-
Connection And Play: Essentials for “A Life Worth Living”
Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking to nearly 100 undergrad students at the University of Washington. A dear friend of mine is a professor of religion and he invited me to speak to his class on the topic of what makes “a life worth living.” The basic premise is, as the course…
-
You Don’t Have to White-Knuckle It: Why Asking for Help Is the Bravest Thing You Can Do
My kids have been on a space kick lately. Ever since the Artemis II launch captured their imaginations, we’ve been watching everything we can find about space travel. Recently we sat down together to watch Apollo 13, and there’s a scene near the end that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. If…
-
Grief is Carrying the Weight, Not Dropping The Bag
We all have experienced grief and loss at one time or another. Truly, there is no one on earth who is untouched by death, loss, harm, and heartache. Life is messy; people are complicated; At times the world can feel broken and hard. The invitation to grief is near constant throughout our lifetime and…
-
Both/And: Moving From Black-And-White Thinking Toward Integration
Last week, my colleague Maggie wrote about the paralysis that can come from trying to hold all that is happening in our world. Her post got me thinking about something that often underlies that paralysis: the way our minds, when under stress, tend to sort the world into two neat piles. Good and bad.…
-
Think Global, Serve Local: Finding Ways to Move From Overload to Action
When you experience information overload and emotional exhaustion from the constant onslaught of the global news, focusing on the things you can do in your local community serves as a way to stay grounded and connected.
-
Why Therapy Takes Time (and why that’s a good thing)
A few weeks ago, Maggie and I returned to our alma matter to share how a specific course had influenced our training and continued to impact our clinical work. We reconnected with former professors and classmates, as well as new new students who were just beginning the same journey we had once been on.…
-
The Wonderland of Play
This essay has been modified from it’s previous publication on my substack. I have an on-going fascination with the power of play. It comes so naturally to children (which is why Ann has written about Play Therapy for Helping Children Heal) yet seems so difficult for some adults. Why is that? What happens to…
-
Healing in the Upside Down: What Stranger Things Reveals About Trauma and Growth
As a therapist, I was surprised by how deeply Stranger Things mirrors the real-life healing process, showing how trauma, relationships, and self-acceptance shape our ability to grow. But before you go any further, if you haven’t watched the final season of Stranger Things yet, you may want to skip this post until you’ve wrapped…
-
Exploring the Depths: Therapy Beyond Symptom Reduction
Therapy isn’t just for times of crisis or managing symptoms; for both of these times solution-focused therapies are necessary and helpful. However, engaging in depth work through psychodynamic psychotherapy moves beyond these “last resort” therapies and into a proactive tool for long-term wellness and personal growth and development. Shifting From How to Why Most…
-
The Problem with “New Year, New You!”
Every January, the phrase “New Year, New You” floods social media, advertisements, and conversations. It embraces the idea of starting with a clean slate and beckons a chance to reinvent oneself. It sounds inspiring, and while I do think that there is some wisdom in new beginnings, I think it’s important to recognize that…
