Holding on to emotional pain…

Whether we call it a grudge, bitterness, resentment, or something else, most of us have difficulty letting go of our emotional pain. I have to admit, I was taught by the best. My mother could hold a grudge like no one I’ve ever met. I remember my aunt Linda, my mom’s sister, once saying, “Nobody

You can only change you…

One of the biggest issues I see as a mental health therapist is that people often come to me, whether as an individual, couple, or family, and want to focus on the behavior of others. We can’t control the behavior of others. We can, however, choose whether we want to interact with their behavior, so

Every Human Has Mental Health

I was born in 1968, so I grew up in an era when people thought of mental health care for only those who had serious issues, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. We didn’t understand trauma back then, nor did we understand anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, personality disorders, or stress disorders to name some of

Preventing Suicide

This is a topic that is very difficult for most people because we’ve either lived it in some way, or we haven’t and don’t understand it. I understand it because I’ve lived it and I work with it every day, so I want to talk about it, educate others, and hopefully prevent this horrific tragedy.

You’re NOT Lazy!

One of the most common things I hear from my clients, and I used to think to myself is that if we’re not busy all of the time we’re not productive and we’re lazy. Think about that for a minute. When you see someone sitting on a park bench, in a coffee shop, or on

Getting to Know You

Remember back in the day before social media blew up and we often sent emails of questions to get to know each other back and forth? I thought about that the other day and realized that it’s a fun way for people to reconnect. Maybe you’re a couple, an adult child and parent, friends, or

Neurodivergence and Mental Health

Neurodivergent Definition: Neurodivergent means differing in mental or neurological function from what is considered typical or normal not neurotypical. The term “neurodivergent” describes people whose brain differences affect how their brain works. That means they have different strengths and challenges from people whose brains don’t have those differences. The possible differences include medical disorders, learning disabilities,

Perception and Perspective

In therapy, we often talk about perception and perspective. While they are similar, there are differences. It’s so important to understand what perception and perspective are and how they are unique to each of us as individuals. Try to remember that they are not right or wrong, good or bad, but just different. They are

Somatic Experience

One of the most profound trauma therapies is somatic experiencing. As I share a peer-reviewed journal below.