Category: Practice

Almost everyone has heard of self-esteem. It’s fortunately being talked about more frequently within society. However, another concept about the self that needs to be addressed along with self-esteem, is self-compassion. Dr. Kristin Neff describes self-compassion as “being warm and understanding towards ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate rather than ignoring our pain”(http://self-compassion.org). Self-compassion is the idea that just as we offer kindness and compassion to others when they fall short, we offer the same to ourselves. Why does it tend to be so much easier to offer compassion to others and not ourselves?

We are not perfect. No matter how hard we try, we will never be perfect. Self-compassion meets us in our imperfection. It allows us to say, “I messed up but I still have value and am still important”. When we s ...

The Stages of Change

Do you remember what it was like when you were learning to ride a bike?  How to play an instrument, or drive a car?  The first few weeks and months may have been a struggle, but the results were so sweet!  Mastering a new skill brings a sense of freedom and accomplishment like none other — but there is a process involved.

Many people enter counseling because they are ready for change.  They want to get from Point A to Point B, learn new skills, and write the next chapter of their story.  What some clients don’t realize is that making changes in mental and emotional health and lifestyle is almost never a “quick fix.”  Learning and developing new patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior takes time.  If you are willing to engage in that process, you can enjoy lasting, meaningful changes in your life.  Here is a brief rundown of The Stages of Change — they ar ...

             Eleri jumped seamlessly, no special notice the piles of hay in her way, except the leap that interrupted her rhythm. Every morning she was up with the crack of dawn, ready to go for her walk. Every morning she ran, so at other times she could rest and eat. The gate of her legs spread, pounding the ground in a musical speed. Her tail wagged delight.

            Animals are fascinating creatures. They have this rhythm to life. Hunt, eat, play, sleep. Hunt, eat, play, sleep. Rinse, repeat  Animals already know a basic tenant of life we humans miss. Life comes with a beat, but it also comes with the ups and downs of rhythms. Work is a glorified element of life in American culture. Or laziness is glorified. And, we’ve missed the beauty of the ups and downs of work time and rest time.

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