In any given moment, we can ask ourselves questions about our attention: “What is my attention focused on right now? Where is my attention going? Is my attention focused broadly or narrowly? Is it moving around or is it stuck on one thing?” In any given moment, we can also bring curiosity to what emotional tone is going with our attention. Read more ›
in Articles,Compassion,External Resources,Mindfulness,Self-Compassion,Working with Emotion
I wanted to share with you this short video of Dr. Maya Angelou speaking on an Oprah Winfrey Master Class that aired approximately 7 years ago, on January 16, 2011.
I wanted to help spread the word about an excellent documentary CBC first aired about a year ago, during the fall of 2015. It’s called, Transforming Gender, and features transgendered individuals talking about some of their experiences. The film is available to watch online to those currently residing in Canada. Read more ›
At this link you can watch a video on compassion that was produced, recently released, and generously shared by The International Center for Compassionate Organizations. For those who have participated in compassion-focused therapy sessions (e.g., via the mindful compassion group therapy program), some of the lines early on in the video will sound very familiar—I hope! Read more ›
“My whole heart for my whole life.” I saw this quote in a piece of artwork hanging on a studio wall that served as part of the backdrop for videos in the online course, Self-Compassion, with Kristin Neff and Brené Brown. It was love at first sight. Read more ›
in Articles,Compassion,Expressive Arts,External Resources,Self-Compassion
This looks like a fabulous opportunity for primary care providers in the Kingston area. The workshop is taking place Monday, June 6, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Read more ›
Did you know that the human brain tends to act like teflon to positive experiences and like velcro to negative experiences? This is a wonderful metaphor Dr. Rick Hanson uses in the video below to describe the brain’s negativity bias, in essence, its tendency to absorb and remember readily negative experiences and potential threats combined with its tendency to not so readily absorb and remember positive experiences. Read more ›
in Articles,Compassion,External Resources,Working with Emotion
Earlier this fall, I stumbled across and read the autobiographical book, 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life, by Cami Walker. Cami became very ill and subsequently received the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis when she was 30 years old. As she shared in the video I link you to below, this experience changed her life forever. At the same time, through hard work, serendipity, and the prescription of giving away 29 gifts in 29 days, she also found a way to come back to herself and back to others. Read more ›
“Rush hour. No need to rush. Slow down. Stop. See ….” — Sharon Salzberg
This quote is from a beautiful video that Sharon Salzberberg recently released to honour the 20th anniversary of the publication of her heartfelt book, Lovingkindess. The video is of a short loving kindness meditation, “Street Lovingkindness”. Read more ›
From time to time, I invite clients in both individual therapy and group therapy to write a letter of understanding and encouragement to themselves. This letter can be long or it can be short. Read more ›