While moving to a new home, city or country can be exciting, it can also bring on a whirlwind of feelings. Accepting the changes that come from uprooting your entire life can be overwhelming. It’s not unusual to experience sadness, uncertainty, fear, hopefulness, happiness, and frustration when moving long-distance. So how do … Read More
Stress & Heart Disease
Stress can be poisonous. We’ve known that for a long time, but a recent study linked emotional stress to heart disease in a new and interesting way – via the amygdala. A team of researchers from Harvard Medical School scanned the brain, bone marrow, spleen and arteries of 300 people … Read More
Defense Mechanisms & Coping Skills – Regression – Part 3
As I mentioned in previous blogs, defense mechanisms like denial, are unconscious responses to overwhelming stress in our lives. Although they serve an important purpose, if left unchecked, protective instincts from defense mechanisms can inhibit the development of healthier coping skills. Today, we are going to dive into the topic … Read More
Divorce: Dad or Mom left…now what?
Navigating divorce is difficult. There are many causes for divorce. A few of these are: Affairs Grown apart/fallen out of love Addiction Incompatible Divorce becomes even more complex when there are children involved. Many times, parents become bitter and angry towards each other and it is hard to treat each … Read More
Experiencing Positive Change in Your Relationships
As a marriage and family therapist, the biggest hurdle that I see individuals and couples face in realizing the goals for their relationships is that they keep doing what they have been doing, in spite of having learned a better way. So, as the Nike ad says, “Just do it.” … Read More
Mourning the Loss of a Pet
Pet loss is often one of the most difficult experiences people deal with. It often takes people by surprise just how difficult it can be to “bounce back” after a pet’s death, or how hard the loss hits them in their day to day life. Whether it is a childhood … Read More
Have I Experienced Trauma?
Any experience that is less than nurturing and causes you to change your perception of yourself, others and the world can be defined as trauma. The truth is we all have experiences in life that affect us negatively and cause us to suffer. The second truth is we are often … Read More
Eat more attentively
Resolutions like “eat healthier” seem to be pretty common. But what if we tried to eat more attentively instead? We live in a pretty fast-paced culture. Leisurely lunch breaks are great. But sometimes “lunch” is a turkey sandwich in one hand and an iPhone in the other as we run … Read More
Moving: New City, New Life
Moving is hard, but moving through this challenge can make you stronger and a more well-rounded individual. Whether the change is due to school, a job, or just wanting a fresh start, people are moving to new cities all the time. Even if it is a change you are excited … Read More
Couples Therapy: Experience Something New!
If couples are going to change, they are going to need more than knowledge about what they could do differently. They are going to need to risk doing things differently and have new, healing experiences. DH Lawrence wrote, The world fears a new experience more than it fears anything. Because … Read More