Historically mental illness has been ‘treated’ in a host of dangerous and sometimes horrifying ways. Around 7000 years ago trepanation was the treatment de jour. It was thought that mental illness was caused by evil spirits and could be cured by drilling small holes into the brain. While trepanation and […]
There are very few people who would say they wouldn’t like to be happier, and it’s easy to see why. The feeling of happiness is a wonderful experience, emotionally and mentally, and it makes sense that we’d want to create more of that in our lives. An entire industry has […]
Compassion is the virtue by which we feel and show kindness, empathy, and affection to others. But as they say, “unless our compassion includes ourselves, it is incomplete.” Self-compassion is the ability to express love and devotion to ourselves as we do to others. It is the capacity to reflect […]
The essence is mindfulness is being aware of what the present moment offers. It may seem like a straight-forward, even simple, concept but tuning in to the here-and-now can be challenging and fraught with barriers. You may have observed in your clients’ increasingly busy lives that time is not taken […]
Appreciative inquiry is a strength-based approach to address changing and is considered a constructive alternative to traditional problem-solving. The intention in this process is to seek and leverage the best in people and place the focus more on what we want and less on what is broken. By changing the […]
In order to understand self-compassion, you have to first understand the concept of compassion. Compassion is the ability we all have to show empathy, love, and concern to those who may be experiencing difficulties. Self-compassion is all about extending that same compassion back toward yourself, which is not always easy […]
Have you ever lost your temper at…yourself? Blamed and then beat yourself up a little inside for doing something you regret? Maybe you’ve been harsh with someone, only to be much harsher with yourself later? It’s easy to be tough on yourself—we tend to do it much, much more than […]
When we talk about mindfulness, there are a number of thoughts that come to mind. We know it’s about building our own sense of self-awareness, creating a greater connection with our bodies and emotions, and a stronger presence within our immediate environments. We might even know that mindfulness can help […]
Whether we like it or not, life is full of ups and downs. The human experience is often peppered with uncomfortable or unpleasant experiences and emotions. Self-compassion presents an opportunity to understand, acknowledge, and transform personal suffering through self-kindness, mindfulness, and an understanding that adversity is an inevitable part of […]
How many times have you approached the start of a new year with a list of positive goals you want to achieve, only to feel like you’re still stuck on square one when December rolls around again? Creating and setting goals is great, but actually achieving them can be much […]
