There is a phrase in Gaelic, anam cara, which means “soul friend.” According to the Anam Cara Therapy Center in California, anam cara is: A teacher, companion or spiritual guide … where consciousness is dulled, distant or blind, its presence grows faint and vanishes. Therefore awareness which brings integration and healing, is one of the […] Read more “Anam Cara: Soul Lessons From Anxiety & Panic”
Anam Cara: Soul Lessons From Anxiety & Panic
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Estimated: 7 minutes to read
Interpersonal Boundaries: How Trauma Keeps Us Silent
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Estimated: 7 minutes to read
What are personal boundaries? Personal boundaries are what separate us from other people and things and help us form a distinct identity. Boundaries help us protect ourselves. Boundaries help define what belongs to you and what belongs to someone else. Boundaries can define what is “ok” and what is “not ok.” Boundaries help others know […] Read more “Interpersonal Boundaries: How Trauma Keeps Us Silent”
Refueling: A Guide for Self-Care
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Estimated: 4 minutes to read
As a therapist, I focus on self-care a lot because I think it’s a vital life skill that no one really teaches us to do for ourselves. Self-care allows us to have emotional energy to respond thoughtfully to life’s bumps and obstacles instead of reacting without awareness. That reservoir of emotional energy gives us […] Read more “Refueling: A Guide for Self-Care”
Eating Meditations: A Practice of Equanimity, Gratitude and Blessing
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Estimated: 4 minutes to read
Can mindfulness be useful for difficulties with food and eating habits? Many think so. Here is an exercise I came across years ago that may help you slow down, name your experience, start to tune into your body and be thoughtful about how you nourish yourself. For this approach, at first, try using a small […] Read more “Eating Meditations: A Practice of Equanimity, Gratitude and Blessing”
Sex Work & Sex Workers 101
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Estimated: 8 minutes to read
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. & Cassandra Damm, LCSW It has been a pleasure and very enriching to be working with the folks at SWOP Chicago, the local Sex Worker Outreach Project, to develop a support group for sex workers. Cassandra Damm is a social worker who volunteers with SWOP Chicago and co-authored this blog post which […] Read more “Sex Work & Sex Workers 101”
Winning the Battle with Inner Criticism
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Estimated: 5 minutes to read
An inner critic can be thought of as an aspect of ourselves that holds the criticisms, disapproval, injunctions and complaints that we have internalized over time. When our inner critic is active, we get low and feel “less than”. Sometimes the voice of the inner critic is so convincing that we jump to the conclusion […] Read more “Winning the Battle with Inner Criticism”
Returning to Therapy — A Profound Act of Self-care
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Estimated: 2 minutes to read
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D., Dipl. PW & Rami Henrich, LCSW, Dipl. PW “I can’t believe I’m here… again.” Some people returning to therapy for the second, third, or fifth time often wonder “why do I need to go back to therapy?” “was there something I should have handled the last time around?” “maybe I am […] Read more “Returning to Therapy — A Profound Act of Self-care”
Five Steps to Mindfulness Meditation
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Estimated: 2 minutes to read
Basic meditation is the practice of doing nothing and being tuned in to your own mind at the same time. At first, it can be frustrating, but research shows meditation reduces stress and increases focus. Mindfulness is an exercise in training the mind to notice thoughts, sensations and emotions, and not get too attached to them […] Read more “Five Steps to Mindfulness Meditation”
We Are One
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Estimated: 2 minutes to read
Recently, as a way to express his gratitude for deep and vulnerable sharing in a group, a friend of mine spoke these words, in the Lakota language “Mitakuye Oyasin,” meaning “we are all related,” or similarly understood as “we are one.” The effect it had on me was visceral and profound. As I had been […] Read more “We Are One”
How to Mother Me?
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I first became interested in Abby Seixas’ women’s groups, based on her book Finding the Deep River Within: A Woman’s Guide to Recovering Balance and Meaning in Everyday Life, after I had my 2nd child and felt a little like life was not my own anymore. Life was busy. There was always something to do […] Read more “How to Mother Me?”