Somatic Experiencing® (SE®) is a body-based trauma therapy developed by Peter A. Levine. It is grounded in neuroscience and designed to help the nervous system recover from overwhelming experiences. Trauma is not stored only as a memory. It is also held in the body — in muscle tension, breath patterns, emotional reactivity, and survival responses that never fully resolved. Somatic Experiencing® helps gently renegotiate these stored survival responses so the nervous system can

As I shopped for and then began to prepare food for my family, I thought about this poem I have displayed in my counseling office. In my profession, some would analyze the emotions and thoughts in this poem and label it in various ways, such as co-dependent, dependent, even narcissistic. I understand that I don’t live up to these ideals, but I like to be uplifted by the emotion and feel my idealism and hope be rekindled. Happy Thanksgiving! Mother Teresa’s Anyway Poem Peopl

Everyday pleasures and absorbing hobbies can have lasting effects on well-being. How effective are everyday stress management techniques in helping keep a person healthy? How strongly do everyday happy events affect you? Let’s take a look at one of my favorite studies! Dr. Arthur Stone found that a small pleasant everyday event boosts the immune system for two to three days, while a small, everyday stressful event depresses the immune system for about a day. For example, D

Practice Heart Centered #Meditation to increase Mental Health and expand self love

A quiet landscape for observation, presence, and gentle plant-based reflection. Flower Essences as a Complementary Practice Flower essences are a complementary, non-invasive practice that some people use for emotional reflection and support. In my own work, I approach them as a symbolic and experiential form of plant-based care , rather than as a medical or psychological treatment. Flower essences are discussed here as a complementary, symbolic practice  within integrative me

Originally posted August 6, 2019. You are busy! The office is humming! Things are totally running amok today! The phone is ringing and...

Positive energy bubble is a simple mindfulness technique to preserve your positive energy when you're in the thick of it at work

For today’s world…sending out lovingkindness energy to all living beings. Loving-kindness, Metta, is the Buddhist meditation practice...

Updated January 5, 2022 I’ve been making salves for my friends and family for a few years now. And I am still just winging it as far as measurements of beeswax and oil! I’ve had some people ask me about the ratios. In general, I think I do use a 1 – 4 beeswax to oil ratio, but then again, I don’t use exact measurements, so it may vary. So, I decided to do an experiment to finally get a solid (no pun intended!) guide for beeswax to oil measurements for different types of conco

The expressive art exercise called LifeLine is a positive tool in the therapy room. Getting an overview of your life can be a first step step towards self understanding and self acceptance and embodying these new understandings into your nervous system.

Affirmations paired with flower essences can be approached as a gentle practice—one that emphasizes presence and repetition over change or correction. The intention is not to eliminate difficulty, but to offer an alternative inner tone that can be returned to over time.

Originally posted December 4, 2018. Does Oprah’s Daily Gratitude Journal Really Work? Let’s take a look at this idea of gratitude. ...

Self-Care: Essential Oils for Emotional Support Safety note: Please realize that self-treatment has its limitations. You must seek professional help for any chronic, lingering or severe emotional or psychological symptoms you are experiencing. The use of essential oils for emotional support is discussed here as just one piece of the pie in your healing, as complementary care only. In addition, this website promotes the safe use of essential oils by these methods only: i

Hobbies are more than pastimes — they are powerful supports for mental health. Immersive, creative activities promote focus, mastery, and the restorative state of mind known as flow.

Originally posted November 13, 2018. Hobby Corner: Fall Warming Salve for Pain Relief This spring and summer, I wildcrafted some herbs to infuse in base oils for use in making some fall and winter salves. I made comfrey , dandelion and calendula oils. This November, I made my first fall/winter warming salve. Because, like any others, I do intense work as a psychotherapist, I tend towards hobbies that being me in contact with nature, such as hiking, gardening and her

Here’s another easy remedy for you to make for simple comfort in everyday life. Make this salve for use in your home and to give to friends, too! Making salves with plant essences is a lot like cooking. So, if you like to cook as a hobby this is a meditative fun way to pass a rainy day at home!

It’s wise to stick to your scheduled check-ups and also judiciously calling your doctor when there is something suspicious going on. But extreme self-doubt isn’t a healthy mental habit. If you need some support in maintaining your emotional balance, don’t be afraid or ashamed to seek out and talk to a therapist.

Originally posted June 26, 2018. Gratitude feeds the white wolf…6 mindful nibbles a day! Almost all days, I habitually remind myself to...

Originally posted June 19, 2018. I wildcrafted dandelion flowers last week. I missed picking the dandelion flowers in my yard! I kept meaning to pick them, but they all went to seed before I could get to them! Dandelions have gotten a bad rap in modern times. How spraying toxic chemicals onto greenery around your home where you and your family live, eat and play became a thing, I just don’t know. Chemical industry, anyone? Makes my eyes red and itchy just thinking abo

Originally posted May 15, 2018. Herbals: Infusing Carrier Oils for Self-Care One of my hobbies is aromatherapy. I see studying the plant world as an extension of my life-long gardening hobby. I studied at Liz Fulcher’s Aromatic Wisdom Institute, and had the best time learning about how to judge the quality of essential oils, how to mix them and all about carrier oils as well. I especially love infused carrier oils and salves. They have such nice scents and are so calmin