I remember when I first heard about the concept of self-love. It was totally foreign. What did it mean to love yourself? I had only ever been taught that it was good to love others, to be kind to others. …
Tag: self compassion
What is YOUR Word for 2021
Rather than write a list of intentions for the New Year, I prefer to have a ‘word for the year’ that I can keep referring to. I can refer to it when I am making decisions, and occasionally review the …
A Compassionate Review of YOUR 2020
Socrates in Plato’s Apology was credited with saying “An unexamined life is not worth living”. This is at the core of self-awareness. At this time of the year, I like to do what I call a ‘Compassionate Review’, a kind …
If Old Family Dynamics Get Triggered During the Holiday, Know You Are Not Alone And Be Kind To Yourself
A good friend of mine used to joke that he could always test how much work he had done on himself the preceding year according to how much he got triggered during the holiday season. It’s true, you can spend …
You don’t need to be in crisis to see a therapist
It is a myth that you need to be in crisis to see a therapist. You might decide to work with a therapist when: You see yourself repeating old patterns You get triggered by your family You want to be …
How Therapy Can Change Your Life
Research shows that the benefits of therapy are more long lasting than medication alone. Therapy teaches people skills to manage symptoms and help them to address some of the causes of the symptoms. There is no doubt that therapy has …
Affirmations to Help You Heal After a Breakup
Going through a breakup can be one of the most difficult and painful times. There can be such an overwhelming feeling of disappointment, going over moments and scenes in your head, wondering if you could / should have been different. …
What are YOUR Blockages to TRUE Self-Awareness
True self-awareness takes courage. We have to be ready to look within and find things we don’t like and / or feel unable to change. Sometimes self-awareness can feel more like a punishing party. This is why I am a …
Some Journal Prompts for Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is about getting to know yourself in an open, non-judgemental way. Most us fall down right here. We might be self-aware, but we are incredibly judgemental in the process. The trick with self-awareness is to enter any self-examination or …
The VITAL Differences Between Shame And Guilt
In everyday language we often use the terms shame and guilt interchangeably, but research shows that there is a BIG difference between the two. Shame is more toxic than guilt. Why? Research has shown that shame is more focused on …