If we discover that childhood trauma is negatively influencing our adult lives, what do we do about it? Will remembering what happened to us and understanding how that experience continues to affect us actually help? As someone who has been a therapist for more than … Continue readingYour history is not your destiny.
One of my favorite books of the last 20 years is Jon Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, which depicts a brutal double-murder with deep roots in Mormon history and belief. So I was excited when a mini-series based on … Continue readingA Bitter Forgiveness
Click here to read the first part of this essay. So what can you do if you’re struggling with an addiction right now? First and foremost, stop blaming yourself. There are at least two reasons to stop: first that you’re not actually to blame and … Continue readingAddiction in the Pandemic 2
Addiction in the pandemic is a large topic, so let me start with a single story—a story about relapse. Richard and Sunny are a married couple with fourteen years of recovery between them. Richard’s recovery began in 2013 when he underwent treatment for sex addiction. … Continue readingAddiction in the Pandemic 1
Hello, friends! This new year is bringing a lot of big changes, and one of the best is my new podcast! Called “Healing Your Family Legacy,” it’s a year-long weekly series on the Experience of the Soul podcast channel. As some of you may remember, … Continue readingA New Podcast for Survivors
I’m thrilled to announce that I recently appeared on the podcast The Authentic Spiritual Journey, hosted by my colleague and friend, Reverend Cynthia Alice Anderson. Rev. Anderson is a life and leadership coach, as well as senior minister at Christ Church Unity in Orlando, Florida … Continue readingMy Podcast Debut
Dear Clients, After forty-five years of working with addiction, trauma, and mental health in various capacities, I’m stepping away from my day-to-day psychotherapy practice today. It has been my honor to walk with you on the path to wholeness, to witness your courage in facing … Continue readingA letter to my clients, past and present
This post will make more sense if you’ve read my last post “Perfectionism Part 1: A Problem on the Rise.” Though perfectionism is on the rise across the culture, some subcultures have long been especially vulnerable. Children of service members, commonly known as military brats, … Continue readingPerfectionism Part 2: Mormons and the Pursuit of Perfection
Perfectionism is on the rise, especially among young people. And the perfectionism I’m talking about isn’t the good kind, the kind that keeps a composer at the piano until every note raises goosebumps. That’s healthy or “adaptive” perfectionism, and, though I very much hope it’s … Continue readingPerfectionism Part 1: A Problem on the Rise
When I was six years old, my mother took to her bed. I don’t know how long she stayed there, because time is elastic to a child, but my best guess is several months. My family was living in the tiny western town of McDermitt, … Continue readingMornings at the White Horse Inn: A Story of Parentification
Opioid Addiction: Advice to Parents Readers, I have a guest blogger today, a woman who was once addicted to opioids but gave them up for good seven years ago. We were discussing the current opioid crisis when I asked what she would say to the … Continue readingOpioid Addiction: Advice to Parents