Redefining Love is all about grace, and there is perhaps no other time of year where we all need to give and receive grace than the holidays. Yes, this is in so many ways a special and magical time of year. But creating that sense of magic is a whole lot of work, costs a […]
Holiday permissions Read More »
Gaslighting is a major buzzword right now. In fact, Merriam-Webster chose it as the word of 2022. But what does it mean? Merriam-Webster defines gaslighting as “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.” According to the Merriam-Webster website, there was a 1740% increase in lookups of the word in
Gaslighting vs Greenlighting: It’s all about control Read More »
We all know that feeling… You’ve just spilled your guts to someone, and you’re wondering if you shared too much. Brené Brown calls this a “vulnerability hangover,” and YES to this perfect description of what it feels like to leave it all on the table. You know that feeling… A vulnerability hangover occurs when we
Oversharing vs. Healthy Vulnerability Read More »
Have you ever thought about what is hiding at the bottom of your shame? It’s the one thing all shame has in common. It’s sneaky, and shockingly simple. It’s secrets. Think about it… How does domestic violence survive generation after generation?… Nobody talks about it. What’s the biggest threat a sexual abuser uses to control
Secrets can only control you when they are kept Read More »
Have you ever been in a relationship where you felt stuck; where both leaving and staying seems impossible? You love your job, but you absolutely hate your boss. You have bills to pay. You can’t just up and leave. Jobs like yours are a one in a million. Your dad is a narcissistic jerk, but
What to do when you can’t walk away from a relationship Read More »
Last week for our discussion topic I resurrected an old newspaper column I’d written years ago. Although I’d revisited my earlier writings because I had writer’s block, once I got in there, I (re)discovered some of my old thoughts that were the inspiration for Redefining Love. Our discussion last week was so successful that I
Choose your travel companions wisely Read More »
It isn’t often that I have writer’s block. I was blessed and cursed with a whole lot to say (at least when I’m writing). But for two days this week I sat at my keyboard and drew a blogging blank. It isn’t that I didn’t have any words. It’s that I had too many. You
The evolution of a life Read More »
If processing trauma were easy, everyone would be doing it, and we’d all be happy! happy! all the time. As those of us who have stepped inside our trauma and walked around a bit can attest, facing painful past experiences is not for the faint of heart. And it’s not just because it’s painful
Why it takes courage to process trauma (and why you’re awesome for doing it!) Read More »
I love quotes. I have been a quote nerd since I was a kid. I used to recopy inspirational sayings from books into a journal, and then reread them over and over when I was sad or needed courage. One of my all-time favorite quotes is: The trees are about to show us how lovely
Years ago, when I first started in therapy, I was faced with what I would consider a typical situation with my family of origin. Promises had been made and then broken, and as usual it knocked the wind out of me. Somehow, even though I had 30 years of experience with these people, I was
What does INTEGRITY really mean? Read More »
