It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I rarely post about anything personal, choosing to focus on issues of mental health. Over the past year, I’ve finished my Master’s in Mental Health Counseling with Play Therapy Certification and moved half-way across the country. The decision to move was not an easy one. My small family […]
There have been so many posts on the suicidal death of Actor/comedian Robin Williams. Suicide affects more than just the one who dies, but tends to leave generational scars. There is the effect on the community also, especially when it is a well-known person. Please, it does not increase the risk of completed suicides if […]
In the last two articles we talked about what communication was and how to be more effective in listening such as I-statements. Have you tried to become more aware of your communication skills? Have you tried to be more ‘present’ when others are talking, to use I-statements instead of ‘you should have…’? This time, I […]
Did you try to pay more attention to those you were communicating with this last week? Do you become aware of your body language or your wandering mind? I want to share an interesting fact with you. We speak about 150-200 words a minute. Yet we listen to the rate of 400-600 words a minute. […]
What is communication? It is getting a message from one person (sender) to another (receiver) with understanding. The problem is that many times we do not understand the message we are being sent. Communication is the basis of relationships. Relationships are the basis of life. No man is an island. We all need each other. […]
This month will see the fruition of a 2 yr dream of mine. We will be putting out the first edition of the PNW Recovery News. It is a quarterly newsletter for the mentally ill by the mentally ill. The first issue will be out by the end of January. Other issues will be put […]
It has been a while since I have posted. During the past year I have gone through some physical issues that I am still trying to get taken care of. I have thoughts of posting but can not get the energy to do so. I am sure many of you understand this. It is the […]
Things have been really stressful around here lately. We are preparing to move to another town about 35 miles away. My partner ended up in the ER where he coded. The next day he had two stents put in. He is doing better now. I have started another quarter of school this past week. A […]
This next Thurs (Mug 12th) in Coeur d’Alene, ID there is a Recovery Conference for those with mental health issues. This year I have sat on the planning committee. The theme is whole-body wellness. We have speakers from various parts of the community to speak on ways to work on whole balance. If you live […]
Agoraphobia is a terrible debilitating illness. It can keep a person chained to their home for years if help is not sought. I was reading an email list I am on and someone was talking about her issues with the disorder. I wrote to her about how I overcame my problems with it. I thought […]