Getting To Know Your Parts
Many movies have messages within them or takeaways that invite us to reflect on who we are or how we move through life. Inside Out and more recently Inside Out 2 are great examples of movies with a message. Inside Out follows a young girl named Riley who is uprooted from her life in the […]
When Gathering is Not Great: Navigating Difficult Family Relationships During the Holidays
Depending on who you talk to, the holidays can be a season of joy, excitement, stress, sadness, and/or all the above. The season is a complex time because it may mean spending time with loved ones and it may mean spending time with family members that you do not get along with. Not all family […]
Cultivating Self-Compassion
Self-compassion is such a gift we can give ourselves. But what does it mean to be self-compassionate? Compassion means “to suffer together.” When we see someone suffering, we are moved by their suffering and want to alleviate it for them. And yet somehow it continuously feels so challenging, even impossible at times, to turn some […]
The Power Music Has on Your Mental Health
I can hear a song and it will catapult me right back to that moment in my childhood. When I hear the 1990 Sinead O’Conner’s hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U” it brings me to my experience with my best friend in high school. We thought it was amazing that whenever we were together the song […]
Protecting Your Mental Health During the Holidays
The “most wonderful time of the year” is full of so many expectations—those we place on ourselves, and those placed on us by others. We eagerly anticipate the break from work and the delights that await us, but—as I’m sure we can almost all attest to—it doesn’t take much during the holidays for our mental […]
Do You Hate Being Asked, “How Does That Make You Feel?”
I can’t think of one person who likes being asked that question. There’s something inherently off putting about being asked—“how does that make you feel?”—articulated with a tone spoken to with young children. One of my clients requested of me during our first session together never to ask him that question—and I could relate. As […]
Confessions On My Self Compassion During COVID19
Self Compassion is something I have worked on within myself and with my clients for many years now. This is not an easy area for me as I have been challenging and critical of myself for many years. I was running the other day to get some fresh air and clear my mind on an […]
Human Connection In The Midst Of Social Distancing
In a time when social-distancing and avoiding others at all costs has become mandatory, how do we stay connected? Stay human? It seems that everywhere I look I see some reminder of the dreaded COVID-19 virus; not that working from home isn’t a constant reminder itself. There is nearly 24/7 coverage on the news stations, […]
Adapting to our “New Normal”: Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic
If I had gone to sleep two weeks ago and woken up today, I would not believe my eyes. Sadly, I’ve been awake this whole time, yet I’m still shocked by what I see. Our new world seems surreal, and almost resembles that of a horror movie during a zombie apocalypse. It is a world […]
Slowly
I’m on vacation with my kids and friends on the central coast of California. I have rarely looked at my phone, checked my email or worried about chores or work to do. In fact, we have chosen to have almost no particular schedule at all and that freedom and flexibility has felt amazing. When we […]