From Emotional Shutdown to Self-Compassion: My Self-Care Evolution

Over the last two decades, I’ve learned to pay attention to signs from my body and my life that I need attention and/or that I need to ask for or seek additional help and support from safe sources. This attitude is a dramatic shift for me because for the 28 years...

Creating Healthier Boundaries Lets You Move On and Forgive Yourself

Forgiveness isn’t about ‘condoning’ what happened. It’s not an easy pass, complacency or letting ourselves or someone else off the hook, as if to say the alternative is punishment or suitable atonement. Contrary to popular belief, forgiveness doesn’t equate to...

Healing Heartbreak: The Power of Acknowledging Your Role with Compassion

Part of processing the breakup of a painful relationship is talking about what the person did and didn’t do. It’s reminding ourselves of how much they hurt or disappointed us, lest we forget and get sucked into going back. We’re grieving the loss of our relationship....

The Past is a Guide, Not a Verdict.

The past doesn’t have to define who you are; it tells you where you’ve been and what you’ve been through. When you judge past versions of yourself unfairly, it shapes the way you see yourself now and in the future. You are here, living and breathing, and can exact...

Breaking Free of the Hammer of Self-Criticism

Think of some of the things that you’ve been hard on yourself about. You know, the ones where you’ve called yourself a “fool”, “stupid”, a “failure”, “loser”, “reject” (or insert your insult of...