A pandemic. Masks. Social Distancing. Schools. Race. Police. Protests. Armed militias. Election year. Republican. Democrat. Immigration. Healthcare. Climate change. What do all of these things have in common? Personal stories and experiences. Heartache, hopelessness, loss, frustration, grief and anger. What we see and hear most of all concerning these issues is division. I see something else that all of these issues have in common...
I hope this site can be a place of calm, where you can come to listen, engage mind and heart, and reflect. To this end, I have not enabled comments. I invite you to read and direct attention to your own personal reaction influenced by your experiences and framework. It seems to me sometimes that our society is in need of less talking and reacting, and more listening and reflecting. I hope this site can help create the space to do so.
Therapists are healers; most accurately, therapists are the facilitators of healing. Healing happens when trust is built. People need to be seen and understood. When a person senses they are understood by the healer sitting before them, they are being validated at the core of who they are. A person’s deepest need is existential, to feel that ‘I exist and I have worth.’ A healer believes that and communicates it in a way that is appropriate and authentic. When a person feels they have value and worth, they are able to love and care for themselves. They are able to learn the tools to feel safe with themselves. They are able to begin what may be a long and arduous, but often beautiful journey of healing from broken trust, unmet needs, abuse and trauma. When a person feels understood, they may begin to feel hope for the first time; they may even begin to believe that healing is possible.
*this post was originally published in River Region Christian Magazine, Feb 2024 edition “In this life you will have troubles…but take heart, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Whether it is grief, addiction, a broken relationship, debilitating anxiety, or depression, there are parts of us that hurt so bad sometimes we do
When people come to therapy, they are typically hurting. This hurt feels emotional, but it often goes deeper than that, it is spiritual. Part of the experience of pain is asking about the pain itself. Why am I experiencing this? Am I alone in this? Difficult experiences such as loss, grief, or depression often lead
Recently, I have heard people from opposing political viewpoints express their hopes that this nation can be unified. If this means that everyone will believe the same thing about reproductive rights and religion, I don’t believe we will see unity at that level. However, we can heal division without being unified in all of our
Waiting Recently I have been in a waiting period. I bet many can relate. Waiting for the election to be over. Waiting for a vaccine so COVID will be over. Waiting for things to approach a new normal. I am waiting to hear back about a job application and my registration transfer which is necessary
This is a difficult issue for many of us; just reading the title stirs up anxiety and gets our hearts beating faster. Please bear with me, take a deep breath, and read on as I share a bit. I attended a Black Lives Matter protest. I kept it a secret from my dear friend because
I am a person who tends to prefer action and movement to stillness and reflection. I like to be moving, whether it is pedaling on my bike, running on my own two feet, actively listening and providing treatment in a therapy session, or completing a multitude of tasks for work or home. The process of