OUR MISSION

 To help people unburden the sh*t they carry, together.

Science-Backed. Culturally Fluent. Stigma-Free.

We translate what science knows about healing into language people actually understand.

The nervous system. The need for belonging. The power of story. It’s all in here — just stripped of the jargon.

We build from evidence, but we speak from experience.

Because real connection doesn’t start in a lab — it starts in the room, between people who’ve lived it.

We speak your language, not therapist-speak.

You don’t need a diagnosis to deserve to be heard, or a degree to help someone else heal.

Vulnerability isn’t a weakness here — it’s a skill we practice together until it feels normal again.

Our approach is part science, part culture, part humanity.

That’s what makes it work.

We mix what’s proven with what’s lived — because healing has always belonged to the people.

Omar Alexander Pedroza

( CEO / Co-Founder )

“We built The Sh*t We Carry because we are tired of pretending we’re fine.”

I’ve been in rooms where people laughed through their pain, where nobody wanted to go first, where everyone was holding something heavy but too scared to say it out loud. And I’ve also been in systems that claimed to “help” but made people feel like diagnoses instead of humans.

I saw what was missing — spaces where people could be real without needing to translate their emotions into clinical language or self-help slogans. Spaces that didn’t require money, insurance, or permission to just talk.

The Sh*t We Carry started as an idea: what if healing could feel like a Friday night hangout instead of a therapy session? What if we could take what psychology knows about connection and bring it back to the people — in our own words, in our own rhythms, with our own humor and pain and truth?

The first circle we ever ran wasn’t fancy. Just a few friends, some cards, and the willingness to go deeper than small talk. But that night changed everything. People cried. People laughed. People left lighter.

That’s when I realized — this isn’t just a game. It’s a movement. A way for people to unlearn isolation and remember what it means to be human again.

So we built it for all of us carrying too much for too long.

Because sometimes you don’t need therapy. You just need a safe place to be honest — and a few people who can handle your truth.

  • The Deck: Where it Begins

    It starts small — a deck of cards and a few people brave enough to show up.

    This is where it begins. A simple deck that turns small talk into real talk. Every card carries an invitation — to laugh, to listen, to tell the truth you’ve been holding. No scripts. No diagnoses. Just structure, safety, and story. Because sometimes the medicine isn’t in advice — it’s in being witnessed.

  • The Circles: Where It Spreads

    People start gathering — living rooms, parks, workplaces, rec centers.

    The cards travel from hand to hand. Circles form. Six, maybe ten people — strangers at first, then family by the end of the night. There’s laughter, silence, honesty. The kind that hits your chest. These circles become sanctuaries in a world that keeps us performing.

    This is where people remember: connection is a human need, not a luxury.

  • The Counselors: Where Leadership Emerges

    Everyday people. Extraordinary presence.

    We call them Unburdening Counselors — not because they have all the answers, but because they’ve carried their own. They’re the ones who’ve walked through the fire and came back with language for it. We train them in trauma-informed care, boundaries, and nervous system wisdom — so that every circle can stay safe enough to go deep.

    They are the next generation of healers — without the pedestal.

  • The Clinician Network: Where Bridges Form

    We connect the community to care that honors culture and story.

    Some stories need more than a circle — they need a clinician who gets it. Our therapist partners don’t pathologize pain; they contextualize it. They see the culture, the systems, the trauma beneath the surface. Together, we’re building bridges between grassroots healing and professional care — not walls.

    Because no one should fall through the cracks.

  • The Social Healing Network: Where It All Converges

    And soon — a digital home for real connection.

    A place where you can find a circle, join a live unburdening room, or just listen until you’re ready to speak. Where peers and counselors and clinicians intersect — not as roles, but as humans. This isn’t another social media feed. It’s the start of a social healing network — built on presence, not performance. Built to remind us that we were never meant to heal alone.

  • The world doesn’t need more apps or diagnoses. It needs spaces.

    We’re building those spaces — one conversation at a time.

Commonly Asked QuestionS

  • It’s a movement built around a trauma-informed card deck and community circles that help people open up, listen deeply, and unburden what they’ve been carrying.

    It’s not therapy. It’s not self-help. It’s a return to what we were wired for — connection, honesty, and shared humanity.

  • You start with a deck of 100 prompt cards divided into five levels — from light to deep.

    The structure guides groups from laughter and stories of strength to truth and release.

    Each card helps you share what’s real, without pressure to perform or “fix” anyone.

  • No. You don’t need a diagnosis, a therapist, or a permission slip to have real conversations.

    The deck is designed to help you express, reflect, and connect — whether you’re in therapy, between sessions, or have never gone at all.

  • Anyone who’s tired of small talk and ready for real talk.

    People who’ve carried too much for too long.

    Friends, families, students, teams, veterans, parents, neighbors — anyone craving safe, honest connection.

  • Anywhere people are craving something real — living rooms, rec centers, bars, dorms, workplaces, treatment programs, even parks.

    All you need is the deck, a few people, and a little bit of willingness to show up.

  • Unburdening Counselors are trained community members who learn how to hold space safely.

    They’re not therapists — they’re peers with lived experience and trauma-informed training.

    Their role is to help guide circles and keep them grounded in safety, respect, and consent.

  • For people who need deeper or ongoing care, our clinician partners bridge the gap between community-based healing and professional therapy.

    They understand culture, story, and trauma — not just symptoms.

    Our goal isn’t to replace therapy; it’s to reconnect community and clinical worlds.

  • Not yet, but we have plans for it. We’re building a digital platform where you can join live unburdening rooms, connect with circles, and find support online — without social media noise or performative content.

    Think less scrolling, more healing.

  • Yes — safety is the core of everything we do.

    The cards and circles are trauma-informed by design: choice, consent, and boundaries come first.

    You can always pass, pause, or step out. Vulnerability is an invitation, not a requirement.

  • Therapy focuses on the individual; we focus on the in-between — the spaces where people can connect before crisis.

    We don’t diagnose, analyze, or fix. We witness, we listen, we remind each other we’re human.

    That’s where real healing begins.

  • You can start by getting the deck, reading the facilitator guide, and inviting a few people you trust.

    If you want to go deeper, apply for our Unburdening Counselor training when the next cohort opens.

    You can also join local or digital circles through our community directory.

  • The standard deck is $39 during pre-order (ships December 2025).

    Circles are free or donation-based — led by community members who believe in shared healing.

    Training and partnerships are priced based on context, not profit.

  • We’re building a full ecosystem — decks that spark the conversations, circles that build belonging, counselors who hold the space, clinicians who bridge care, and a digital network where all of it connects.

    The world doesn’t need more apps or diagnoses.

    It needs spaces — and we’re building them, one conversation at a time.