If you attend the majority of Masters programs on counseling within the US currently, based on its claim to be the most empirically based therapy in clinical studies, cognitive or cognitive behavioral therapy is the core component(s) most all new counselors are trained in. When we look at the theory of cognitive therapy its core belief is… more
Allowing the Zebra to kick
A zebra is eating some very delicious grass and its herd has gotten a little bit away from it. The zebra does not notice the Lion hiding in the the taller grass. At the last moment, the zebra catches a scent as the Lion is springing from its crouch. The zebra gets a very lucky kick into the Lion’s snout… more
The Thorn in the Lion’s Paw
A Lion, very early in life gets a thorn in it’s paw. The pain is so excruciating that the king of the beasts begins using only three of its legs and stays completely off the offending paw. It very quickly adapts to avoiding the pain and operating from a limited capacity. What we are encouraging the Lion… more
Stop Stopping
One way to reduce stress is to actually be on the path you say you want to be on. Here are the basic steps to accomplishment: Step One: Decide what you intend to accomplish Step Two: Define exactly what actions it will take from you to achieve the outcome. Step Three: Decide if you are willing to pay… more
Attitudes to Cultivate When Practicing Mindfulness
Always a good share…… Non-judging: Mindfulness is cultivated by assuming a stance of non-judging witness to our own experience. This requires that we become aware of the constant stream of evaluative and judging thoughts that we have—then try to step back. With a non-judging mind, things are neither “good” nor “bad”—but simply present or absent. Patience: Patience… more
Mindful Eating
Mindfulness has been defined as paying attention on purpose with non-judgment and compassion for ourselves. This can be a bit confusing for those not exposed to this type of daily habit. In order to demystify the process of learning how to meditate, one of the first meditations that an MBSR instructor takes people through is the Raisin… more
Love & Time
One of my favorites: Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings lived; happiness, sadness, knowledge, and all the others, including love. One day it was announced to all of the feelings that the island was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean. So all the feelings prepared their boats to… more
Creating New Paths
For a short period of my childhood we raised cows. The cows would leave the barn in the morning and wind their way down to the water tank (pond). There were a few large trees and some fencelines between the barn and the water. The cows would wind around down the fenceline and around the big Oak… more
Outside the Box
This morning I attended a woman’s entrepreneur conference, the theme of which was thinking outside the box. A large number of these strong independent and well put together women came to talk to me about stress reduction, being stuck in certain areas of their lives. So I hope the first thing this article does is normalize the… more
Let It R.A.I.N.
The freezing temperatures and rain this morning creates kind of a dark and gloomy day externally just as it is easy to create a dark and gloomy interior when rain falls into our mental and emotional lives as well. My kids were very disappointed that we didn’t have a snow day today and getting them out of… more