Each year, during the week of Thanksgiving, I start asking myself this question. Before you read any further – spoiler alert. The first part of this blog will focus on the downside of the holiday season, which I have defined as starting the weekend before Thanksgiving and ending on New Year’s Day. For many people […]
How do you keep hanging on when you no longer know how? You’re exhausted – not just physically but emotionally, mentally, down to your core. When you were younger you could never imagine you could be this tired. You are sleeping as much as you can, consuming caffeine, doing “self-care” (a phrase you are so […]
Having a strong personal relationship with hope is a critical piece of personal wellbeing and happiness. Hope helps us look forward to the future. It plays an important part in setting goals and being able to envision them. Hope can help us push through adversity. Sometimes, when things are really, really bad, hope is all […]
Most people know someone who has experienced trauma or profound grief and loss. Trauma is much more common than people think. Although trauma is traditionally associated with military personnel, trauma incidents can occur throughout everyday life. 70% of U.S. adults have experienced at least one traumatic event with at least 20% of these adults with […]
Wouldn’t it be nice if solving personal challenges and issues were as simple as just deciding to do so? That simply making a change in ourselves because someone told us we should? That a positive affirmation written on a post-it note attached to a bathroom mirror was all we needed to create permanent change? If […]
Everyone knows a bully. It could be a co-worker or boss, a family member, a neighbor, a stranger. When it comes to adults, however, we don’t call it “bullying.” Instead, the toxic behavior is often ignored, rationalized, suppressed, or tolerated. Bullying by adults in the workplace is often justified and rationalized. “He/she is just having […]
In my work as a workplace mental health consultant and counselor, one of my focus areas is PTSD and trauma. Part of what I do is help people understand what the after-effects of trauma look and feel like and how to compassionately and meaningfully engage with people who must spend a considerable part of their […]
Recently, I started re-watching some of my favorite shows. I enjoy new shows too but re-watching an “old favorite” is like having a visit with a long-time best friend. As I started re-watching some of my favorites, I realized that the shows mean different things to me now that I am older and have continued […]
“What good is talking about it? It won’t change anything.” Most therapists have heard this lamentation more times than they can count. Which is good, because this is an important step in emotional healing. In my counseling practice, or even when supporting friends through a crisis, hearing this phrase is a sign that the healing […]
On a recent episode of the NBC series “This is Us”, one of the characters laments about how difficult it is to fix mistakes. He says, “‘I’m sorry’ is like a magic word when you’re a kid. Doesn’t matter what you did. Say you’re sorry and it all goes away. Then you grow up, and […]