One of the lessons that life has given me seemingly unlimited opportunities to learn is that when I identify too strongly with a difficult feeling I can create a powerful experience of personal suffering. Science has not yet fully sorted out whether depression and anxiety are biological or learned behaviors but that doesn’t really matter […]

So often we think in terms of negatives: I don’t want to be poor in my older age, I don’t want to fight with my kids, I don’t want my boss to be angry with me, and on and on. Problem is, the filters inside your brain are assessing everything you think about, and don’t necessarily take into account the “don’t” […]

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.                                                                                                     ~Albert  Einstein Let’s face it, these are weird times.  What’s become normalized for us throughout the COVID pandemic is more bizarre than anything we could have imagined, and yet we stay at home, wear our masks, “socially distance” even from our beloved family and […]

As a counselor I often ask clients what they need or want to be successful day to day. In session clients often struggle to share or even know what they need when asked.  Sometimes they say “I don’t really think about my needs”. Oftentimes the needs of others seem more important than their own. It’s […]

Therapy is becoming more accepted within mainstream society, but for some it still holds a stigma. They seem to think that therapy is meant for those dealing with severe mental illness or have some serious trauma. I’m here to challenge that thought. Much like getting a check-up or blood work done, you do not just […]

Alcoholism and addiction are pandemic, keeping pace with and seeking to outrun the COVID pandemic, with people seeking relief from anxiety, uncertainty, depression and fear– to mask the underlying uncomfortable emotions in an attempt to make it through difficult times. It’s often called “the monkey on your back” to use a colorful metaphor describing something […]

“Yes risk taking is inherently failure prone. Otherwise it would be called sure-thing-taking”.       -Tim McMahon I saw a cat perched atop my garage this morning and thought, “that looks scary!”, “how will he gets down?”, “is he regretting his decision?”, “if he gets down will he reconsider before doing it again?”. Risk-taking is […]

Has anyone else noticed the recent surge in the popularity of Wonder Woman and superheroes in general?   I don’t mean the movies as much as what the characters symbolize. Super Heroes represents strength, courage, truth, character, and justice. Something we can all use a little bit more of in our lives, especially as we […]

It is not too late to map a path for the best 2021 possible? As I finished writing the last pages of the last chapter of my book of 2020 and this decade, I found myself dreaming about what I would write in my 2021 life plan book. Remembering that I am the author of […]

Being Kinder Than Usual Human beings are wired for social attachment. Connecting with other humans is a necessary part of human development. It calms the nervous system and creates a sense of wellbeing. However, during the COVID pandemic, connecting with other people has become a threat to our physical safety. It’s completely upside down and […]