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Knowing and implementing the 12-steps of healing offers us hope. We are invited into the loving care and closeness of our brokenness, not fitting in with people, and the stigma that exists in our communities. The 12-steps call-out to those who support people with a mental health condition, addiction, and trauma to remember us who […]

What is the reason for recognizing Labor Day? “The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize workers’ many contributions to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. An annual day of celebration of the achievements of workers. It originates in the labor union movement, specifically the eight-hour

Today is our youngest daughter’s twenty-fourth birthday. Each year we witness her growth and maturity as she navigates adulthood. She is kind, compassionate, and loving. We celebrate this beautiful woman and the gift of her presence in our lives. During a stage in my life, I often traveled for work. In addition to the anxieties

I remember four years ago when a voice inside of me encouraged me to be part of something great and wonderful (I was not hallucinating). I was being singled out to do an important mission. How did this sit with me? What thoughts ran through my mind? Am I qualified? What are the expectations? How

“Be wise as a serpent but soft as a dove”. What does this mean? How do we do this in the world we live in today? Providence is the blanket we wrap around ourselves leading to mental and emotional healing. We have foresight for how we want to live and what we do and eventually

The busyness of our lives, the habit of talking rather than listening, and living life in constant motion leave little time to develop our inner world. We can learn from monks what it takes to cultivate healing, mental, and emotional growth. Monks are not fans of talking and rarely do their superiors permit them to

Paul was twelve years old. One day he came running into the house with an abrasion on his arm. It was less than a half inch but caused enough pain for him to cry. His mother met him in the kitchen and knew exactly what to do. She told her son she would use an

Healing by people to us. Have we experienced disapproval from family, friends, or professionals? People do speak the truth to us and how does this tie into our mental health? People tell us to speak up when things are bad or we don’t agree with something. 5 years ago when my sadness and anxiety were

What does it mean to live a life of quiet desperation? Vaclav Havel felt that he could remain silent only at the risk of, “Living a lie”, and destroying his inner being. This is our choice when we become overwhelmed by our life circumstances. Going down into the depths of our souls will lead us

 When our emotions and urges are strong we realize keeping painful events from surfacing only makes our mood darker. This is an opportunity to use a distress tolerance skill called Radical Acceptance. What is Radical Acceptance? Radical means all the way, complete and total. It means accepting our current circumstances, and what is going on