Last year while walking through a local mall, I noticed enormous signs displayed throughout an upscale retail store that read “You Just Can’t Live Without…”. At first, it made me smile to myself because at times throughout my life I, too, have described my desire for the latest and greatest fashion item that very same way. But then, after giving it a brief thought, I considered the number of clients that I treat who suffer from compulsive shopping addiction and I began to res

Sometimes I feel like complaining. About whatever. And it feels good – that is, when I’m not in the company of the kind of person we all know who see it as their job to drag us over to the “positive perspective” corner of the room.  “Leave me alone. I want to feel miserable for now,”  I want to scream. But it’s hard to communicate that message without sounding like a whiny, malcontented child.   Regardless, the desire I originally had to complain at that moment has now been t

I was at a restaurant recently when I became aware of a young boy and his father who were having lunch not far from where I was seated. What caught my attention was how focused the father seemed to be on his phone. In fact, for the hour they were at the restaurant, there was probably only an intermittent 20 minutes when the father wasn’t either talking, texting, or reading material on his device.   I found it a difficult scene to watch and it was especially sad to see this ch

(Note: This was written prior to the 2nd election of Donald Trump. He continues to popularize bulling. In fact, he continues to conflate bulling as strength.) When I was in Grade 4, I struggled with an ability to read, especially when asked to read in front of the class. I wasn’t dyslexic but I was quite shy, and not at all confident about my intellectual abilities relative to my peers. Unfortunately, I had a teacher who, I discovered many years later, had a reputation for be

Over the years, I’ve discovered there are few among us who embrace change. I’m not one of them. Just ask my husband. For perhaps the first ten years of our lives together, when we vacationed overseas (before the aid of the Internet to illustrate the sort of place we were headed to), I’d arrive exhausted, hungry, not yet adjusted to the time change (another one), and would typically find myself utterly disappointed with our choice of accommodation and/or locale. While busy dro

Sometimes, life feels like a maze. You know there’s a way forward, but the path isn’t clear. I’ve been there too—feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move past emotional roadblocks. That’s where therapy can be a gentle guide, helping you uncover new perspectives and tools for growth. Today, I want to share with you a warm, inviting look at some of the most effective therapy techniques that can support your journey toward healing and self-discovery. Therapy Techniques