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Letting Go of the Past: A Prerequisite for Being In the Present

Posted by on Jul 10, 2020 in News, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Letting Go of the Past: A Prerequisite for Being In the Present

Recently, I watched the movie Up with my family, which I hadn’t seen in years.  Despite it being heart warming, humorous (squirrel!), and entertaining, I was also touched by the wisdom that came through.  The main character in the movie, an elderly man named Carl, is on a mission to fulfill the dream of his recently deceased wife.  He wants to get their house to Paradise Falls via helium filled balloons which are attached to his roof.  At the end of the movie, Carl must choose between his wife’s dream (the past) and helping a rare mother bird return to her babies (the present).  With a little help from a...

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How To Have A Connecting Conversation: Step by Step

Posted by on May 4, 2020 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

I get the privilege of talking to many people, and a theme I’ve noticed is that many people are experiencing difficulty connecting. What does it mean to connect? It’s hard to explain but when we experience it we know it, and most of us want it more than anything. Brené Brown defines connection this way: “The energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”What Gets in the Way of Connection?Embedded in the definition are also the barriers to it: Not being seen, heard, or valued. Being afraid of...

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Managing Anxiety During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Posted by on Mar 23, 2020 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

Last night my son came into my room at 2:00am, crying because he had what he described as “a horrible headache.” During any other time in his life, I would have calmly given him a hug and some Children’s Advil and sent him back to bed. Last night I had a different reaction. Instead of feeling compassion, I felt fear. Should I hug him? Why was he crying from a headache? Were headaches a sign of the virus? Did he have it? Would I get it? Then what? My mind was speeding off on the negative thought train. This is what the mind does, and during uncertain and unsettling times like this pandemic, it takes more effort than usual to keep it in check. Increased...

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Mystical States and Healing: What Psychotherapy Can Learn from Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

Posted by on Feb 6, 2020 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Mystical States and Healing: What Psychotherapy Can Learn from Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

What they did yesterday afternoon ~ by Warsan Shire they set my aunts house on fire i cried the way women on tv do folding at the middle like a five pound note. i called the boy who used to love me tried to ‘okay’ my voice i said hello he said warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened? i’ve been praying, and these are what my prayers look like; dear god i come from two countries one is thirsty the other is on fire both need water. later that night i held an atlas in my lap ran my fingers across the whole world and whispered where does it hurt? it answered everywhere everywhere everywhere   Domestic violence.  Childhood sexual, physical and emotional...

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The Non-Violent Communication (NVC) Mindfulness Connection

Posted by on Dec 6, 2016 in Uncategorized | 4 comments

When I was first given Marshall Rosenberg’s book, Non-Violent Communication, (NVC) 12 years ago, it sat on my bookshelf, tucked between at least 25 books on Buddhism, mindfulness, and spiritual awakening, for over a year.  I had the mindset that I would “get around to it,” but if I was honest, I also thought that the book, given its title, somehow didn’t apply to me.  I didn’t see myself as violent, and therefore, I didn’t feel a rush to read it.  I also didn’t see its connection to the books that surrounded it.   Eventually I would come to realize the deep connection between NVC and mindfulness, and I would see NVC for what it actually is- a spiritual practice. ...

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Touch and Go: Meditation for Pain

Posted by on Nov 7, 2016 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

It’s 7:50am and I see I have 2 voice mail messages on my phone as I drive down the canyon from my mountain home.  I don’t think much of it, other than I don’t recognize the numbers.  My office is off a main, somewhat rural, highway on a horse ranch that is a 40-acre sanctuary in the midst of what is becoming suburban sprawl.  I get to my office and play the first voice mail, which is from a concerned passerby who saw my horse on the wrong side of the fence- the highway side.   I check the time he left the message- 6:45am.  Emotional overwhelm kicks in.  I start to panic.  It’s now 7:50am, and my first client of the day will be...

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