Writing is one of the oldest forms of communication. We’ve seen it in ancient civilizations such as hieroglyphics from the ancient Egyptians, to Instagram captions and statements. It’s a tool we utilize regularly; and yet when it comes to journaling there is resistance. Often people get stuck on where to start; finding prompts that resonate can be really challenging so here are a few ideas:

The month of May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness month, focusing on the importance of well-being, barriers and challenges those with mental health conditions face, continuing to destigmatize these barriers while providing more understanding, support, and access to resources. 

When spring winds come in it’s time to sweep away winter habits and start afresh.  It’s a time when you start looking at routines and finding what works for you and what doesn’t.  When you notice that something isn’t working for you anymore it’s time to make a change.  The struggles that you can encounter when attempting to make plans and changes may be due to a deficit in executive functioning skills. 

“Boundary” has become a buzzword, but it is sometimes misused. It’s important that we understand what a boundary is and what it is not. A boundary only pertains to what you can control: yourself! It’s important to know the difference between a boundary and a request.

Valentine’s Day is a day of love, affection, and romance. However, Valentine’s Day does not hold the same level of fondness for everyone. Whether you are grieving, experiencing difficulties in your relationship, struggling with loneliness, feeling pressured to express love in a specific or commercialized way, or comparing yourself to others on social media, Valentine’s Day can trigger uncomfortable feelings and make for a hard day.

I have a love-hate relationship with New Years Eve as a holiday. I love the holiday’s opportunities to reflect on the past year, cultivate gratitude for the triumphs and evolutions you experienced, and celebrate the new beginning of the next year, but I've noticed a cultural shift towards setting unrealistic, toxic, often shame-based resolutions.

There are so many new terms that have popped up recently regarding differences in the way that individuals experience the world around them.  These differences can show up in the way that people think, feel and act; they can originate from medical conditions, learning disabilities, mental health concerns, developmental disorders, and various other reasons.

Most people with SAD experience symptoms of depression during the fall and winter, but it can also appear in the spring and summer. SAD is associated with symptoms of depression such as feeling down, sleeping a lot, restlessness, changes in appetite, feeling low energy or sluggish, and more.

Let’s face it– for anyone, life has many unpleasant and painful emotional experiences. For most, the instinct in the face of uncomfortable emotions is to make them stop, avoid them at all costs. This may work to relieve distress in the moment, but unfelt and unacknowledged emotions stay stuck and fester. They won’t leave you alone until they are truly felt. As the refrain goes, the only way out is through. No matter how unpleasant, we have to feel our feelings.