2025 Year In Review

By Joanna Barrett Therapy & Wellness LLC

As 2025 came to a close, I took some time to reflect on the moments, conversations, and connections that shaped it. This winter season always invites a gentle pause, a chance to notice what felt nourishing, what stretched me, and what I’m carrying forward.

This post is a small reflection of that. A snapshot of yoga, community, learning, and care, shared with gratitude for the people and spaces that made it possible. Please scroll down to see a recap of my 2025 (which you made possible!), and you’ll also find a listing at the end with my top 10 favorite things of 2025.

Included is also a free download for you, “A Year in Review & Welcoming New Beginnings Reflective Guide.” I created this reflective guide as a soft place to land. It offers space to look back on 2025 with honesty and compassion, and space to look into 2026 with intention and care. Move through it at your own pace. You get to decide what needs tending, what you are ready to release, and what you wish to carry forward. I hope something in these pages offers a sense of steadiness, inspiration, or quiet connection as we move ahead together.

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Yoga at Sun & Moon Yoga Studio 

One of the steady joys of last year was teaching a weekly Flow & Yin class at Sun & Moon Yoga Studio in Fairfax on Tuesday evenings. I’ve been there since the summer and classes will continue weekly. If you’ve been meaning to come practice together, I’d love to see you on the mat. This past year also brought opportunities to connect beyond the studio:

• In September I enjoyed attending a community event at George Mason University, where I had meaningful conversations with students, faculty, and staff about yoga and well-being.
• In November, I was honored to be invited as a guest meditation teacher at Sun & Moon, guiding a practice focused on easing anxiety and supporting nervous system harmony.
• In December, I collaborated with Commonwealth Brewery to teach a Sunday morning yoga class. It was such a fun, community-centered experience, a reminder that yoga can meet us anywhere and bring people together in unexpected ways.

I’m deeply grateful for the yoga spaces, studios, and communities in my life.

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More Yoga Moments

One especially meaningful moment on the mat in 2025 was having my childhood best friend join me for a class at Sun & Moon! It was a sweet reminder of how connection and practice weave together across the years. Yoga really is better when shared with friends.

I also had the privilege of working with private clients, both online and in the studio, and guiding a six-week From Outer Chaos to Inner Calm embodied healing series for women. Each of these spaces offered its own kind of depth, presence, and opportunity for healing, and I’m deeply grateful for the trust and openness of everyone who practiced with me.

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Widows’ Wellness Retreat

In October, I co-hosted a retreat with It’s Lifey, that is still deeply embedded in my heart. The fall Widows’ Wellness Retreat was created as a soft landing place for this tender chapter of life for women who have lost their partners. The weekend offered a space to breathe, rest, be witnessed, and feel supported in community.

I share more about the retreat and what this gathering offered in a blog on my website. If you or someone you love is walking this path, please also check out It’s Lifey’s upcoming HopeHub.

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American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

I am honored to be involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, National Capital Area Chapter.

First up in 2025, I served as a committee member for the “PAWS for Prevention” event hosted at Snouts & Stouts Brewing in Arlington in June. PAWS for Prevention was a beautiful reminder of how much our pets contribute to mental health and healing. It was also, quite simply, a joyful day filled with laughter, connection, and plenty of wet kisses and  tail wags.

The bond we share with our pets, especially our dogs, can be a powerful source of support for those living with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Dogs help us feel less alone, more connected, and deeply valued. Their steady, nonjudgmental presence can bring comfort in moments when words fall short. Spending time with animals has been shown to reduce stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline while supporting overall well-being. Anyone who shares life with a dog knows this quiet magic. They sense our moods, meet us where we are, and offer unconditional love that fosters both purpose and belonging.

Secondly, I also served as a Care Team Member at the Fairfax Walk. The day was filled with stories of love, loss, and resilience, and served as a powerful reminder that healing begins when we are heard and held in community. I shared reflections from that experience, and the quiet strength of community care, in a blog post. 

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Insight Timer App – Free Meditations & Therapist Hub

This past year, I began publishing free guided meditations on Insight Timer. If you’d like to stay connected on the app, you’re welcome to follow my profile to be notified when new meditations are released.

I’ve also share free mental health resources through a newly curated collection of folders on the Insight Timer Therapist Hub, which include audio practices and supportive worksheets. These offerings are meant to be accessible, grounding, and easy to return to whenever support is needed.

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The Power of Community: Shifting from Outer Chaos to Inner Calm

I was honored to be selected as the keynote speaker for the June quarterly leadership breakfast of the South Shore Women’s Business Network. The session was designed for women in business navigating a fast-paced, often chaotic world, and offered both reflection and practical support.

Together, we explored accessible grounding practices to help participants stay present, centered, and focused on what is actually within their control, both personally and professionally. We also worked with simple, actionable tools for shifting from outer chaos to inner calm in ways that support greater clarity, resilience, and sustainable success in business and life.

A central theme of our time together was the power of community. We reflected on why genuine connection is essential, not optional, for thriving as a business owner and as a woman in today’s world. Running a business asks so much of us. Courage, adaptability, and resilience are required daily, and none of it is meant to be done alone. The women of the South Shore Women’s Business Network understand the value of being held by a community that uplifts, supports, and walks alongside them through the realities of entrepreneurship. I left feeling deeply grateful for the openness, wisdom, and shared commitment to leading with intention.

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Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation & The Healthcare Leadership Collaborative 

In March 2025, I attended the Healthcare Leadership Collaborative at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC, serving in my role as an Ambassador with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation.

As Ambassadors, we advocate for the professional well-being and mental health of healthcare workers, with a shared vision of a culture where seeking mental health support is universally recognized as a sign of strength, not stigma. The day was filled with thoughtful conversation, learning, and connection, and served as a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when we center care for those who care for others.

Being part of this work continues to shape how I think about advocacy, systems-level change, and the importance of creating safer, more compassionate environments within the healthcare system.

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These are a Few of My Favorite Things…

2025 was also a year of exploring new products and items to improve my life, and some of these quickly became my top 1o favorites of 2025. Please note: An asterisk denotes an affiliate link.

1. Meditation App – Insight Timer
2. High Vibration Clothing Clothing – Picasso Jasper*
3. Spirit Inspired Clothing – Be Love Apparel
4. Mental Wellness Journal – Let’s Get Real by Chasing Red Flags*
5. Online Yoga & Therapy Course – Yoga Basics: The Therapists Guide to Integrating Trauma Informed Yoga into Sessions*
6. Indigenous Herbal Medicine – Anima Mundi Apothecary
7. Candles and Crystal Shop – New Moon Beginnings ($10 off purchase)*
8. Energy Pendants – Kate King Jewellery
9. HappyLights – Verilux
10. Essential Oils Information – Using Essential Oils Safety (with Lea Jacobson)

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My hope is that this year of 2026 brings many blessings to you and your loved ones. Let’s continue to hold space for each other, speak openly about mental health without judgment or stigma, and advocate for effective and lasting change. Remember, being real is more important than being perfect.

Please stay tuned for updates in the coming months on exciting new updates and offerings in 2026!

Interested in learning more about how I can support you to improve your mental health?

Complete the New Client Inquiry Form and let’s get started today!