Doré Frances, Author at Dore Frances

About Doré Frances

Doré Frances is a retired educational consultant, mental health advocate, and founder of Mental and Health Awareness—a platform dedicated to empowering individuals and families with compassionate, accessible resources. With decades of experience supporting young adults, caregivers, and behavioral health programs, Doré now focuses on community engagement and promoting meaningful change through education, storytelling, and collaboration. Known for her direct yet deeply empathetic approach, Doré brings a lifetime of lived experience to her writing, blending professional insight with personal reflections on resilience, trauma recovery, and personal growth. She is especially passionate about youth advocacy, emotional wellness, and amplifying the voices of those often unheard. When she's not writing or connecting with like-minded advocates, you can find Doré exploring the beauty of Colorado with her service dog, Aspen. Let’s build a more understanding, mentally healthy world—one story at a time.

Whispers To The Soul – The Threshold of Becoming: Choosing to Live Fully as Yourself – Series

As with many souls, I find myself repeatedly called to stop shrinking and to stand openly in who I truly am.

Again and again, life places me in circumstances that require the fullness of my being. Whether I am untangling an imbalance with a close friend, admitting my impatience with a stranger, acknowledging envy of another writer, or quietly noticing the disregard of someone who allows their dog to roam freely in public, I am reminded that presence is required of me. Even when I say nothing, I must remain fully myself.

When I suppress my nature, something in me contracts. My life feels smaller, less alive. What once felt like personal integrity now feels like […]

By Doré Frances|2026-02-22T10:49:01-07:00February 22nd, 2026|Dore Frances, Series, Spirituality, Whispers To The Soul, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Beneath My Silence – Love That Never Dims – Series

Our loved ones do not leave us in darkness. They return to the Light ~
and in doing so, leave a sacred glow within us.

Their presence becomes a quiet flame, lit by heaven, kept alive by love. It does not fade with time, for it is not bound by time. It lives in the space where memory meets spirit, where the soul remembers what the eyes can no longer see. In moments of sorrow, that light warms us from within ~
a gentle reminder that love does not end, it transforms.

No matter where your journey leads, their spirit walks beside you. And when the night feels heavy, close your eyes […]

By Doré Frances|2026-02-22T10:09:50-07:00February 22nd, 2026|Beneath My Silence - Poems, Dore Frances, Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Story After the Feeling

Grace lives in the space between the feeling and the story.

There is an important distinction between feelings and emotions — though we often use the words interchangeably. We experience a wide range of feelings every day.

Research suggests the physiological surge of a feeling lasts roughly 45 to 90 seconds — unless we continue fueling it with our thoughts.

The initial wave is brief. What extends it is the story we attach to it. It is entirely natural to move from one internal state to another within minutes.

Rapid shifts in feelings are part of normal regulation — not evidence that something is wrong with us.

Imagine this. A colleague says something at work that stings […]

By Doré Frances|2026-02-21T12:10:05-07:00February 21st, 2026|Dore Frances, Relationships, Spirituality, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Notes From George – Steadying the Heart – Series

In the past month, I’ve immersed myself in George’s letters, his recorded messages, my handwritten notes, and the final Zoom calls from the hospital. I’ve listened carefully. I’ve watched again. I’ve let the silence between his words speak.

And slowly, the wisdom he carried began to rise to the surface — lessons I now feel called to share.

We often assume calm will come when the waters around us settle. And when they don’t, we blame the waves.

George taught me something different.

He taught me that lasting peace isn’t found by controlling the tide — it’s found by steadying the heart.

He used to say the inside of a person is like […]

By Doré Frances|2026-02-14T10:48:16-07:00February 14th, 2026|Dore Frances, George A. Cascinai, Notes From George Series, Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Beneath My Silence – A Poem About Love, Self-Reflection, and Emotional Safety – Series

Over time, I learned that love alone isn’t enough. A relationship needs self-reflection to stay healthy—both people must be willing to look inward, recognize their patterns, and take responsibility for how they show up.

When someone resists that process, the dynamic can become draining and emotionally unsafe. You can’t make another person do the work they’re not ready to face. Letting go of that responsibility is liberating. It allows you to focus on caring for yourself and honoring what you need.

You deserve a relationship where growth is shared, and emotional safety is non-negotiable.

By Doré Frances|2026-02-08T10:44:43-07:00February 8th, 2026|Beneath My Silence - Poems, Dore Frances, Relationships, Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Girl Left Behind – Reclaiming My Voice After Childhood Abuse – Series

Yes, I have withdrawn from people, from intimacy, from the world itself. I found safety in small rituals and long hours of familiar television. But I will not let fear decide the shape of my life. I face it with strength forged through survival, grounding myself in what I already know I can withstand.

I am a grown woman now, and I know what monsters are. My childhood was defined by abuse and silence, and my adolescence by betrayal.

Once I went to live with Al and Dotti in Los Altos, my life entered a period of sustained abuse: incest, molestation, parental neglect, severe corporal punishment, and rape.

As a teenager, I was sexually trafficked […]

By Doré Frances|2026-02-08T10:29:11-07:00February 7th, 2026|1161 Covington Road, Aldo Cascinai (Dad), Dore Frances, Relationships, Series, The Girl Left Behind Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Girl Left Behind – A Childhood Morning That Changed Everything | A Memoir of Loss – Series

I woke as the sun began to rise, unsettled by the knowledge that my aunt had been heard sobbing and screaming during the night.

I wasn’t panicked—no one wakes expecting to learn that their mother has died.

I noticed my uncle Chuck quietly making phone calls. When I asked if we could call my mom that morning, a flicker of alarm crossed his face. Then the doorbell rang.

My father, our church’s youth pastor, and my Grandpa Bell entered the living room and sat down together, composed and deliberate. George and I were told to stay in the kitchen and finish our breakfast. I had no idea that the moment we were waiting for would […]

By Doré Frances|2026-02-02T12:28:37-07:00February 2nd, 2026|Aldo Cascinai (Dad), Dore Frances, Frances Cascinai (Mom), George A. Cascinai, George Bell (Father of Frances and beloved Grandfather), Relationships, Series, The Girl Left Behind Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

When Empathy Meets Narcissism: Choosing Yourself Without Losing Your Heart

There is often a powerful—and painful—pull between narcissistic personalities and deeply empathic people.

I know this firsthand. Narcissists can be magnetic. They are often witty, charming, captivating, and intellectually sharp. At first, they may feel energizing, even intoxicating.

But beneath that surface is frequently a pattern of self-absorption, control, and emotional withdrawal when things don’t go their way.

Research suggests that severe narcissism involves a profound lack of empathy, making true emotional reciprocity impossible.

For empaths, this is one of the hardest truths to accept: compassion cannot heal someone who cannot meet you emotionally.

I learned this through experience—more than once—in friendships […]

By Doré Frances|2026-01-18T11:03:35-07:00January 18th, 2026|Dore Frances, Relationships, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

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