Category: Parnell
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Arbor Day
Earth Day was April 22nd and Arbor Day is April 26th. I have heard Arbor Day referred to as the national “plant a tree day”. Even if you are not in a position to plant a tree, is there some small (or large) action you can take this week to reconnect to nature? In a…
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Dog vs. Snake
I am reminded today of something I often discuss with clients. When an animal experiences threat, they react (fight, flight, freeze), hopefully survive, and then go back to laying in the sun or whatever they were doing before. They give themself a shake, which literally resets their nervous system back to a normal, non-activated state.…
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Healing from Depression
As we come to the end of Mental Health Awareness Month, here’s a thought related to healing from the depression that can follow trauma.
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Our Thoughts on Uvalde
We are holding in our hearts the community of Uvalde, Texas. We send healing energy to those who lost their lives, their families and loved ones, and to all who today returned or sent someone they love – adult or child – into a school building. We pray for an ending to these horrific acts…
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Harnessing the Power of Habits
As the end of 2015 approaches, many set goals for 2016. New Year’s resolutions are a common practice yet are met with varying degrees of success. Some find resolutions to be a powerful step toward positive change. Others put energy into setting them but do not achieve them. And still others do not even bother…
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Why Neuroscience?
A few days ago I had an experience that has become quite familiar to me. I was reading Brené Brown’s “The Gifts of Imperfection” and she made the following statement: “Shame is universal and one of the most primitive human emotions.” While she quickly moved on to talk more in depth about shame, I was…
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The Thinking Mind
“Mind, body, and breath complete the circle of life.” This is what my yoga instructor stated last week as we were moving into Savasana, or the meditation portion of the class. This observation gave me pause for a moment and then quickly resonated as true. I was immediately aware of how much more time my…
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Book Review: “Taking Antidepressants: Your Comprehensive Guide to Starting, Staying On, and Safely Quitting”
I am pleased to have found a book that I can recommend to clients, family, and friends who are dealing with depression and wanting to better understand their treatment options. While the title of the book indicates the subject matter is that of antidepressants, Dr. Banov does a thorough job of discussing various alternatives to…
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The Five Love Languages
The information in this article comes from a book by the same title “The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts” by Gary Chapman. As I was reading this book, I found myself going back and forth in my response. One second I was thinking “this seems to be surface level sort of…
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How Trauma Affects the Brain
Trauma is a word that we use and hear often, but what is trauma? It is usually defined as the experiencing or witnessing of an event(s) that is threatening or dangerous and out of one’s control. Trauma usually involves a feeling of helplessness. Many people serving in the military experience trauma, as do individuals who…