strategies
What Does it Mean to Be Self-Assured?

What Does it Mean to Be Self-Assured?

Can being self-assured help us to go boldly into unknown life territory? This is a question I've been thinking about lately. But what does it mean to be self-assured? To me, it seems like a very desirable quality, something to cultivate in oneself and in our children....

FAQ on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

FAQ on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a very interesting, highly effective type of therapy. I've been working hard lately to spread the word about its usefulness. If you'd like some background on this well-researched therapy that is effective with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety,...

Can EMDR Help Me Change an Old Pattern?

Can EMDR Help Me Change an Old Pattern?

Tomorrow I will be a guest on the internet radio program Growing Up Chaotic to discuss EMDR and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's at 7pm EST and I hope you will listen. As a result, I've got EMDR on the brain. I've been using this type of therapy with many of my...

There is No Failure

There is No Failure

I believe that failure is an unhelpful concept. I'm not even convinced it's a real thing. In my mind, it belongs in the category of make-believe creatures along with unicorns, dragons, and the Easter Bunny. Recently, Seth Godin (marketing genius and writer whose...

Asking for Help is a Skill

Asking for Help is a Skill

There is a grocery item that I buy on a regular basis. It's in a glass jar and it's on the top shelf. Now if it were a box of cereal, I could easily give it a little poke and it would likely sway and bounce off the shelf and into my hands. I'm less than eager to try...

I Wonder

I Wonder

I don't have the answer. I really don't think there is one answer to most complicated human questions. Often there are many steps that lead us towards better outcomes. This is true on the individual level and I think it must be true on the societal level as well. When...

Surviving the Holidays with Your Family

Surviving the Holidays with Your Family

Ever wonder if you are the only one who walks through the door of a family gathering and reverts to behaviors and mannerisms that have been mostly dormant for decades? I can fully assure you that it is extremely common, if not universal. I hear this complaint in my...

Comfort Through Connection

Comfort Through Connection

It has been dreary here in Maine this October. It’s easy to feel down when the darkness, cold and rain are present, especially after a bright and beautiful summer. Naturally, we all want to find some comfort and warmth to ease the damp chill outside. I’ve noticed that...

The Truth About Procrastination

The Truth About Procrastination

I have always heard from self-proclaimed procrastinators that they “need the pressure in order to perform.” I used to accept this as a legitimate reason to procrastinate, feeling that if it works for people then it’s fine. But somewhere down the line, this way of...