Are you stressing yourself? Feeling too busy to finish every task you’ve set for yourself? Feeling like your job is taking too much of your “Me Time?” If so, you may be stressing yourself out. It’s time to get rid of self-induced stress. Even if we accept the premise that our world today is a…
Life seems to have become far simpler today for the gay, lesbian, and transgendered among us; with acceptance, rather than mere tolerance, having become the norm, even to the point of marriage equality in many states. Yet, despite the progress made in the past decade or two, coming out to family and friends remains a…
As the millennial generation reaches maturity and heads into the work force, it’s helpful to examine some of the most common myths about life that all of us seem to take as gospel truth when in our 20s. Dispelling these myths can reduce a great deal of the stress that young adults experience, if only…
The loss of a child can be devastating, even more so if the loss is self-induced; that is, by suicide. The loss of potential; the guilt a parent feels; the sheer magnitude of what may have been, but for a bit of understanding and effort on the part of a parent or guardian; may never…
Perhaps the most devastating experience a parent can have is the death of a child. When that death is caused by suicide however, the loss is even more devastating, as guilt and recrimination can become overwhelming, to the point that a parent may become completely unable to function for long periods of time. The feeling…
While many understand the emotional stress inherent in grief from a significant loss, the death of a partner, child, or parent for example, it is only recently that the physical toll of stress from loss has begun to be understood. Research into grief reactions has shown that the evolutionary fight or flight response to grief…
Do you possess a positive or negative sense of yourself? Do you feel good about who you are, or do you feel like you are somehow deficient? Does your concept of “I” include “I am competent,” or “I am capable,” or “I am worthy?” Or, do you instead, live with a negative internal dialogue of…
In my years of practicing psychotherapy and providing grief and bereavement counseling in the Littleton and Denver areas, I continue to be struck by the uniqueness of the grief process for everyone. For so many, coping with the death of someone you care about can be more than merely painful, it can be debilitating emotionally,…
If you spend any significant time online these days, learning to practice forgiveness is a hugely popular subject. From social media to life coaching sites, and from self-help gurus to business and career coaches, it seems carrying a grudge is no longer acceptable in our culture. What’s up with that, anyway? “The weak can never…
One of the most difficult challenges to overcome in life is a loss of trust in someone who has betrayed you. If a life partner or spouse has cheated on you, surviving infidelity can be a life-long challenge, leaving you unable to trust them ever again. Yet, as a human being, you need to be…