In Florida, mental health counselors can be Graduate Interns, Registered Interns (RMHCI or RCSWI), or fully Licensed (LMHC, LMFT or LCSW). Are you confused by all these letters and titles? How do you know what to look for in a...
What is OCD? Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by experiencing cycles of unwanted intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that can cause a significant amount of distress for an individual (International OCD Foundation,...
October is "Domestic Violence" Awareness Month. I put "domestic violence" in quotation marks because that's an outdated term that emphasizes the physical violence, and misleads us to think it's only happening in domesticity -- such as in a marriage. There's a better...
Welcome to week 5 (6?) of our U.S. slice of the world pandemic. I’ve lost track. As always, I’m looking at poetry on Mondays, podcasts on Wednesdays, and books on Fridays, for words and conversations that give me perspective and sustenance as we travel through this bizarre and unexpected landscape. If it’s helpful to you as well that makes me very happy! Podcasts are my daily companion when I go for walks. Cheryl Strayed’s new podcast Sugar Calling (an episode drops each Wednesday) is a...
Happy Friday! Each Friday I’m sharing a book I’ve loved, one I think may be interesting/helpful/relevant/on topic (as we move into a much longer period of self-quarantine and distancing than any of us thought back in March). Words — poetry, spoken, or on the page — are my comfort, so if nothing else, this exercise keeps me focused and gives structure to my week. I love hearing about what other people are reading, listening to, and finding helpful too — so please, if you got something — click...
I’m thinking a lot about loneliness. And solitude. And connection. You too? We’re not alone. Dr. Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General of the United States just wrote a book, Together: the Healing Power of Social Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. He spoke recently on Brené Brown’s new podcast, Unlocking Us, and also with Shankar Vedantam on Hidden Brain, the NPR social science podcast, — different, both excellent interviews. This week’s Hidden Brain episode, A Social Prescription:...
To Be Of Use — by Marge Piercy The people I love the best jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight. They seem to become natives of that element, the black sleek heads of seals bouncing like half-submerged balls. I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart, who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience, who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward, who do what has to be done, again and...
Happy Friday of the world’s longest week. Was this the world’s longest week? It seemed like it. Maybe the loooong week got me thinking about a more bite-sized book. Or at least one with short chapters you can read in small doses as the mood hits you. I thought about which books made a surprising and lasting impact on me, that also could be useful in this time of the Great Pause. And Write It Down, Make It Happen called out to me from the bookshelf. Yep, it’s got some of that gushy self...