External Resources

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

Compassion is the courage to descend into the reality of human experience. —Paul Gilbert, founder of Compassion Focused Therapy

This quote appears toward the end of a fantastic, very moving animated short-film that psychologist, Dr. Charlie Heriot-Maitland, worked on with animator Kate Anderson. It is the story of Stuart who experiences internal voices that criticize him, frighten, and overwhelm him, and of his journey of gaining confidence Read more ›

This year, the Avenstone Cutting Garden is open August 3, 10, 17, and 24 from 2 p.m. until dusk. View more information and directions.

Read my blog post about Avenstone and the wonderful work Peter and Jane Good are doing to support local Hospice organizations and raise awareness about hospice palliative care. Read more ›