COVID-19 has brought us inside which can be an invitation to look inside ourselves.  We are literally on a retreat, retreating from the usual everyday business of our lives. 

In a “Super Soul Sunday” interview with Oprah, Jon Kabat-Zinn beautifully articulates his inspiring answer.

How often do you experience being totally in the moment, fully focused on your work, a piece of art, running, an experience that you might describe as in the zone, a moment of bliss, nirvana? Did you know that a regular meditation practice can invite such a state to occur more often?

Neuroscience has shown that neurons that fire together wire together. In other words, repeated thoughts create a pathway in your brain. We get better at what we practice.

I found this inspiring regarding telling and retelling stories and thought you might too. This is a metaphor for the chief modality that informs my practice, namely: Post-modern therapy, which includes Narrative and Brief Solution-focused therapy.

Often, even if well intended, we defend or dismiss. Try empathy when your spouse, child, friend, or colleague expresses feeling like they’re stuck in a hole. Meeting people where they are instead of trying to fix the situation may feel good to you too

Positive posture supports us to create positive states — internally and externally, mentally and physically. For insight and inspiration, enjoy this TED Talk from social psychologist, Amy Cuddy, on how your body language shapes who you are.

Be here now. Take some time throughout the day wherever you are, whatever you are doing. Take a break to awaken your senses. Give yourself the gift of presence.

As a therapist, I am helping people expose problematic wiring. Together we examine the short-circuiting, and rewire in a way that lights you up.

You feel your temperature rising, body tightening, fists clenching, energy building and no release valve. So you scream, hit, shut down, retreat or attack. Anger, here represented by Anger Bot, has taken you over. How to fight back against Anger Bot:

When you hear yourself saying, “I am so stressed”, or you feel literally uptight — that is, parts of your body are tense — first, breathe. Often when I hear or even speak the word “breathe”, I find I am holding my breath. Next, a phrase that might come to mind is: “The heart remains a child”. […]

“I am a beautiful soul.  Everything I do is enough.” In the 70s I was doing a meditation retreat with Ram Dass in the redwoods outside of Santa Cruz.  Five days of silence!  The thought terrified me.  The reality, however, was tremendously freeing.  Over the five days, I felt myself move in to a feeling […]

Lose your mind and come to your senses! Get out of your head and experience the pleasure of smart foods that tickle your taste buds and feel good in your tummy, leaving you feeling light in body, mind and spirit.

The mind/body/food connection is made very clear in this to the point craving eliminator video by hypnotist Jim Katsoulis The goal is to want to eat what supports the body you want.  And YES, you can reverse programming that may have come from family, friends and thousands of ads on a daily basis, which link […]

I really love all of these books.  All of them are guides to the ultimate goal — happiness — and  have helped me in my psychotherapy practice and personal development, which happily blend together.  All quotes are from the book covers. Calm and Compassionate Children, A Handbook Susan Usha Dermond Dermond is a teacher and […]