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Seeds of Growth || By Rick Garcia, Certified Sex/Cannabis Coach, LMT
Recently, my partner and I were considering moving to a new neighborhood. There were, of course, things we’d miss about the house we’d called home for the past five years, but the most bittersweet part was leaving behind our peach tree. We planted it three years ago, and this year, for the first time, she…
Read MoreMindful Gaze: A Simple Exercise to Calm Your Brain and Boost Focus || By Annabelle Denmark LPCC
In the fast-paced whirlwind of modern life, many of us—especially those with ADHD, sensory sensitivities, or simply too much on our minds—often struggle to focus on one task at a time. It’s easy to get lost in the mental noise, feeling pulled in a dozen directions. Sometimes, our brains can feel like chaotic storm clouds,…
Read MoreWhy Words Matter: How verbal expression can help us reconnect to ourselves || By Kevin Culver
We’ve all been there. Hours have gone by and we’ve barely noticed as we sit on our couch, endlessly doom scrolling through post after post on social media. Our mind feels numb, we feel disoriented, and we’re not sure how time passed so quickly. In today’s society, we’re surrounded and flooded with information. The ease of…
Read MoreRumination and Playful Imagination || By Catherine Dockery, MA, Conscious Aging Facilitator
Rumination Rumination involves repetitive thinking or dwelling on negative feelings and distress and their causes and consequences without moving into problem-solving. Round and round you go. But did you know that familiar, automatic and repetitive patterns of behavior are also forms of rumination? Playing the same feelings and reactions over and over based on long-ago…
Read MoreThe Power of Video Games as a Coping Mechanism: A Therapist’s Perspective II By Deanna Edwards, MA
In the world of mental health, coping mechanisms are the tools we use to navigate emotional stress, anxiety, or difficult situations. As a therapist, I’ve seen the evolution of how people cope with life’s pressures. One method that has become increasingly common is video gaming. While it has its critics, video games, when used mindfully,…
Read MoreShame Circuit: Confusion, Uncertainty, and Groundedness II By Chardin Bersto, MA
At the turn of the last century (2000) we passed over a powerful threshold in the field of Neuroscience. The technological advances developed in the studies of MRIs and CAT Scans gave us a new picture of the human brain in action. The 1990s became “The Decade of the Brain” and we stepped into the…
Read MoreSpiritual Bypass || By Beth Hinnen, Certified Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher
When I think of a bypass, I think of a shortcut. A way to get around something unpleasant, to go over a traffic-laden road, to divert away from a crowded city center. It’s a sense of not getting caught in the mess of things, not having to endure pain or delay, basically, avoiding the…
Read MoreI Think, Therefore I’m Not: Breaking Free from Limiting Mindsets || By Rick Garcia, Certified Sex/Cannabis Coach, LMT
As a child, my favorite book was The Monster at the End of This Book. It’s a great read for kids with lessons that carry over into adulthood. Spoiler alert: Grover knows there’s a monster at the end of the book and is terrified. Each page brings him closer to what he imagines to be…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Correlation Between Neurodivergence and Addiction: A Focus on Food and Substance Dependence || By Annabelle Denmark LPCC
Important: This blog entry is based on patterns that I have noticed in the population I work with, readings, and my personal experience. The data is consequently not based on scientific research. Furthermore, every person will have a different experience, and there is no claim here on what is to be expected or not. Please…
Read MoreAn Exploration into the Experience of Pet Loss and Pet Grief || By Kevin Culver LPCC
When we think of grief and loss, we often associate it with the loss of a person; but grief can also manifest in other forms, specifically after the loss of a pet. It is unfortunate, however, that in our society we give little credence to the impact and weight that can accompany the death of…
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