We all experience grief at some point in our life.  Whether the loss is large or small, you may notice your heart sitting heavier in your chest or a pit in your stomach growing larger. Grief is a very real experience of the human heart, yet...

Many of us can get confused and think that joy is the same as happiness. This is completely understandable, as the two terms are often used synonymously. Yet, from a relational perspective, these are very different concepts. Happiness is a fleeting...

Have you ever believed something that wasn’t true, like a lie someone told you, or maybe one that you told yourself? Years ago, I found myself believing the lie, “I am not good enough.”  Now, generally, it is evident that our lives have value and...

   In the past few decades, researchers and neuroscientists have learned amazing things about how the human brain functions.  For example, they have discovered that the brain shows activity in specific areas when someone is relating well to others....

Our thoughts are powerful. While they cannot be seen or measured, they have the potential to dictate our mood, responses, and behavior1 (p. 53). They can propel us to push through hard experiences, or on the contrary, they can tell us to give up in...

Helping Couples Build a Stronger Connection Why is it so hard for couples to build successful relationships?   Imagine the following hypothetical counseling conversation between husband and wife. He says,  "Every time I try to relax,...

January is about beginnings! It’s the start to a new year, and many of us have already established goals and resolutions to accomplish over the next 12 months. Most of us are eager to put 2020 behind us and hoping for the best in 2021. ...

December causes a lot of people like me to stop and think. Annual holidays bring a pause in our daily routines, while the year end draws us into meditation. Questions arise around how we can go into January prepared with new learnings. As I...

This year our world has experienced an unprecedented pandemic that drastically changed life for millions of people. Adjusting to a new normal has tested many relationships, most notably over the past eight months. The first article in this series...

As of November 2020, it has been eight months since a global pandemic forced our nation to shut down, altering our lives in unforeseen ways. Jobs, education, sports, religious attendance, shopping, and social get-togethers have been halted or...

Trauma Resiliency Model (or TRM) therapy is designed to teach wellness skills to children and adults experiencing traumatic stress reactions using a mind-body approach.  Over the past several weeks, we reviewed two major elements of TRM. Post...

 Two weeks ago, I introduced a new blog series on the topic of resiliency. More than ever, as a result of living during such stressful times, I believe we need mechanisms for getting unstuck. There are so many sticky situations holding us back...