Why many people don't know what they want in life and where to start to find meaning and fulfillment.

If you've ever read a poem by the 13th century poet Rumi, then you know what a delicious treat his words are, even today. One thing I love about Rumi is that his poems always challenge me to expand my mind and look a things in a new way. In therapy, I sometimes offer clients something called a "reframe," which is a new perspective on their problem. With that in mind, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite Rumi pomes, one that always helps me keep my emotions in persp

This is why I love bringing art into the therapy room. Not literal pieces of art that someone else has made-although that's certainly nice to look at! I'm talking about art prompts and projects for my clients to work with in session. Why? Art--drawing, molding with clay, creative writing, painting, dancing, making music, etc, is not only good for focusing the mind and expressing oneself visually, but it's also healthy for the brain, and healing for the soul as well. Personall

Yesterday I talked about being present in This Moment. Today, it is the death of This Moment, and the birth of the Next Moment. This is the rhythm of life-Birth...Period of Life...Death. Did you realize that each moment is a simultaneous death of something old and a birth of something new? Perhaps it's a death of a thought or belief system, and the subsequent birth of a new thought or believe system. Perhaps it's something more or something less. For those of us at or near th

You don't have to go chasing adrenaline like this guy to be present in your life, though it's an automatic given that you will focus on the present when your life is in danger-for fun or otherwise. Being present in your life can take on many forms: counting the petals on a flower as you stop to smell it noticing the creases in your baby's chubby little fingers counting the clouds or stars in the sky smiling at yourself in the mirror as you wash your hands taking 3 deep breath

Remember the phrase "It takes a village?" Well I've been thinking a lot about that lately. It takes a "village" of doctors, nurses, family, friends, pets, nature, and prayer warriors to support a person through cancer treatments. It's taken a "village" of supervisors, clients, trainers, friends, family, pets, nature, and prayer warriors to get me through my internship. You know what else takes a village? Putting your life together after a tragic loss or traumatic event. Creat

I want to chat about with you an article I found on Oprah's website. I like how the author points out hiding places that are not exactly obvious, but are serious triggers for flashbacks, hyper startle, and perhaps feeling as if you're in the situation that initially created your pain in the first place. These are all symptoms of PTSD. It really gets you thinking, doesn't it. Where's my pain hiding out? What is the pain behind my perfectionism, my defense mechanisms, or even m

Artwork by: Archan Nair This says it all, doesn't it? To me this picture represents complete and total self-acceptance. Your gifts AND your scars make you who you are. Your weirdness AND your "normalness" make you complete. Your pain that you hide from others for fear of judgment? Yeah, it plays a role in allowing you to feel deeply and find compassion for others' pain as well. For some reason, it seems that to love yourself and accept yourself this deeply is considered a ra

What are the coolest things about seeing a therapist? You get to talk to someone who's like your best friend, but you don't have to listen to any of their problems. Therapy happens in a safe "container", meaning the therapist's office is your safe place to: express yourself, ask or say the things you're afraid everyone else will question your sanity for asking/saying, practice new ways of being in the world. You have the freedom to be 100% YOU-no judgments. #beinghuman #liste