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Take 30 seconds to pause and look, listen, and feel around in your environment or within your mind’s eye. Name five things that you can express gratitude toward. Maybe it’s a sunny day, the warmth of your coffee mug, a kind word from a loved one, a comfortable sweater, or a healthy breakfast. What doContinue reading “Seeing the Sacred in the Ordinary”

You are not the voice of the mind. You are the one observing the voice of the mind.   This simple, yet powerful realization is rooted in eastern spiritual traditions and stands as a key perspective for many contemporary psychotherapy approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy as well as acceptance and commitment therapy. It is also foundational forContinue reading “The Voice of the Mind”

It is easy to get distracted by the many things in our lives. Our society tells us that we must be active and striving to gain and make progress at all times. Even our vacations can become a next best list of achievements. These messages penetrate all levels of our culture as we see childrenContinue reading “Thanksgiving: The Power of Simplicty”

People often seek therapy to get support dealing with emotions, or more specifically, uncomfortable emotions, such as fear, anger, or sadness. It is not uncommon to want these emotions to be stopped, shut-off, or taken away. However, such a goal is ultimately impossible as emotions are an inherent part of human experience and play an importantContinue reading “Tidal Wave of Emotion”

Ease is defined as the absence of difficulty or effort. To ease is also defined as to make something less serious or severe, soften, and to move carefully and gradually.   Living with ease is different from being relaxed. Specifically, relaxation has more to do with lessening our feelings of tension and reducing stress. Ease hasContinue reading “Living with Ease”

Many of us can easily get lost thinking about the past or worrying about the future. Yet, being present minded or mindful of the “here and now” is important for reducing stress and staying healthy. Moreover, strengthening present-moment awareness helps to reduce anxiety and rumination, while allowing space for a deeper connection to our livedContinue reading “Present Moment Attitudes”

“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 “Befriending our Emotions”

Existentialism suggests that we have both the freedom and responsibility to make our own choices by looking within ourselves. Accordingly, we are tasked with finding meaning, determining our values, and making decisions that shape our lives. Existential psychotherapy builds on these views by approaching therapy with an emphasis on self-determination and our individual search forContinue reading “Existentialism in Daily Life”

Ease is defined as the absence of difficulty or effort. To ease is also defined as to make something less serious or severe, soften, and to move carefully and gradually.   Living with ease is different from being relaxed. Specifically, relaxation has more to do with lessening our feelings of tension and reducing stress. Ease hasContinue reading “Living with Ease”

Mindfulness is everywhere! We see references to mindfulness in all types of magazines and books, television, and even in the names of businesses. To be sure, mindfulness can be extremely helpful and research regarding the positive role of mindfulness for improving wellbeing is impressive. Nevertheless, mindfulness is not always well understood and a number ofContinue reading “Mindfulness Myths”