In preparation for a workshop I will be leading at Many Gods West I am contemplating resilience. The American Psychological Association defines resilience as: “the process of…
Releasing the Charge of Difficult Memories
Sometimes we carry intense emotional memories that continue to affect us today. I am talking about memories that still bring up feelings of shame, guilt, anger,…
The Problem of the Successful Coping Strategy
A long time ago, people would tell me I was hard to read. I didn’t understand their problem, and was a little suspicious of what…
Film Response – It Follows
It Follows (2014) Recently I was home sick for a weekend and decided to catch up on some movie suggestions. It Follows had come up multiple…
Heroes and Villains
People say, “everyone is the hero of their own story.” A hero overcomes opposition and adversity to win the day, often possessing some great moral…
Inflated Needs and Vulnerabilities
One expression that’s become common when self-psychologizing is “I have a need for [x].” “I need to be liked.” “I have a need for approval.”…
Offering Okayness
Some folks who struggle have been convinced they are broken and need fixing. This often appears to come from the rational mind, completely lost amidst…
Sink Beneath Your Reactions
Last week, I received an email. It was one I had expected for a while, and though I was in the middle of a stressful…
Meditation – The Two Worlds
We live in, at least, two worlds—the inner experience and the outer world. Each of us has our preference, often understood as a personality that is…
Dealing with Disappointment
Disappointment is an emotional experience that seems particularly keen and yet not so often discussed. To be called a disappointment by someone we love, respect, or…