Originally posted January 4, 2019. Today I’m going to sit with my events and dreams of 2018. Like, everyone’s looking back and listing accomplishments. I thought about doing that…oh, I did this and I did that…blah blah blah… But it just didn’t feel right. I just wanted to feel where my energy settled in 2018, where my soul went, where I fit in with the trees and the garden’s energy. I haven’t done this before: that is, take a look back and feel the year. At the end of a

Originally posted November 19, 2018. Veterans Yoga Project Yoga for Emotional Healing PTSD Veterans Yoga Project (VYP) is a nonprofit organization that specializes in helping veterans gain access to the healing benefits of yoga with a program called Mindful Resilience. Thanks to the efforts of VYP, the Mindful Resilience yoga program is being used to help veterans and active-duty military personnel heal from the emotional, physical and psychological aspects of war t

Originally posted August 28, 2018. Guest Post: Better Angels – Slowly Bridging the Partisan Divide This week of August 25, 2018, there’s...

Originally posted July 24, 2018. Mental Health: Veterans Yoga Project Healing PTSD I wanted to share with my readers a very positive effort full of positive energy taking place in the world. In 2017 in Hoboken, New Jersey, I first came into contact with the Veterans Yoga Project (VYP) organization. Tam Terry and Helene Graff, residents of Hoboken, arranged a fundraiser. Stevens Institute of Technology graciously offered the use of the university’s Walker gymnasium. Dr.

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 8, 2018. You are sorely missed… You matter more than you think… There is always another way…. I guess you all know by now that the two celebrities, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, took their own lives this past week. Of course, these two celebrities were not in my social circle, but their deaths affected me. As a person and as a therapist, of course I understand that wealth and success don’t inoculate a person from suffering and suicidal thoughts

Originally posted May 21, 2018. For My Mom: Memories of 295 Union Avenue When I was 3 and very small, I remember napping in a quiet room. The scent of lilacs entering my dreams along with the sound of steady, gentle rain…. The surrounding trees created a soft, energetic circle all around me, and this was safe like home. When I was 4 and still so very small, I would wander the enormous majesty within our home fences… Touching purple irises, finding praying mantis’ cocoons… I’d

Using self-soothing tools during times of ease helps build an inner reserve of calm and makes it more natural to reach for supportive comfort when stress arises. When emotions start to shift into high gear, these same tools can help you mindfully return to the present moment. Sensory awareness grounds you by gently anchoring the body in the here and now.

Practice mindfulness and increase mental health with Lovingkindness meditation

Originally posted March 9, 2018. I believe cultivating the habits of thought and action that nurtures mental health is an ongoing,...

Originally posted January 23, 2018. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a well researched therapy used to treat...

ACCEPTS is a DBT distress tolerance skill that offers practical ways to shift attention when emotions feel unmanageable.

Originally posted January 8, 2018. I use my Vision Board process to move myself away from magical thinking. I don’t believe if you think it, it’s will be so. Envisioning ...followed by long periods of hard work and persistence is what propels me towards my goals. Yes, I love setting intention and using visualization, but I use a Vision Board to move me away from intentions and towards concrete steps on my yearly plan. The Vision Board process helps me clarify what I wan

You can practice mindfulness everyday by following your breath and using a grounding mantra

The holiday season can be joyful — and it can also be exhausting, emotional, and overwhelming. If you’re feeling stretched thin, you’re not doing anything wrong. Holiday stress is common, and there are gentle ways to take care of yourself without forcing cheer or perfection. 1. Be Kind to Yourself Start by noticing your inner dialogue. If your self-talk becomes harsh or critical, pause and ask yourself: Would I say this to a friend I care about? If the answer is no, gently

Updated August, 2021 Goodness, if mindfulness was a drug, there would be ads everywhere about its effectiveness! And it’s free and available to us at all times. Mindfulness is the heightened awareness of inner and outer experiences through focused attention in the present moment. Mindfulness and positive intention can be purposefully cultivated and used for healing. Current research confirms this ancient belief. Today there is a big movement to incorporate mindfulness and

Originally posted June 12, 2017. Aromatherapy is an age-old technique involving essentials oils that are beneficial to the mind and the...

Originally posted May 2, 2017. Can insomnia be treated without medication? Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you so tired that it’s ...

DBT Distress Tolerance is about Expanding Your Nervous System's Window of Tolerance What Are Distress Tolerance Skills in DBT? Distress tolerance skills are a core part of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and are designed to help people cope during moments of intense emotional pain or crisis. When emotions feel overwhelming and a situation cannot be immediately resolved, distress tolerance skills offer practical ways to get through the moment safely without making things w

It takes less than two minutes a day to feed the white wolf. I've made it a habit. Almost every day: I pause. I stop. I take a slow breath. I drop my shoulders. I open my heart chakra. I soften my jaw. And I intentionally breathe in gratitude. It can happen anywhere — at a red light, in a waiting room, during a tense conversation, or in that split second when irritation begins to rise. In fact, my favorite time to feed the white wolf is precisely when I feel myself getting an