Raising a child is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We all know that. But is there a simple, daily mindset and approach to do the best we can to raise a happy child? I think so. Here are my thoughts on how to raise a happy child. #1 Cultivate an inviting, happy space...
Ending 2024 with my cup overfilling with love, happiness, and special moments. I hope each of you had a fulfilling year. As we all experience the highs and lows in 365 days I hope whatever health matters you experienced personally or in your inner circle, were met...
If you’re dating someone with kids in the picture and you’re wondering, “When should we move in together with our kids?” You’re at the right place. Jaime Bronstein, Licensed Relationship Therapist and Author of "MAN*ifesting: A Step-By-Step Guide to Attracting The...
They drive a nice car? They are tall? They want kids? They want to just travel the world? You could save money and live together? Do you know what The Relationship Expert says is the #1 thing to do before going exclusive with someone? That’s moving past the talking,...
Jaime Bronstein, Licensed Relationship Therapist and Author of "MAN*ifesting: A Step-By-Step Guide to Attracting The Love That’s Meant for You,” shares relationship advice that everyone can benefit from. She has been named USA #1 Relationship Coach by Yahoo. Is this...
The point in our lives which our health requires immediate, unwavering attention can result in fear and confusion. Whether you’ve been dealing with serious health issues since birth, your teens, at the half century of life point, or you’re in your 40’s and beyond I...
If you need to learn how to unpack relationship baggage, you're in the right place. When you get home from traveling, do you continue to lug around your suitcase? I’m going to assume the answer is “no.” There’s a process, right? You bring in the suitcase, unpack it,...
Jaime Bronstein, Licensed Relationship Therapist and Author of "MAN*ifesting: A Step-By-Step Guide to Attracting The Love That’s Meant for You,” shares key advice when it comes to relationships. She has been named the #1 Relationship Coach Transforming Lives by Yahoo....
You just went through a breakup. Now what? All you know is you are newly single, and the pain from the breakup stings. Maybe you didn’t want it to end. Perhaps you are eager to find a new person to date. Or, you want to take a second, reflect and be alone. So much...
Strike “it’s all luck.” Highlight effort. Gravitate towards selecting balanced choices. Fantastic health is not something everyone can achieve. Tricky health diagnoses strike. Whether us, a friend, or a loved one, we will experience chronic illness and disease in our...
We pour time, energy, and love into our home front. Through watering seeds, the flowers blossom. Our inner circle plays an astounding role in our wellbeing. The other main player is our health. Just you – your inner health, outer health, overall health. How confident...
Closing out a year, awaiting the New Year…. a lot of emotions, big dreams, goals, curiosity, reflection on fond memories, perhaps an uneasy feeling due to stressful times. Do you feel like you’re at a crossroad? Many ideas and wants, needs, people, pets,...
Every single one of our community members has experienced, will experience, or chronically experiences stress and pain. There are too many causes to list, but one that is true to my heart is stress and chronic pain tied to under-represented illness and disease....
I bet we’ve all found ourselves saying we “need more time for …” School age children likely say they need more time to finish an assignment. Busy professionals may chime in that they need more time with a client to land an important deal. Parents may say they need...
Are you struggling as an adult and just can’t pinpoint what the cause is? It may be partially rooted in your childhood. While your parents and caregivers may have tried their best, they may not have realized that there can be life-long effects of childhood stress....
Part 3 of a 5-part series Exactly what the title implies: We can literally use our fingers to tap on acupressure points to relieve a host of symptoms, feelings, and triggering events from our past in a painless, cost-effective (free), and time-efficient manner. I am...
Part 4 of a 5-part series Is there some piece of your life that, when you reflect on it, makes you feel tense or stressed? Is there something you harbor long-term anger or resentment about? Need to forgive someone? As mentioned in the first installment of this series,...
Experiencing grief is a part of life, as much as we wish it wasn’t. It is a powerful emotion and it can be exceptionally grim. It can feel like your insides are being ripped apart, your thoughts are paralyzed, and you are moving around in a state of stupor, existing,...
Part 5 of a 5-part series I’ve been in a reflective mode lately. There are so many categories in our lives in which we feel compelled to keep striding forward, but once in a while it comes to light that in another category we are “just getting by.” There’s nothing...
Part 2 of a 5-part series It was one of those mornings. You know, the one where everything was zooming by a million miles a minute. The near constant pinging of work emails, anticipation of a deadline-driven day ahead, and the feeling blood pressure was on the rise....
