Articles

Thoughts, ideas, resources, and announcements for helping professionals and for all

Heroes and the Heroic, Thank You

Yesterday I watched from my neighborhood as Canadian military personnel arrived in a helicopter and, from that hovering helicopter, rescued a crane operator who was trapped at the end of the arm of the crane, due to a huge fire and smoke below the crane (and the crane’s cab). I also witnessed, as so many others have, the swift, prolonged, and skilled actions of numerous fire fighters, police, and other emergency responders and technicians, as well as volunteers Read more ›

in Articles,Compassion

The Beautiful Song, Sisters of Mercy

The first time I heard the song, Sisters of Mercy, written by Leonard Cohen and performed in this instance by Serena Ryder (studio version), I was riveted. At the song’s conclusion, I took a deep breath and uttered, “Wow”. Needless to say, I really like this song. Read more ›

in Articles,Compassion

Musings from learning that a 2-minute posture can change hormone levels

Compassion-focused therapy aims to help us cultivate certain skills, qualities, feeling states, and motivations (e.g., skills and qualities compassion, feelings of safeness, the motivation to show care and to alleviate suffering). These we can then use to help work with particular difficulties or situations such as shame, self-criticism, or difficult emotions. Compassion-focused therapy also aims to help address and alleviate the fears and blocks we may have to experiencing compassion Read more ›

in Articles,Compassion,External Resources,Mindfulness,Working with Emotion

A visit to Avenstone in August: Magical and Meaningful

Just as there exists in writing a literal truth and a poetic truth, there also exists in a human being a literal anatomy and a poetic anatomy. One, you can see; one, you cannot. One is made of bones and teeth and flesh; the other is made of energy and memory and faith. But they are both equally true.
—Elizabeth Gilbert, quoting her friend, Bob, in “Eat, Pray, Love,” p. 144

Avenstone is a residential property located not far from Kingston, just north of Camden East, owned and cared for by Jane and Peter Good. Read more ›

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“The Future of Psychology: Compassion-Focused Outcomes” by Dr. Yotam Heineberg

I pledge to spend the rest of my life focused on developing and promoting ways to increase compassion among millions of people worldwide.
—Dr. Yotam Heineberg (May 2013)

Here is a recording of a short presentaiton given by Dr. Yotam Heineberg, “The Future of Psychology: Compassion-Focused Outcomes” (May 2013). I watched it this morning and  thought to myself, “What an awesome way to start the day”. Read more ›

in Articles,Compassion,External Resources

“And yet.” Two words to apply from reading the book, “How To Be Sick,” by Toni Bernhard

This weekend, I had the great pleasure of candlelight, a handmade quilt, and a book (as well as other things). I read the book, How To Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers, by Toni Bernhard. I heard about the book on Facebook of all places and via Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance. Read more ›

in Articles,Counselling Reflections & Skills,External Resources,Self-Compassion

Healing a Soldier’s Heart: A short documentary of a pilot program using mindfulness and loving kindness meditations.

This week, I would like to share a video I came across in the spring that I found interesting and inspiring. It’s a documentary of a pilot program that was run through Veterans Affairs in Seattle teaching to veterans mindfulness meditation, loving kindness meditation, and concepts related to compassion for oneself and for others.

The veterans in the group were all suffering in various ways, which you learn snippets of over the course of the video. The group members also experience positive changes over the program, Read more ›

in Articles,Compassion,External Resources,Mindfulness,Self-Compassion

Tattoos on the Heart and other reflections

Recently, I read the book Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle (2010, Free Press). I do not remember how I learned of the book (I am thinking it may have been a library search) but for whichever way it came across my path, I’m glad that it did.

Gregory’s writing is filled with insights I could spend the next decade (if not the rest of my life) reflecting on and trying to live by and inspire. He is an ordained Jesuit Priest who worked for 20 years in the Boyle Heights of Los Angeles: Read more ›

in Articles,Compassion,Counselling Reflections & Skills,External Resources

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