“Family of origin” is the technical term used for the family you grew up with or identify as the group of individuals who shaped your childhood on a day-to-day basis. Your family shaped how you view and interact with the world and the people in it. The older you get, the more you realize how…
I’ve been adopted by a 13 year old Tabby with no tail. She paws at the door every morning at 6:30 am, relentlessly scratching, until I bring her some nibbles that she only finds palatable, if softened with a bit of yogurt. Lest you think she has been abandoned, or ill cared for, her rightful…
“What Does “Self-Care” Actually Mean and Why Am I Supposed to be Doing it on Sundays?” The term “#self-care” gets thrown around a lot these days. It has become a pretty trendy idea, a buzzword if you will, especially given the impact this concept has had on the wellness industry. The consumer side of self-care…
“Mindfulness is the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. And then I sometimes add, in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.” -Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness Defined Mindfulness is conscious living. It is having a nonjudgmental awareness of one’s internal and external experiences. Video Description: Jon Kabat-Zinn Defining Mindfulness Living…
A Therapist Tells All: The Things More of Us Struggle With than We Realize It is pretty surreal to me that I get to hear people share their innermost thoughts, feelings, insights, and fears all the time. It’s an honor and a privilege. It can also feel like a huge responsibility. Mostly it feels like…
“Trust the process,” they say. Even after being a therapist for over ten years now, I still question this at times. I think this is a difficult concept for a lot of people. Especially in the instant gratification era we are in. We want a quick fix and we want it NOW! While, I too, love my…
Last spring, my dad got pretty sick very quickly. It felt like one of those “rally ’round the family” moments, so I drove to Georgetown (outside of Austin) when I finished work on Thursday night. It was a contemplative, nighttime, three-hour drive, all by myself. I got there and spent two days with my brother…
“I can’t believe my son is turning two next week and I’m doing this again,” a new mom said to me last week during a session. She is is due to deliver baby number two and we have been discussing possibilities for a quicker recovery this time. “It’s all a blur now, but I’ll tell you what,…
Did you know that 80% of mothers experience the “baby blues” post-baby? I know I did, or did I? Six weeks after my daughter was born, I was still crying all day. I didn’t want to leave the house, couldn’t sleep even when she was sleeping, and had an inexplicable amount of anger towards everyone and everything. Even…
Journaling is the deliberate act of having a thoughtful conversation with yourself, a place to privately ponder and process the questions, challenges and concerns in your life that need some attention. In your journal you can write as little or as much as you want as a way to gain greater clarity, insight and focus. …