Do you have a decision you’re weighing or a dilemma that’s causing you stress? A Decision-Free Zone is a safe time and space to listen to all of yourself, with a clear boundary that action is off the table. You can write in a journal, talk with a friend, or explore in a healing session…. Read More
Healing Tools
Allow Self-Forgiveness
Self-forgiveness is entwined with sticky topics for survivors of abuse and trauma: forgiving others, acceptance, faith, and trust. To allow self-forgiveness, we gently question our layers of reflexive self-judgment. One more task Too often, people recommend forgiving others to sidestep appropriate rage and protect abusers from natural consequences of their behavior. “He’s being nice now,”… Read More
Create: Walk into Fog
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. — W.H. Murray (often misattributed to Goethe) A common saying in twelve-step groups is “Don’t compare your insides to someone else’s outsides.” Similarly, don’t compare your creative work-in-progress to someone else’s completed work. A thousand invisible decisions… Read More
The Joy of Maintenance
The day my controlling girlfriend moved out, I grabbed a broom and swept the wood floor with increasing relief and joy. She had subtly taken over my house by taking over the housework “as a favor.” On that day, my view of maintenance tasks permanently changed from annoying interruptions to affirmations of presence. As I… Read More
Meditation: Safe Space for Noticing
Traumatic events are overwhelming to body and spirit while they happen, and we often remain out of contact with our bodies afterwards. We dissociate, distract ourselves, or otherwise avoid noticing what is happening within. Meditation can create a safe space for re-establishing contact and gently noticing what is happening in the moment – even if… Read More