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Make Your Own Healing Salve: Helichrysum, Bergamot and Blood Orange

Below is a recipe for healing skin wounds I made for a friend who had been hurt in an accident. Of course, common sense disclaimer: he used this salve on his hands after a stay in the hospital, and the salve is not a substitute for medical care. But there was alot of trauma, both physical and emotional, and his closed wounds were in for a long healing period.

Clary Sage Essential Oil: The Herbal Elixir for Balance, Clarity, and Emotional Harmony

Bathed in the soft light of dawn, clary sage has long been valued for its soothing fragrance and restorative qualities. Clary Sage species: Salvia sclarea (True Clary Sage), Salvia officinalis (Common Sage), Salvia lavandulifolia (Spanish Sage), Salvia triloba (Greek Sage), Salvia fruticosa (Mediterranean Sage), Salvia nemorosa (Woodland Sage), Salvia pratensis (Meadow Sage), Salvia apiana (White Sage), Salvia elegans (Pineapple Sage), Salvia viridis (Annual Clary) Clary sage essential oil is...

Create Your Own Comfort Kit: A DBT Skill for Difficult Moments

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.

DBT Opposite Action: Moving Gently Against the Pull of Pain

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD., is a philosophy and a set of learnable skills about managing painful emotions. You might be interested in reading an overview about DBT here.

Mindfulness for Teens: Small Practices for Stress, Emotions, and Everyday Life

Small moments of awareness can help teens feel more grounded Being a teen can be beautiful—but…it doesn't always feel that way. People often say this is the best time of your life, and you might think, What do they know? or I wish it felt that way. Instead, you're stressed. You're trying to find your place. You feel uncomfortable in your own skin. School can feel overwhelming at times. No one seems to get you…and the tension at home makes you just want to be left alone. If this sounds...

Sweet Orange Essential Oil: The Bright Citrus Essence for Joy, Energy, and Emotional Wellness

Like a burst of morning sunshine, sweet orange brings freshness, vitality, and a sense of joy to everyday life. Sweet Orange species: Citrus sinensis (Sweet Orange), Citrus aurantium dulcis (Common Sweet Orange), Citrus sinensis var. Valencia (Valencia Orange), Citrus sinensis var. navelina (Navel Orange), Citrus sinensis var. blood orange (Blood Orange), Citrus sinensis var. moro (Moro Blood Orange), Citrus sinensis var. cara cara (Cara Cara Orange), Citrus sinensis var. hamlin (Hamlin...

Heartlife Holistic® Hobby Corner: Wildcrafting Dandelion Flowers

I went wildcrafting dandelion flowers last week. I missed picking the dandelion flowers in my own yard! I kept meaning to pick them, but they all went to seed before I could get to them!

Lovingkindness Meditation: An Ancient Practice With Modern Healing Power

That simple invitation — to sit, to breathe, to turn toward yourself with kindness — is the gateway to one of the most powerful meditative practices I have encountered in 27 years of clinical work.

Lovingkindness meditation, known in the Pali language as metta bhavana, has roots in Buddhist contemplative tradition that are over 2,500 years old.

Friendship in a Lonely World

I get alot of questions about friendship in my psychotherapy practice. What does research say about friendship?

5 Everyday Mindfulness Practices for Stress Relief and Emotional Balance

Mindfulness isn't something reserved only for monks. Here's how you can weave simple mindfulness practices in to your life every day life.

Peaceful nature scene representing relief from anxiety and burnout

Why So Many People Can’t Rest

Burnout, Anxiety, and a Nervous System Stuck in “On” Many people have access to time off and still don’t take it. Others technically take vacation but remain tethered to work—checking email, thinking about deadlines, worrying about what they’re missing or what will await them when they return. This is often framed as a motivation problem, a work ethic issue, or a cultural flaw. But from a mental health perspective, something deeper is happening. For many people, rest does no

Kathy Morelli

Feb 103 min read

Woman touching her collarbone in a gesture of self-soothing and emotional healing

Mind-Body Healing After Breast Cancer

Breast cancer survivors face more than just physical treatments. After treatment, there is both emotional and physical healing.

Jessica Else

Jun 14, 20225 min read

Coconut Oil, Breastmilk and Lauric Acid

Many nursing moms find that including whole food sources of healthy fats—such as unrefined coconut oil—in their daily diet fits well with balanced eating patterns and personal food preferences.