Change can be exhilarating, fun, nerve-wrecking, and often times, just plain scary. A scary thing about change, is that it asks us to step into the unknown. Even if we know where we’re moving, or who we’re going to be in a relationship with, or have some of the blanks … Read More
The Healing Power of Volunteer Work
Many of us strive to help ourselves in our everyday lives by exercising, eating a healthy diet of food, meditating, and so much more. While these common coping skills are amazing and should be pursued, there are other ways to help yourself while helping others and that is through volunteer … Read More
“It Wasn’t That Bad”: the Cost of Comparing Pain
“I didn’t have it as bad as other people.” This is a phrase I hear frequently in my office, from people with all kinds of backgrounds and stories. People who have experienced neglect or abuse over the course of their entire lives, individuals who have high pressure jobs such as … Read More
Give Yourself Time to Heal
Instant gratification is common in our society today. We can have our shopping delivered right to our door the same day we ordered it; we can watch tv shows instantly and without commercials, and we have emails and notifications delivered to our watches so we can have the responses instantaneously. … Read More
Trauma and EMDR- Part Nine
In earlier blogs in this series, we’ve referenced Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). Here’s the explanation of this great research-based approach to resolving trauma. What kind of problems can EMDR treat? Scientific research has established EMDR as most effective for post-traumatic stress. However, clinicians also have reported success using EMDR … Read More
The Power of Being Comfortable with Fear
A common topic mentioned in my sessions with clients is fear. Fear of saying something to a loved one who hurt them, fear of failure, fear of retaliation if you were to voice an injustice you noticed or fear of judgment. Fear has an odd power over us if we … Read More
Grief and Silence
For those who are experiencing deep grief- the kind that feels like your insides are being ripped out, and you have to struggle just to take the next breath- hearing a platitude can feel insulting. In our culture today, I don’t know think we are taught how to grieve. As … Read More
Facing the Reality of Grief and Suicide Loss
If you’re a fan of college football, you may be familiar with the stories College GameDay highlight on their program Saturday mornings, before kickoff. Recently, they shared the story of Max Maisel and Washington State football star, Tyler Hilinski. This story highlights the reality of grief and loss by suicide, … Read More
What Are ACE Scores?
ACE stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences, a questionnaire created through a study done by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) along with Kaiser Permanente. ACE scores tally three different types of experiences: abuse, neglect, and dysfunction within the household, experienced before the age of 18. The original ACE study noted … Read More
Photography as a Creative Outlet to Cope with Depression
The feelings that often accompany depression include loneliness, apathy, and lack of motivation. Becoming lost in our thoughts and feeling stuck are common experiences for those struggling with depression. People use a variety of coping skills to manage their depression, including journaling, joining a support group, listening to music, and … Read More
