Estimated: 8 minutes to read

Winning the Battle with Inner Criticism

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”

Estimated: 2 minutes to read

Power: A User’s Guide

We are excited and pleased to announce that our friend and colleague, Julie Diamond, Ph.D., has a new book out — Power: A User’s Guide. Power corrupts. The question is: how? What are the traps of power and how we can avoid falling into them? From bosses to parents, politicians to protesters, power rests in […] Read more “Power: A User’s Guide”

Estimated: 5 minutes to read

Returning to Therapy — A Profound Act of Self-care

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”

Estimated: 2 minutes to read

Growth and Decay in Life: What Sustains Us?

“Life has always seemed to me like a plant that lives on its rhizome.  Its true life is invisible, hidden underground in the rhizome.  The part that appears above ground lasts only a single summer.  Then it withers away-an ephemeral apparition.  When we think of the unending growth and decay of life and civilizations, we […] Read more “Growth and Decay in Life: What Sustains Us?”

Estimated: 2 minutes to read

Five Steps to Mindfulness Meditation

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”

Estimated: 2 minutes to read

The Colorful Wisdom of Autumn

This post comes from Sarah Evenson of Bridge Between Retreat Center, in Denmark, Wisconsin, just south of Green Bay. It spoke to me of the power of nature to connect us to the earth and move us to recognize something greater than ourselves.  The picture above was taken this fall in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area […] Read more “The Colorful Wisdom of Autumn”

Estimated: 2 minutes to read

Going Down with Depression

Process work or process-oriented psychology often takes a paradoxical point of view on disturbance and conflict. In his post below, fellow Process Worker, David Bedrick shares insights on the ups and downs of depression.  DEPRESSION The word comes from the latin “depressare”- to press down. Our culture heavily favors being “up” and many of us have […] Read more “Going Down with Depression”

Estimated: 4 minutes to read

How To Be a LGBT Ally

This post originally appeared on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) blog on October 5, 2105,  in advance of National Coming Out Day.  It was written by Hayley Miller, Senior Digital Media Associate.  We think it contains valuable information for anyone wanting to become more affirming and supportive to LGBT friends and family members. For a […] Read more “How To Be a LGBT Ally”

Estimated: 6 minutes to read

Everyone Has Bias

No one is immune from bias, not even us therapists! Everyone has bias. Therapist bias takes many forms, especially with regards to clients’ sexuality, gender, erotic orientation, etc… Bias ranges from misinformed opinions about BDSM to confusing polyamory with infidelity to other subtle perceptions, beliefs and attitudes.  Bias is a part of us all and […] Read more “Everyone Has Bias”

Estimated: 2 minutes to read

Impermanence

Pema Chodron, in her book entitled Comfortable with Uncertainty (2002), writes: “Nothing in its essence is one way or the other.  All around us the wind, the fire, the earth, the water, are always taking on different qualities: they’re like magicians. We also change like the weather. We ebb and flow like the tides, we […] Read more “Impermanence”

Estimated: 2 minutes to read

We Are One

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”

Estimated: 2 minutes to read

Thanksgiving Meditation

The holiday season is a time to reflect on the people, experiences, privileges and events for which we can be thankful.  I discovered this mindfulness meditation in Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening. It reminds me that the whole of existence is a miracle. May it bring you a sense of connection, gratitude and appreciation. […] Read more “Thanksgiving Meditation”

Estimated: 4 minutes to read

Am I a Marginalizer?

What do you think of when you hear the word marginalization? People living in poverty, persons of color, those who do not share fully in the privileges some of us are enjoying these days? I would say yes to all of the above, and would include a list that would be broader and more inclusive […] Read more “Am I a Marginalizer?”

Estimated: 4 minutes to read

Loss and Sacred Connection

I experienced a deep and unexpected sense of connection recently when my childhood friend, Heather, passed away this year.  She was 41 years old and died from breast cancer. I had not seen Heather in over 20 years, but because we live in the age of the internet and Facebook (digital connectedness or virtual connectedness), […] Read more “Loss and Sacred Connection”

Estimated: 3 minutes to read

Experimenting, Fluidity & Growth

“My aim is to bring about a psychic state in which my patient begins to experiment with his [or her] own nature, as a state of fluidity, change or growth where nothing is eternally fixed, or hopelessly petrified.” C.G. Jung What an interesting approach: experimenting with one’s own nature! Most of us would consider our […] Read more “Experimenting, Fluidity & Growth”

Estimated: 2 minutes to read

More on Am I Polyamorous or am I Not?

In the last post I started speaking about identity…something I have thought about quite a bit. I’d like to tell you a bit about myself and my struggle with my own polyamorous identity. As I mentioned previously, I have been in a polyamorous relationship for close to 30 years. Naturally, prior to finding out about […] Read more “More on Am I Polyamorous or am I Not?”