As I write this we are in the middle of another interminable heat wave of summer 2018. But it isn’t that kind of hot I’m talking about. You know the other well, I suspect. I know I do. Someone says just the wrong thing, or possibly just an unfortunate thing at the wrong time. Someone questions you … or doubts you. Someone who shouldn’t, argues. Your kids get on your last nerve. Your spouse snores. Something happens that causes you to lose your cool. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to make us hot, even without the heat wave. But Thomas Jefferson was right when he said, “Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain cool and unruffled under all circumstances.” So what are
I hope you all have had an enjoyable summer full of many opportunities to relax with family and friends and have been able to take some time to practice some self-love and self-care. This week marks the beginning of a new school year for many students. This can be both exciting and anxiety provoking. I have fond memories of new beginnings as a student, however, I can still resonate with the anxieties that accompany a new school year- new classes, uncertainties of who I would know in those classes, and the fear of making new friends and “fitting in”. This can be daunting at any age, but it can be particularly difficult for adolescents as they navigate the complexities of cultivating their in
We all have stuff we want to keep inside. For almost all of us there are things that feel too painful and/or shameful to talk about, even with a therapist, much less a loved one. And those things stay hidden until the pain of not talking about it becomes more painful that the risk of exposure and rejection. Addictions generally fall into that category. Oh, we can talk about the substance or behavior with a spouse/family member—sometimes at the top of our lungs. But we don’t really talk about it, and certainly not with outsiders. Sexual addiction is especially hard to talk about with others, even that loved one, despite its prevalence on the evening news. Our sexuality is tied up so strongly
