Tag: mindfullness

This past weekend my husband and I planted some flowers in our yard.  I am not terribly experienced with planting things (though I do have an indoor geranium that I cherish) and felt slightly apprehensive about this task.  My husband, however, assured me that we would be just fine and reminded me how lovely it would be to come home to such beauty and color.  And so, we set off to make our selections before putting them in the ground.

After browsing the outdoor section at Lowe’s, we came home with petunias, marigolds, begonias, and a bunch of other pretty things I do not know the names for.  I had to admit, seeing the colorful flowers all together on my porch made my heart smile.  As we began to plant, we had to make some decisions about where each flower should go.  The “full sun” petunias and marigolds near the front, the “partial shade” begonias in the back, and so on.  We looked at what the flowers needed and t ...

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One of my favorite shows growing up was the show Mythbusters. Every week Adam and Jamie would explore different myths to see if they actually hold up. One of my favorite episodes tested whether a water heater could turn into a rocket. They set up their experiment and describe how a water heater works and how the failsafes that are in place keep it from exploding. A water heater uses a heat source to bring the water to temperature. As that is occurring, water turns to steam which in turn presses against the sides and bottom of the tank.  They describe how there is a release valve on the side of the tank designed to release the pressure that is building. They also point out that there is an emergency back-up valve in place just in case the regular valve stops working. So what do they do to test the myth? They remove the release valves and crank the heat!

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People have various expectations for counseling. Sometimes they expect that after a couple of sessions their problems will be solved. Other times, they refuse to start counseling because they have been told to “suck it up” and “deal with it” when thinking about their struggles in life.

 

Even though counseling has been more widely accepted, we often still imagine it as it is on TV. You come in, lay down on a couch, and start talking about your problems. Meanwhile, the therapist sits there with clipboard in hand, nodding their head, and asking "how do you feel about that”? I often think of that scene from Freaky Friday where Anna has switched places with her mother, who is a shrink, and when she goes to mom’s work in her place, Anna is only supposed to ask, “And how does that make you feel?”. Now, don’t get me wrong, therapists DO ask that question…but that is not all we ask.

 

There are ...

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