Believe oh doubting mind it is true Pain can bring out the genius in you The creative soils you thought were dry Moistness once lost now again thrives A silly girl is all they see One with that heart upon her sleeve They don’t know you as you are They only see you from

  Stephen Covey is said to have communicated the following concept: “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” In my opinion, truer words were never spoken.  Effective listening is a skill to develop where the listener is truly doing so with the intent to understand

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), addiction is characterized by: “an inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavior control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response.” The “inability to consistently abstain” is a concept that sometimes confuses loved ones and family members

    I was on vacation with my family last week. We went to Texas – where it is all country music all the time. I LOVE country music – it is a secret vice of mine. Cruising in a van that could accommodate the seven of us – we were singing to the radio

  As a therapist specializing in sex and intimacy issues, I work with a lot of clients who have suffered (and sometimes committed) incest. Most of the time, they feel like they’re the only person who has ever experienced this. They feel deep shame, and they only reluctantly will discuss what happened. That is why

  The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. − Alice Walker Don’t get me wrong, as a human being you have been victimized. Any time another person violates one of your boundaries, there is the possibility of victimization. Being lied to, cheated on, and ignored because

    In 1990, Congress established the first week in October as Mental Illness Awareness Week. Each year, millions of Americans live with mental health conditions. Mental illness affects almost every person, either directly or indirectly. How many of us have experienced mental illness ourselves or know friends or loved ones who have suffered? I

    I was told to sit on the chair positioned in the center of the room. It was one those uncomfortable, hard, wooden chairs last seen in a classroom or a doctor’s office in 1969. Other chairs formed a large circle around the room. They were contemporary. Only mine was made of wood.  When

  Rewrite your story, you get to choose again I was raised in a middle-class loving family, where my parents were doing the best that they could do in terms of providing for my needs. Financially, I had all the comforts one would wish for but emotionally I fell victim to what was taught to

  I am the daughter of someone who suffers with addiction. My Mother is a Bible believing, non-swearing, French speaking, dignified lady who has struggled with Doctor prescribed opioids and mental health issues for 30 plus years. I have also been through an addiction adjacent experience as a Mother; my son is almost 5 years