Forgiveness

"It's not that there is never a mistake or an evil motivation, but that there is something else as well. Forgiveness is the door to experiencing that something else."

-Hugh Prather

Not Like It Seems!!!!!! - Be Mindful.

Have you ever been adamant about something? I KNOW this person is trying to slight me, stab me in the back, stole something from me, etc. To find out later that your perception and thinking about the situation wasn't accurate. How do we find clarity when there is so much to filter through our own thoughts, feelings, previous reactions and experiences as well as others thoughts, feelings, reactions and previous experiences? Work at using skills to connect with this universal truth and MINDFULNESS.

OBSERVE - notice experiences without putting words to them.
DESCRIBE - now put words on what you observe without judgment (attempting to see how the world really is instead of what you think is happening)
PARTICIPATE - Enter into the experience, become one with the experience without judgment of yourself.

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Trust

It is only as I understand the feelings and thoughts which seem so horrible to you, or so weak, or so sentimental, or so bizarre--it is only as I see them as you see them, and accept them and you, that you feel really free to explore all the hidden nooks and frightening crannies of your inner and often buried experience. – Carl Rogers

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Are Close Friendships Getting Harder to Find?

A new study finds more Americans than ever admitting to a decrease in their social circle, with many saying they have no one to tell their troubles to. The data also showed that friendships outside of the family are decreasing more than familial friendships, showing Americans' friendships as "a densely connected, close, homogeneous set of ties slowly closing in on itself, becoming smaller, more tightly interconnected, more focused on the very strong bonds of the nuclear family," the authors noted.

"The evidence shows that Americans have fewer confidants, and those ties are also more family-based than they used to be," study author Lynn Smith-Lovin, a professor of sociology at Duke, said in a prepared statement.

Considering this sociological trend, what is the likely outcome of shrinking social networks? What does it mean for those individuals who have few natural, family supports? It seems the natural progression due to this shift is a personal increase in social isolation resulting in increased feelings of detachment and depression. Many factors could be affecting this sociological shift; what we do as individuals to take care of ourselves as a result of it is the key.

Let us know how we can help.

The Power of Writing

This recent acticle, "The Write Stuff" speaks of a man who was able to connect to his feelings about having HIV in his ability to write. He was part of a group therapy that used writing as therapy. Writing can bring us to a space that other forms of communication cannot. It requires us to think and organize our thoughts in a way that makes sense, with descriptions and specifics about events, thoughts, feelings and behaviors. It allows us to step back a little and see the events from a different prospective. If you have not tried writing, give it a shot....for etherapy contact us...

Freedom from Suffering

Suffering is the sum of pain plus non-acceptance of our situation or condition. We suffer when we do not accept what is. We think about how it "should be".. Acceptance does not mean APPROVAL or liking something. It means accepting reality as it is. Suffering can and will distroy you. Pain plus acceptance is just ordinary pain and grief. We can live with ordinary pain. The key to FREEDOM from suffering is acceptance. Accept the moment. Contact Us.

Suicidal teens show lasting mental effects

Teenagers who contemplate suicide are likely to have emotional and behavioral problems that last throughout young adulthood, new study findings suggest.

The results, say the study authors, show that teens' suicidal thoughts need to be addressed not only because of the immediate danger, but also for their future well-being.

The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, found that 15-year-olds who thought about suicide were more likely than other teens to become 30-year-olds with emotional, social and behavioral difficulties.

At age 30, they were twice as likely as their peers to have a psychiatric disorder such as anxiety or depression, and they were far more likely to have contemplated or attempted suicide in recent years.

Beyond overt psychiatric disorders, suicidal teens were also more likely to develop emotional and behavioral problems that pervaded their everyday lives.

If you were the type of teen described above, have a teenager you are concerned about currently or are personally struggling with current emotional or suicidal thinking, Contact US.

Depression Screening

Life is full of good times and bad, happiness and sorrow. But if you've been feeling "down" for more than a few weeks or are having difficulty functioning in daily life, you may be experiencing more than just the "blues." You may be suffering from a common yet serious medical illness called clinical depression.

The good news is clinical depression is highly treatable. Most people with depression, however, do not seek the professional help they need -- often because they don't know the symptoms, think depression will go away on its own, or are embarrassed to talk about how they're feeling.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you have symptoms of depression is by taking a free, Depression Screening. Screening tests, such as the one on this web site, are not intended to provide a diagnosis for clinical depression. But they may help identify any depressive symptoms and determine whether a further evaluation by a medical or mental health professional is necessary. As with any other illness, you should see your doctor if you think you might have symptoms of depression.

For more about clinical depression, go to: www.depression-screening.org/ or contact us for a free mental health consultation. If you are reading this, you are ready…..

Parent and Teen Functions

Your teenager's function is to "turn against" you. Don't take this so personally. It's the leaving-the-nest stage. You are the parent. Relax into your destiny. Your function is never to turn against your teenager.

-Hugh Prather

Whew...It's Hot!

Are you irritable, short - tempered, negative, and just plain frustrated with life at this moment? It could be the heat! We are smack dab in the middle of the year and summer. The dog days of August have begun. "It's hot, it's sticky... don't touch me, give me some space"... Does this sound like you or your kids? What are we doing to take care of our physical and mental health? We hope that everyone is drinking plenty of liquids to pr0tect from dehydration. When we are feeling thirsty this already means that we are dehydrating. So practice some preventative medicine, carry a bottle of water with you at all times and you will be more apt to drink up. Limit exercise outside in the heat. Staying cool physically can go a long way to staying cool mentally. Go hang out in the mall or an air-conditioned movie theatre if you don't have air at home. Go to the beach, take a hose shower, run in the sprinkler with your kids......You will breathe a little easier and reduce the irritability you might be feeling due to the excessive heat. Enjoy the hot ones. They won't be here for long.