One of our most primitive defense mechanisms is denial. Mark Twain perfectly captured the essence of denial when he quipped, Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt. In effect, denial is an effort to avoid the pain or discomfort of reality by pretending it doesn’t exist. It is the emotional … Read More
Codependency and How to Care for Yourself
Codependency can simply be described as helping others while harming yourself. Have you ever found yourself in a relationship where you felt as if you were going “crazy?” Have you ever found yourself excessively worried, preoccupied or even obsessed with your partner’s problems? Codependency involves reactions which are unhealthy forms of … Read More
The Gift of Failure
Parenthood sparks a powerful, instinctive drive to protect. But, in reality, we do our kids a disservice when we do not allow them the space and opportunity to make decisions with the potential outcome of failure. Like Clark Kent, we are transformed from mild-mannered, everyday people into Authority Figures, Responsible Parties…Tooth … Read More
Goal-Setting for the Real World
We’ve all got goals and may have an idea in mind of how goal-setting might look in our lives. Our goals may be big and life-changing, or they may be as small as wanting to be more consistent in cleaning your baseboards, but no matter the size, we’ve all got them. I hear … Read More
Sobriety During the Holidays
Eat, Drink, and be Merry! This is a popular holiday slogan that many of us are familiar with. Nevertheless, holidays are often a time that can be a trigger for individuals struggling with addiction and sobriety. Many people think that the holidays are just a time for happiness and time … Read More
In Defense of Journaling
The idea of journaling or keeping a diary seems to conjure up different images in different people. Some of us think of scientists in lab coats keeping a research journal of their latest findings. Others of us think about tiny pink notebooks and schoolyard crushes. Regardless of our preconceived notions, … Read More
Compassionate Responses in a Socio-Political Climate of Fear and Division
In light of the recent presidential election, there are a lot of polarizing views right now regarding our socio-political climate and the state of the country…many of these may touch a nerve for you. In light of the current climate of fear and division, consider a couple action steps… Self-care: … Read More
Making Stress Your Friend: Experiencing Stress Positively – Part 3
In the previous sections of this blog, we began exploring the health benefits the body experiences by simply viewing the body’s stress response (quickening heart beat, sweaty hands, etc) as helpful. In the last part of this series, we will investigate how the hormone oxytocin is a critical component to … Read More
Athletes: Listening To Your Body
Beep, Beep, Beep. I sleepily rolled over and looked at my alarm. The clock showed 6:15a.m. on Saturday morning. I lay in bed for a moment and had an internal debate. Should I put on my running shoes and get my 8 miles in? Deep down, my body ached; it … Read More
The Lions’ Den: A Survivalist Guide To Holidays
Why do you need to be a survivalist during the holidays? We love to be with our family, but we hate the conflict. We can’t stay away and have to brace ourselves before walking into holiday family gatherings. It can feel like entering a lions’ den. Walking through the lions’ … Read More