Where Rigidity Lives—and Where Nuance Begins Let’s explore a simple but powerful concept that can help you better understand your brain and how you respond to the world around you. Imagine your brain as a hand. This idea comes from…
The Salt Story: Understanding Emotional Responses in Relationships When I first encountered Dr. Dan Siegel’s hand model of the brain, coupled with insights from Terry Real and Robin Gobbel, it felt like a lightbulb moment. Their explanations about how our…
Hey there! Today, I want to dive into a topic that’s not just fascinating but incredibly useful when it comes to understanding yourself and others better: brain states. This concept draws from the work of some brilliant minds like Terry…
Yet again, I was reading an article that interested me. Funny, it actually wasn’t even just the article that I wanted to write about; it was one of the comments. The article had this quote: “Seeking affirmation or fulfillment in…
Healthy boundaries are often misunderstood. Many people think boundaries are about controlling other people’s behavior, when in reality they are deeply connected to emotional regulation, self-esteem, and understanding what we do and do not have to absorb from others. These…
Many people struggle to communicate their needs, feelings, and boundaries in healthy ways. Some people lean toward passiveness and avoid speaking up for themselves, while others move toward aggression in an attempt to feel heard or in control. Healthy assertiveness…
I typically talk about therapy only and how the concepts of Less Than and Better Than affect our lives. And that is still true, and that’s what I’m going to talk about today. But today I’m adding a different focal…
One of the hardest parts about emotional healing is recognizing when we’ve slipped into feeling “better than” or “less than” someone else. These positions often show up automatically during painful experiences like betrayal, abandonment, rejection, or relationship conflict. This week,…
Something came up in a session today….relationships can sometimes blur the line between healthy connection and deriving our sense of worth from other people. Many individuals and couples struggle with understanding the difference between feeling emotionally connected and relying on…
Many adults unknowingly carry emotional patterns shaped by their relationship with their parents. When a parent becomes the center of identity, validation, or emotional safety, it can deeply impact self-worth and personal growth. Healing often begins by recognizing that parents…