Part 1 of a 5-part series I recently had the opportunity to spend time with a highly experienced and insightful retired psychologist who has over 40 years of experience treating all ages. He not only shared his wisdom, but invited me to “go behind the scenes” and...
Have you experienced a trauma first hand? Witnessed the aftermath a loved one has experienced from one? Or, is your knowledge based on reading or hearing experiences of individuals via newspaper, book, or television? It’s not a subject to be taken lightly and it...
It’s easy to say we are all human, therefore, connected. But really – in sickness and health – even sans the wedding ceremony – we are! A young professional in Milan, Italy is struggling with mental health just like your friend in Spokane, Washington. The struggle to...
Boundaries exist in every facet of our lives. Whether they are visible boundaries as in a gate on a property or invisible as in pausing to think before committing to a weekend away with longtime friends. I think the term “boundaries” may have a negative stigma...
Getting a second opinion, not wanting others’ opinion, or feeling secure in our own opinion is something that should resonate with all of us in regards to our individual health. I agree with the saying that “All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more...
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is “an evidence-based treatment for chronic pain.”* It centers on “retraining the brain” to reduce and in some cases, eliminate cyclic pain. Paulina Assaf, ASW, serves as Director of Operations at Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center in Los...
Remember when I previously wrote that “no” is a full sentence? Have you responded in that way since my post? Let’s face it, “yes” is easier. It lessons our feelings of guilt. It makes others happy. What constant “yes” answers can do to us and our health can be...
“Don’t confuse action with progress,” Hal Barker. When you read that statement, can you think of areas in your life in which you are employing ‘action’, yet not truly progressing? Upon reflection of my own life, it has become clear there tends to be a catalyst for me...
One of the biggest discoveries in medical research today is that experts are finding solid links between health conditions a person is affected by and their resulting susceptibility to future decline of cognitive function. In the past, cognitive decline was primarily...
In all aspects and phases of our life, the key to unlocking what can be a fulfilling new opportunity or medical treatment tends to lie behind the scenes – in our motivation. To me, in this instance, motivation is not about physical movement. Contrary, I know, since...
It can and does make a difference when a physician treating us goes the extra mile, spends a little more time listening, and is whole-heartedly dedicated to helping their patients. I am pleased to welcome back Dr. David Clarke, an expert in gastroenterology and...
When the term ‘pain’ comes to mind, you might automatically think of recovery from a surgery or a noticeable physical injury. But what about pain that feels somewhat widespread, achy, and you can’t pinpoint the source? (If you need a refresher on understanding the...
Life support, a term and its meaning, that I came to understand far earlier in life than most of my peers. The unknowns, the fear, the long nights, the anticipation – just a few aspects and thoughts/feelings that loved ones of a person on life support in the hospital...
You have the power to be resilient. You may not think you do, but it is within your grasp. If you’re like me, I’ve steadily nurtured my resilience. Experiences that would knock me down for a few weeks or months years ago, hardly puts a dent in me now. Maya Angelou...
First – It allows me the opportunity to be more aligned in the areas of my life that are most important to me. Second – It prevents my life from slipping away in someone else’s hands. I think most of us in one way or another can relate in what the opposite can feel...
Sadie Robertson recently spoke on “truth.” What is truth? She’s very talented, inspiring, and her topics ring home quite often for me. “I think the hardest thing for our generation is actually knowing what truth is,” she said. “Because everyone has their own truth,...
Your life holds value. In my opinion, we should individually value our life enough to get regular checkups from the doctor, have annual bloodwork, get adequate rest, eat foods that help us not hurt us, and be proactive in gently moving ourselves, physically,...
When looking at the large number of individuals suffering from PTSD, it is important to acknowledge the unfortunate role alcohol and substance abuse play in this particular population. Expertly explaining this is Dr. Debra Kaysen, Professor of Psychiatry and...
Most of us are familiar with the term PTSD – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but what many may not know is that a significant number of those affected with the condition have not sought help. Not only have they not reached out for help, but may be undermining their...
You are asked to describe yourself in three adjectives. Have you ever been asked this question? How would you answer? Are your honest answers how you feel you are perceived or how you really think you are? It’s important to realize that your self-image develops as you...
We all have a past, right? What does your past look like? Have you always made decisions that were in the best interest of your physical and emotional health? It’s easy to get sucked into spending too much time thinking about your past. But the past is just a...
