In The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma ,
Bessel Van der Kolk describes the way imagination is an important ingredient in the recipe for healing from trauma:

“Imagination gives us the opportunity to envision new possibilities” 

After experiencing trauma, fragments of original memory need to be re-­‐integrated through narrative, either verbal or nonverbal. In creating narrative, we make meaning, which is powerful step in trauma recovery.

To be a coping and healing process, making meaning from our traumatic experiences must involve more than the way we mentally construct our thinking and the way we are evaluating “things” or developing an understanding of the way the world works: it is also about the meaning of relationships in one’s life. This element is particularly important to heal from trauma that involves betrayal.

Questions like, “why me?” “why now?” “What can I learn from the event?” are examples of the process undertaken in the search

...

Anxiety is a common childhood mental disorder. Nearly 1 in 3 children suffer from anxiety.  During the teen-age years, nearly 1 in 3 adolescents will suffer from anxiety.

Anxiety makes normal things and seemingly regular days hard for children. 

When being coparented, especially in the beginning days, week-days and week-ends tend to feel abnormal, thereby making the transition to their new home situation even harder.  On top of that, children may be simultaneously undergoing other intense transitions such as a new home, beginning school, moving into a new school, or beginning puberty. The cumulative impact of multiple transitions also contributes to anxiety.

Enlightened CoParenting includes specific steps to minimize anxiety through developing a parenting plan that provides children with ease in daily living, parenting communication that models healthy conflict resolution, and emotion focused parenting which promotes emotional health and increased cognitive capacity in children....

I asked, "If your life could be and include anything at all that you wanted it to be and include, no obstacles in the way, what would that be like?

Madeleine responded to my question, "The last time I shared my dream life with Darron (Madeleine's former partner) said 'Who put that crazy idea in your head?" and I felt foolish for even thinking I could have the kind of life I pictured."

Wow. Words can be so powerful that they they obliterate our agency to dream. 

We went on to discuss how Madeleine's family also discounted her ideas and intelligence.  A woman who worked with her hands making jewelry in a family of nurses and doctors, Madeleine felt she wasn't the thoughtful or brainy type. 

Madeleine accepted her family and Darron's opinions of her as truth. As she realized that what she had accepted turned out to be false, she realized it would take time and mindfulness to undue the automatic thinking that aligned with their unfounded opinions.

Has anybody ever responded to som...

Dr. Jodi Peary joins me to discuss Supporting Families Through Divorce. As a psychologist and former family lawyer, Dr. Jodi shares her thoughts on how to navigate the complexities of divorce, ways to lessen the impact on families and help people become enlightened co-parents. Dr. Jodi opens up about what her own relationships taught her about marriage and divorce.

Dr. Jodi Peary is a psychologist and former family lawyer who helps individuals and families emerge from divorce happy and whole and helps them to co-parent in a way that promotes the well-being of all family members.

Highlights

How to handle high conflict co-parenting sessions
Answering the Question “are we messing up our children”
How to share news of a separation/divorce with children
How Dr. Jodi’s own experiences shaped her understanding of divorce
The impact of the extended family on the divorce
Using rituals to help children navigate divorce

Dr. Jodi’s programs Breakup to Brilliance and Empowered Co-Parenting

Resources
websi...

You’re on the way!

You have a goal in mind.

You’re working hard to reach it.

You may seek to achieve something personal.

You might be, with full focus, concentrating solely on your career.

Whatever it is you want, you’re hungry for it.

You can’t wait to see the culmination of all this hard work.

…only everything seems to be moving so slow…

7 Quick Things You Can do Today to Build Momentum

You’re lacking momentum.

Momentum is what pushes you into action.

It speeds you up as you work the steps and keeps you going.

 So, what do you do when momentum is lagging?

A question that sounds like a sonata to my psychologist ears.

Easy peasy my friend.

You find ways to build it.

Try these 7 quick tips guaranteed to make s**t happen:

Visualize the Future

Ask yourself, "Where do I want to be in 6 months? What about next year or the next five years?"

Seeing yourself in the future is a powerful and positive way to maintain momentum.

Getting excited about the you of to...

We strive for more self-control. We imagine how much easier life would be if eating right wasn’t such a struggle or a trip to the gym wasn’t a fight with self, or waking up early didn't mean conquering the desire for an extra hour of sleep.

You may think self-discipline and you don't go together.

Do you catch yourself beginning sentences with the phrase: "I've never been good at ........"?

Fill in the blank.

I promise this: you and self-discipline can go together better than Ben goes with Jerry.

That is because, thankfully, self-discipline is a trait that anyone can master. You don’t have to be born with the ability. In fact, by following a few simple tips, you can start improving your self-discipline skills almost immediately.

Here’s how:

10 Tips for Improving Your Self-Discipline

1. Understand What’s Particularly Tempting

We all have a weakness. Whether we can’t say no to the salty snacks or wind up staying up too late night after night, we’re looking at the same problem: A ...

Anxiety, depression and information or electronic overload may be eating away at your memory faster than you can chow down on a bowl of Quaker Cinnamon Oat Squares.

Clients tell me they can't remember what they did the week-end before or can't remember what they ate for breakfast by the time dinner rolls around.  Sometimes they share that they can't remember the good days, the content days, the days without drama.

 The Tool to Capture the Days that Make Up Your Life.

Get in the Habit of Keeping a Journal

Do you have a difficult time remembering what you ate for breakfast this morning, unless it just happened?

Do you remember what you did on your last day off?

Is your head so full of thoughts that your heart has wondered if it will ever be asked to make an appearance?

Do you wonder whether your life has purpose?

Keeping a journal is a great way to become grounded in your everyday experience. It documents more than just birthdays, holidays, and dreadful drama days, the days your ...

• Are you single and worried about finding a partner?
• Or, are you in a relationship and worried about how secure the bond is? 
• Are you worried about the toll stress is taking on your life?
• Are you a parent worried about how your child will fare during the upcoming school year?
• Are you going through a break up and feel worried how that break up will affect your family?

There is always so much to worry about, or so it seems.

It is normal to worry. Too much worry, however,  creates anxiety and may impact your physical and mental health.

If you chronically suffer from a knot in your neck, grind your teeth at night, bite your nails, find yourself feeling distracted, or experience feeling out of control, it may be related to anxiety.

I believe that worry _______________________.

Fill in the blank!

Worry and anxiety feed each other. We worry because we mistakenly believe that worrying will give us an extra level of control over something we feel out of control over and will ...

Avoid Burnout with These 3 Tips

Burnout is a real and quite damaging condition. Once you find yourself suffering from burnout, it can be difficult to turn your life around. This is why it is necessary to take steps to try and avoid burnout.

1. Set Boundaries

No matter what your profession may be, it’s important to have boundaries. You can’t be available around the clock; this is simply impossible. So, to prevent burnout, it’s critical to establish boundaries of times you will not be available. This means that you won't be in the office or available by phone or email during these times. If you are in a management position, it might help to post these hours somewhere or adjust your email auto-reply, so people know you will answer as soon as you are available.  

2. Have A Work-Life Balance

Besides just setting boundaries, you need to have time to do things that aren't workplace-related. This means you have time for your hobbies, your family, and just doing what you l...