We all need a break from time to time. The winter can feel long, dark and cold, and we all face varying degrees of stressors in our lives. Removing ourselves, even briefly, from stressors can be beneficial to our minds and bodies. I know that...
What are your New Year’s resolutions? What is your word for the year? What are your goals? What will you accomplish? As we start the new year, we are surrounded by ways to improve and reinvent ourselves. Yet, growth, change, and the transitions of life...
Trust is the foundation of healthy relationships both with others and with yourself. Brené Brown, an expert researcher on vulnerability and trust, created the acronym BRAVING to identify the essential components of trust. Here are some ways you can apply this tool in your daily...
Taming the Thought Spiral: A Pathway for Quieting Your Mind As a counselor, one of the most common complaints I hear is the challenge of thought spiraling. We experience something hard, we feel big feelings, and our mind tries to fix them or escape from...
We all grow up in a family system. What we might not always realize is that each of us assume a role in that system to make it “work.” This can be based on birth order, needs to manage specific relationships in the family or...
Forgiveness is a cornerstone of healthy relationships, yet it is often one of the hardest acts to perform. Understanding why forgiveness is challenging and recognizing its profound benefits can help individuals and couples navigate the complexities of their relationships with greater empathy and resilience. Why...
What do you value? What is most important to you? So often we can feel a dissonance within ourselves. We can struggle to identify what we want or need which can lead to difficulty making decisions. By learning to answer the questions above, we can...
Unlike a lot of people my age, I didn’t grow up watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. I discovered Fred Rogers later on in life through documentaries, and the more I learned about him the more I became a fan. He was a man who exemplified qualities...
Is there a circumstance that is keeping you stuck or is fear blocking your dream? You may be dreaming of a job change, an adventure, a goal or taking steps to make a relationship better. In 2022, I faced one of my fears. I have...
We often focus on the negative. What don’t we have? What is still lacking? What if it never gets better? There are times we should focus on what’s wrong. Ignoring it isn’t going to help anything. A life without reflection is likely one without learning...