Self Development

Addiction: The Causes of Abuse and Dependence And How to Break the Cycle

If a woman, a singing sensation, like Amy Winehouse, surrounded by her manager, family, doctors, and bodyguard could be victim to the destruction of addiction… what hope do we have? Writer Sarah Walker describes the wrenching experience of watching a beloved sister deal with a series of drug addictions. Standing by while a friend, a… Read more »

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How Meditation Is Linked to Better Mental Health

Meditation and practicing mindfulness have gained increasing momentum in the western world in the past several decades. By paying attention to what happens in each moment, people can practice being present and more aware of everyday life.  Research shows that meditation not only relieves stress but has significant impacts on an individual’s sleep, coping mechanisms,… Read more »

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Are You Setting Yourself Up For Failure?

It’s now February and nearly two months into our New Year’s Resolutions for 2020. So how are you doing with yours? Do you know that, according to the American Psychological Association, 93% of people set resolutions at the first of the year? And did you also know that research shows that by February, 45% of those… Read more »

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Losing Kobe: Why We Experience Grief and Sadness for People We’ve Never Met

When my oldest son called to share the devastating news with us, my mind wandered to memories of Lakers games we’d taken him to in Bakersfield, L.A., and Charlotte. At the time, we were ‘Californians’ and a trip to the Staples Center was quality family weekend time. Kobe was always there.  My youngest, a California… Read more »

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Living while dying – Notes from the resistance

“It’s precisely because we’re finite that life is so sweet.” – Sheldon Solomon Last month I got the opportunity to meet Ady Barkan, a progressive activist who’s become one of the most powerful voices in the fight to move the United States to a universal healthcare system, sometimes dubbed “Medicare for All”.  The meeting took place at… Read more »

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Changing the Way You See the World

We’ve all experienced those major shifts in our outlook that drag our mood in new directions. One minute, we’re in a groove at the office, believing in ourselves, and excited about the outcome of whatever we’re working on. The next minute we’re full of doubt, insecure, and ready to toss anything we come up with… Read more »

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What is Pulling Your Strings?

How often have you asked yourself, “Why am I acting this way?”  It is not uncommon to notice that, as we look around at others in the same circumstance that we respond differently; whether it is our response to our child’s backtalk, meltdown or lying.  We can understand and accept that we may not have… Read more »

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Making Sense of Trauma

When a person endures childhood trauma, the experience can have a ripple effect on their mental and physical health throughout their lives. Research on the impact of adverse childhood experience has left no doubt that early trauma, especially unresolved trauma, impacts the development of emotional regulation skills and distress tolerance. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have… Read more »

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Mental Health Making a Lasting Impact in the New Decade

With the first few weeks of the new decade already underway, lawmakers across the nation have been urging for change in an area that historically has been overlooked: mental health.  Efforts both big and small have already been put into action, fostering a hope that with the turning of the new year, a larger importance… Read more »

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The One New Year’s Resolution You Should Make this Year

New Year’s resolutions tend to get mixed reviews. Many people I ask about them roll their eyes, calling them “corny” or “unrealistic.” Others have a laundry list of items they want to “fix” about themselves come 2020. My feelings are somewhere in the middle. While I’m all for setting goals and seeking change that will… Read more »

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