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People are just as scared of the grieving as they are of the dead. I learned as a young child after attending older family members’ funerals that I feared the dead. I remember dreading the viewing and having to be brave when expected to look at the bodies. Everything in me hated the experience; I was afraid of the dead. I knew it and recognized it.
Read MoreFirst of all, congratulations! Second of all, I completely understand how you feel when you hear, “So, what are you doing after you graduate?” This question, while usually from well-intentioned family members, is dreaded by many college students in their last few semesters of college.
Read MoreWho else feels a bit of pressure and just freezes? I remember at the start of the pandemic, while the world was shutting down, I kept feeling paralyzed. Here I was the owner and decision-maker of my practice, and every decision felt overwhelming. This was different from my past self, who tended to work harder the more stressed I felt. However, the pandemic was different and brought out a different response. All of a sudden, every move and decision felt overwhelming. I caught myself escaping through binging Netflix, sharing a bottle of wine, or anything else that felt unproductive.
Read MoreCouples are reporting spending more time together since the pandemic hit. But, they report feeling lonelier than ever. This quote feels truer than ever before, "I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone.” So, the question today is, why are we feeling so alone despite spending so much time together?
Read More“This is fine” (insert meme of cute dog sipping coffee with fire surrounding it). I think I sent this meme to different members of the HFC team at least half a dozen times throughout the pandemic with tears running down my face from laughter like I was losing it… Maybe I was losing it. Humor is my coping skill and while my own therapist may disapprove of it at times, it really has helped me survive the pandemic.
Read MoreAlright, y’all! We made it. I don’t know if anyone else follows those funny memes where people show photos of their slowly declining mood for every month of the year, but I find them incredibly accurate. If I created one of my own, my December photo would probably be me crawling over the finish line with a forced, slightly fearful smile. I would force a smile because there is something refreshing about the New Year that makes me want to believe in new opportunities and positive growth, but the little bit of fear comes from so many unknowns in 2021.
Read MoreI haven’t had a haircut since January. I haven’t seen my colleagues in person in eight months. I haven’t lingered over a long, relaxing meal with friends – in a restaurant or a home – in about that long. And I really miss seeing my clients in person. The energy and connection of being with people in person feed my soul.
Read MoreThe steps seem so easy in this all too familiar playground song. We were taught at a young age that after you fall in love, you get married, then you have children… And then everyone lives happily ever after. We now know that relationships and love can come in many different forms and don’t always follow this simple childhood song; however, many still continue to believe in the fairytale of what we think life will look like after having a baby. For many, they believe their relationship will grow stronger, they will feel more in love, and live blissfully ever after when starting a family.
Read MoreBibliotherapy is a creative art therapeutic approach that uses literature to aid in the therapy process. Children’s books can be an excellent clinical tool to support children’s exploration and understanding of their world and life experiences. This is a great tool I often give to parents in order to continue the therapeutic work outside of the office.
Read MoreWe live in a social society. We live in an era of being busy. All. The. Time. Developing technology allows us to do a million things at once. We can send a text, order dinner, and check out at the grocery store all while taking a phone call and tending to a child. As we have continued to expand the idea of multi-tasking and operating at lightning speed, we are starting to see that this form of existence is not sustainable. We will crash.
Read MoreI’m not here to shout toxic positivity your way. My entire body recognizes the magnitude of the pandemic- from grief of losing loved ones, to loss of life’s milestones, to job insecurity of loss, we are hurting. However, I do want to discuss the importance a few of my favorite things resiliency, gratitude and radical acceptance.
Read MoreWho grew up watching Cheers?!? The theme song was perfect. At its core, it was about yearning to heal and connect through spending time with familiar faces. That’s what makes this pandemic more difficult. We need to connect. We need to have our familiar comforts, but we likely feel limited with what’s available.
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