A few months ago I was on my way to an early-morning hike on a cloudy Saturday morning. The night before some fierce storms had passed through the area; I remember hearing the loud claps of thunder and feeling my house shake as I tried to sleep. As I drove slowly down this windy, mountain road, which was drenched from the prior night’s rainfall and littered with sticks and leaves...

Talking about the past is often hard, especially when one’s past is littered with pain and unpleasant memories. People often ask: “what good is it to sit around and dwell on the past when there’s nothing I can do to change it? Shouldn’t I just move on with my life?” It’s a legitimate question, and one that deserves an answer. One common belief is that talking about “negative” events, such...

American popular culture is abuzz with talk about happiness: what it is, where it comes from, and most of all, how to achieve it. Anyone even remotely connected to social media will find the topic difficult to avoid. You’ve seen the articles on Huffington Post and Facebook and even Psychology Today: “10 Keys to Happier Living”; “The 4 Keys to Happiness”; “37 Keys to Happiness and a Happier Life”; “Six Keys...

It’s that time of year again – the time many of us dread – when we set our clocks back an hour, when the nights seem longer, and the days seem shorter. Not only do we “lose” an hour of daylight, but we are subjected to colder temperatures, making us less likely to get outside and be active, further limiting our exposure to the warm, nurturing rays of the sun....

In this series of blog posts, I’ve discussed why relationships can be so complicated, examined some common relationship patterns in which we often engage, and identified some ways to help raise our awareness of these issues so we can begin to establish healthier, more fulfilling relationships in the future. So aside from continuing to hone our self-awareness through mindfulness meditation, what else can we do? The answer, of course, is:...

By Pam Katchuk I am a mother grieving a lost child. What’s the hardest day of the year for a grieving mother? Their birthday? No. Their angel day? No. It’s Mother’s Day. Every day is sorrowful, but this special day when moms all around the world are celebrating their special day is especially difficult for us. We are painfully aware that our child is no longer with us while other...

By Marie Langlois, LPC This is the precious time of year for grievers; daylight savings’ time seems like a gift after the darkness of winter.  Light translates into hope, and hope is what some grievers need to keep moving along the journey. grief is a journey not a destination; the destination is being able to remember the good memories, bringing them forward into a future where you find your new...

This weekend I spent the majority of my free time in my garden. I find gardening to be incredibly grounding and meditative, even though not all gardening tasks seem particularly enjoyable. I’m talking about weeding, of course. After spending multiple hours pulling weeds, I began to realize that weeding is an awful lot like therapy. For example, the process itself is not necessarily something that we initially look forward to....

As mentioned in the previous blog, taking a pause from dating can provide some necessary space for introspection and self-examination, which is necessary for looking at our relationship patterns honestly. Being in a relationship clouds our objectivity and makes it more difficult to see those patterns. Meditation Another helpful practice in creating this space is meditation, mindfulness meditation in particular. When we are so immersed in the hustle and bustle...

So why do so many people struggle with romantic and interpersonal relationships? Unsuccessful relationships are often rooted in unhealthy emotional and behavioral patterns that are established early in life, which get carried over into adulthood. But what can we do to change these patterns? One thing we can do is take the time to examine ourselves, honestly and openly, so that we can identify and acknowledge our own issues. Doctors...