s to create a space where you can bring your full self without needing to explain, minimize, or hide parts of who you are.

In closing out this Pride Month and every month, I’m grateful to be part of a profession that helps people move toward greater self acceptance, connection, and healing.
You deserve spaces where you can be fully yourself.” - Jessi
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#pridemonth #lgbtqaffirming #queertherapist #mentalhealth #authenticity by @pivotingsoftly

Here’s a message from one of our therapists, Jessi.

“Hi all! It’s Jessi, and I’m here to tell you why it’s worth becoming a boundaried human!

Many of us avoid boundaries because of guilt, fear, and inability to maintain them.

We worry about disappointing people, rocking the boat, or being labeled “too much.” And when we’re already exhausted, holding a boundary can feel like yet another full-time job.

🤓 Here’s the science part:
Chronic resentment keeps the body in a low-grade stress response. Ongoing stress elevates cortisol and inflammation, which over time can suppress immune functioning, disrupt sleep, and increase vulnerability to illness.

Translation? Swallowing your needs doesn’t just hurt emotionally, it taxes your body too.

Unspoken resentment compromises your nervous system far more than a clear boundary ever could.

Boundaries aren’t walls, they’re the structures that protect both relational connection and your health.”- Jessi 🧚🏽‍♂️
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#relationshiphealth #boundariesinrelationships #secureattachment #couplestherapy #individualtherapy by @pivotingsoftly

Here’s a message from one of our therapists Jessi:

“Hi all, Jessi here 🧚🏼

Walking into the new year with confidence doesn’t mean having everything figured out.

It means trusting the part of you that has already survived hard seasons. It means moving forward without rushing. It means letting clarity arrive through action, not pressure.

As a mother, wife, friend, daughter, therapist, and acrobat, I’m doing less mental gymnastics and more listening: to my body, my values, and the pace that actually supports me.

Confidence isn’t loud. It’s quiet self-trust. It’s knowing you can meet what comes without abandoning yourself.

What matters most is alignment, not achievement.

Step forward gently. You’re allowed to go at your own pace.”- Jessi 💗
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#mentalhealthmatters #nervoussystemregulation #selftrust #gentlegoals #slowgrowth #emotionalwellness #holistichealing #mindbodyconnection #valuesbasedliving #innerwork #healingjourney #attachmenthealing #somatictherapy #burnoutrecovery #softstrength #intentionalliving #selfcompassion #therapyinspo #pivotingsoftly #dtsp #stpete #stpetefl #stpetersburgfl #saintpetersburgflorida #floridatherapist by @pivotingsoftly

This week’s episode on WWM, guest and therapist Jessi DeLeo shook something loose in me in the best way.

At one point, Jessi said:

“Hyper-independence is an epidemic that’s happening to women.”

And that hit me hard.

I’ve spent most of my life believing I had to hold everything together on my own. I recently read that hyper-independence is often a response to childhood fears of abandonment — and when Jessi said it out loud, I felt it in my whole body.

But the truth she reminded me of is this:

We are meant to be interdependent.
Humans are wired for connection, co-regulation, and community.
Needing help isn’t weakness — it’s wisdom.
Asking for support isn’t failure — it’s emotional intelligence.
Receiving care isn’t losing control — it’s choosing safety.

And that’s really what this conversation is about:

How to create emotional safety in partnership and in parenthood — especially during the messy moments.

This is one of those grounding, compassionate conversations that reminds you:

You don’t have to do everything alone.
You don’t have to be perfect to be loved.
And you are allowed (and encouraged) to ask for support — in your relationships, in motherhood, and in your life.

I hope this episode lands in your heart the way it did in mine. 💛

🎧 Listen to “Pausing With Love: Emotional Safety in Partnership + Parenthood with Jessi DeLeo” (Link in bio)

✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙

#wildlywellmamas #wellnessinmotherhood #holisticmama #nervoussystemsupport #therapyhelps #adhdmom #mindfulmotherhood by @pivotingsoftly

🪴 Not every therapy breakthrough is loud…

Not every breakthrough in therapy looks like a dramatic reveal or a big cry. 
Often, the real transformation is quiet. Subtle. Internal. And yet, those are the moments where something begins to bloom. 🌿

If you’re in your own quiet season of growth, you’re not alone. 
There’s power in every small shift.

Which blooming moment have you experienced recently?
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#pivotingsoftly #bloomingtherapy #stpetetherapist #emotionalhealing #traumainformedtherapy #dtsp #stpete #floridatherapist #growthmoments #innerwork #therapyisbeautiful #mentalhealthawareness #selfgrowth #healingjourney #wellness #mindfulness #selfdiscovery #personaldevelopment #emotionalwellness #healingprocess #therapysession #selfcarematters #mentalwellbeing by @pivotingsoftly

💛 Friendships: The Unsung Heroes of Your Romantic Connections 💛

Whether you’re in one relationship or multiple, friendships play a HUGE role in keeping your romantic connections healthy. Here’s why:

✨ Perspective & Reflection: Friends help you notice patterns, celebrate your wins, and offer gentle feedback when you’re stuck in cycles without judgment.

✨ Emotional Support: A strong support system outside your romantic partners ensures you don’t rely on any one person to meet all your needs, reducing pressure, tension, and burnout.

✨ Modeling Healthy Connection: Watching how friends communicate, set boundaries, and care for each other can inspire how you show up with your partners.

✨ Stress Relief & Joy: Friendships give you space to laugh, vent, and recharge—so when you’re with your partner(s), you can show up fully present and grounded.

💡 Takeaway: Nurturing your friendships isn’t separate from your romantic life, it strengthens all your connections. People who invest in both friendships and romantic relationships experience more trust, intimacy, and resilience.

💬 Who are the friends that help you show up as your best self in your relationships? Tag them and let them know they’re appreciated! 💛
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#friendshipmatters #healthyrelationships #relationshipadvice #selfgrowth #emotionalwellness #couplesupport #friendshipsupport #dtsp #stpete #stpetefl #stpetersburgfl #saintpetersburgflorida #floridatherapist #relationshipgoals #healthyconnections #dtsp #stpete #stpetefl #stpetersburgfl #saintpetersburgflorida #floridatherapist #healthyconnections by @pivotingsoftly