“What’s past is prologue.” William Shakespeare, The Tempest The thing about the past is that it’s not the past. Irish saying People are often deterred from starting therapy because they think they will have to dredge up unpleasant things from their childhood, which can feel daunting. Yet, childhood experiences will surface, as they typically influence […]
People are like plants: they grow toward the light. I chose science because science gave me what I needed—a home as defined in the most literal sense: a safe place to be. Hope Jahren If you had a childhood full of drama, yelling, violence, addiction, over-controlling or neglectful parents, it can be especially difficult […]
Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets. Paul Tournier We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows. Robert Frost, The Secret Sits In families where there is addiction, abuse, criminal behavior, or mental illness, there is usually a code of silence that dictates the actions […]
“Finally, I decide I am my own case history, and if I don’t dig in to understand what I am doing, I will be spending the years ahead in a vexing pattern of intimacy and abandonment.” Dominique Browning in “Slow Love” Dig in is right. Dig in and root around is even more accurate. Of […]
All addictions, like all obsessive-compulsive disorders, serve one purpose: To push unpleasant feelings out of your conscious awareness. It makes no difference if you are addicted to alcohol, shopping, pornography, pain killers, pot, food, cocaine, gambling, or anything else, the key to recovery is finding peace. Peace from incessant thoughts urging you to obsessively repeat […]
These days it seems as if every website, book, and podcast is encouraging self-compassion as a path to inner freedom and peace. And rightly so. Showering yourself with loving kindness will surely make you feel better, no matter what’s ailing your body, mind, or spirit. The problem is, how exactly do you do it? While […]