Category Archives: Uncategorized

People sometimes have the impression that the primary goal of therapy is to eliminate negative emotions or distress. Although there is often a focus on symptom reduction early in therapy, we generally have much broader goals. Likewise, people sometimes navigate daily life in an effort to minimize discomfort or distress. This is fairly reasonable asContinue reading “Positive Emotions”

Gaslighting involves intentionally changing or otherwise distorting reality to manipulate how others think or feel to get what we want. Individuals who engage in gaslighting attempt to make others doubt the truth of their own experiences. They often do everything they can to get their needs met.  Gaslighting is a common narcissistic behavior, often seenContinue reading “Gaslighting”

Uncertainty is a difficult thing for many of us. Nevertheless, there can be wisdom in uncertainty if we allow ourselves to accept that many things are out of our control. Likewise, if we are able to work toward greater acceptance of uncertainty, we might find greater possibilities as we take on new challenges.   Beginner’s mindContinue reading “The Wisdom of Uncertainty”

Psychological resilience refers to an ability to withstand or more readily ‘bounce back’ from stress and grow from challenges. Other words used to describe psychological resilience include ‘mental toughness’ and ‘hardiness.’ The great news is that resilience can be developed and strengthened through deliberate practice. Below are four of the most effective strategies for promotingContinue reading “Bouncing Back”

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.“ -Jon Kabat-Zinn Take a moment and recall the last time you felt a strong emotion. What do you remember? What did your body feel like? What thoughts came to mind? What did you feel like doing? What did you do? Pause and close yourContinue reading “Emotional IQ”

“If we fall, we don’t need self-recrimination or blame or anger – we need a reawakening of our intention and a willingness to re-commit, to be whole-hearted once again.” – Sharon Salzberg Self-doubt is a mental preoccupation involving indecision, uncertainty, and lack of confidence. It can cause us to hesitate and become stuck reviewing pastContinue reading “Self-trust”

People sometimes have the impression that the primary goal of therapy is to eliminate negative emotions or distress. Although there is often a focus on symptom reduction early in therapy, we generally have much broader goals. Likewise, people sometimes navigate daily life in an effort to minimize discomfort or distress. This is fairly reasonable asContinue reading “Accumulating Positive Emotion”

“Everything hangs on intention.” -Nyshul Khen Rinpoche How often are you aware of the way you are living? Have you ever had a moment when you felt clued into the fact that the way you have been living, possibly in a struggle or on autopilot, chasing one pleasure after the next or resisting any discomfortContinue reading “Wise Effort”

The quest for certainty is hardwired. We are naturally uncomfortable when we don’t know what’s next or when we cannot apply our previous experience in ways that help us feel we can predict the future. We work very hard to know and often trick ourselves into a false certainty to resolve our discomfort as weContinue reading “The Unexpected Freedom of Uncertainty”

“Enlightenment is absolute cooperation with the inevitable.” -Anthony de Mello, S.J.  Equanimity can be defined as mental and emotional calmness, non-reactivity, or an even-tempered state of mind in the face challenges. The Buddha described a mind filled with equanimity as “abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill-will.” Translated from Pali, “equanimity” means “to look over” and refersContinue reading “To Stand in The Middle of All This”