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Are you crazy?: reconsidering your thoughts
I know it may sound strange but your thoughts are not YOU. Consider this. If I ask you to think about a pink elephant most of you would see one in your mind’s eye. What did it look like? Was it large or small? Was it in a field or sitting on a shelf? Was…
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5 natural antidepressants…it’s science!
Listen, I’m no chemist and I definitely don’t understand all of the complex science behind ions. But, there is a lot of scientific data that shows how positive and negative ions impact the environment and our mental health. Positive ions, also called “free radicals,” are molecules that have a positive electrical charge. Pollution, allergens, computers,…
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“I’m not okay.” A look at toxic stress.
Ugh. 2020. I think it’s fair to say that most of us are feeling a little NOT OKAY. In fact, it has become perfectly normal to respond with a shrug when someone casually asks, “How are you?” The truth is, we are not just in a COVID-19 pandemic. We are also in the middle of…
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COVID-19 and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are on the rise
I recently saw a post on social media where someone was dancing outside and making comments about how wonderful this quarantine and pandemic has been for her and she did not understand why people were complaining, depressed, or worried. She has had five months without work yet fully paid, without small children, without health concerns,…
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On the wrong road: stigma and mental health
Original publication: http://kansaspreventioncollaborative.org/Whats-New/Blog-Stigma-and-Mental-Illness I passed a hitchhiker on the road yesterday. He was holding a cardboard sign that said “Tulsa Oklahoma.” While that’s not an unusual sight here in Wichita, what I found ironic was that he was holding a south-bound sign on an east-bound road. He had the motivation to take him to Tulsa…
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What? A new podcast!
Hey folks- I will be starting a new podcast that explores healing from trauma in its many forms. And I would love your help! If you would like to be interviewed or have a topic for discussion please let me know! Some possible topics that I would like to discuss: Religious trauma, including cult involvement…
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8 absolute necessities for mental health hygiene
Hygiene is defined as a “condition or practice that is conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease.” While I do not subscribe to disease or illness in mental health, I do believe that there are challenges that can be tough to overcome if we do not maintain adequate, regular hygiene to protect our mental health.…
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Parenting means letting go
I just watched my teenage son back out of the driveway with a big smile, a wave, and an “I love you, Mom!” He’s driving to Utah…alone…to meet a friend. Together, they will tramp around the country for two weeks–Sight-seeing, camping, snacks, and young man independence. Shortly after he was born–holding my fresh, newborn in…
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The power of EMDR for trauma
I am trained in a trauma therapy modality called EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Yeah, it’s a mouthful. And while science still does not fully understand the complexity of how the brain processes trauma (this is true of any therapeutic model), the process of EMDR is actually quite simple. Think of REM. No,…
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Adult children of toxic parents speak out
In my work with adult children of borderline parents, I have had many clients want to share their story and help others that might be experiencing the same journey as their own. Here are a few of their words. Names have been changed for confidentiality. “It was a big relief to realize that I wasn’t…