You both tripped while walking, yet your bruise lingers days later than your partner’s. What gives? Healing time variances can also relate to receiving less-than-favorable health news, the passing of someone special in your life, or a situation that caused you...
I’m here today to write about how impactful and healthy it can be to live in the now. I’m not even going to touch on the use of electronic devices and its contribution to furthering detachment from society. This segment is solely dedicated to being present with your...
I no longer believe that failure is bad or serves as a determinant in the way our life will unfold. That’s not to say it can’t initially feel confusing or disheartening. Here’s the logic behind my view. Failure can lead us to paths never before explored. The...
You can delay it, skirt around it, or pretend all is well and fine, but at the end of the day it is unavoidable. There will come a point (like a boiling point or a boost in confidence) when you have be verbally clear to sort out a work issue, a relationship conflict,...
Life can change in an instant and it does. An accident, health diagnosis, or medical emergency – just to start the list off. Do the people you care most about know today, in the here and now, how much you love them, respect them and/or appreciate them? Do they know...
It’s often remarked that the eyes are the window to the soul. I am a believer in that. With masks, the eyes are where our attention is drawn to. As we approach Halloween time, and the Covid-19 pandemic continues to haunt us, most of the population was or is continuing...
Trying a cigarette, ditching school, and hiding a bad grade on a test – probably three of the most common “peer pressure” activities that are experienced in the adolescent age. I wish I could say peer pressure ended in high school. But it seems it’s something that...
No matter the day or time – I observe and regulate how I dole out my energy. I look at it as protecting my vibrational frequency. There are times I feel like throwing it around like confetti (when positivity surrounds me), but other times I want to collect it and...
What’s the old saying – slow and steady wins the race? Remember the turtle? Healthcare treatments take time. Sure, it’s easier to call it a day, but you have to be dedicated to a treatment plan (within reason) and give it every opportunity to be successful. If you...
As children we start off with no filter. Honesty is a given. We live through the cringe-worthy comments, serious feelings, to roll-on-the-floor laughing moments. So why is it that as the years, the decades go by, honesty is less of a staple and more of a luxury? I’m...
When it strikes, anxiety tends to fire on all cylinders. Anxiety uncontrolled can be an all-consuming force that makes you feel nervous about everything under the sun. Uncontrolled anxiety affects mental health and “mental health problems [are] one of the main causes...
Emotions flow in and out of our minds as we experience migraine, or tend to a loved one who is going through one. Have you heard of “emotional intelligence?” Essentially, emotional intelligence is what your capacity is to recognize your own emotions and those of the...
Recall my surprise when learning from my primary care doctor that Botox was a treatment option for migraine? It certainly became a joyous occasion once treatments were underway and proving to be a remedy for me. Had my response to my doctor been pessimistic or...
My grandfather lived by the mantra, “Actions speak louder than words.” Three generations later, I’m living by that creed too. This quote is commonly attributed to Abraham Lincoln in 1856, it means that people’s actions show their real attitudes, versus what they say....
Where do you turn when the day is tough, the medical diagnosis is something in uncharted territory, or you have happy pregnancy news? Who’s your team? The relationships we foster with our friends, neighbors, and family can be looked at as the core of our influence,...
I didn’t appreciate good health until I had experienced poor health. I guess the same could be said for other elements in life. Happiness – maybe it’s easier to count blessings and appreciate a kind, caring partner after experiencing an unhappy partner who weighed you...
Change is something I love and loathe. In the most Breakfast Club of descriptions, I’m an adventurer, roll the dice, reserved, empathetic, and optimist at heart. Change challenges us. It tests us in ways we sure wouldn’t test ourselves. My life changed without notice...
Stress shows itself in both uplifting and devastating times in our lives. Have you heard that our body and mind evolve in seven-year cycles? For example, my life has changed in many respects the last 14 years. About 7 years ago I fell ill with meningitis and the...
The course I took focused on utilizing mindfulness when in stressful situations such as relationships, work, medical pain, panic, and general anxiety. I signed up for an eight-week series of classes. Each class varied a bit and participation was necessary. We had...
I have learned that consistency is key in fighting migraine. I have focused on progress, remained positive, and feel that placing trust in good medical hands must be my mindset. It has worked. I have benefited in spades! How would I describe my feelings about...
You may opt out at any time. See Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.