The Turbulence of Vicarious Trauma Propels Success – I’ve been published in a journal!

My writing's been published in a hope and healing journal!

Mindfully Creative – Rerecording over the Critic’s Judgment

Creativity is therapeutic, it's survival, built into our brains as human beings so that we may overcome challenges, solve problems, process experiences, and tell our stories to those who need to know them, and to ourselves.

Drawing Heals Childhood Wounds & Helps Me Think Better

When I was in eighth grade in 1978-79, at Sequoia Intermediate, in my hometown of Newbury Park, California, I had to choose an elective each semester. I remember the choices of drawing, ceramics, and leather. I don't remember anything about the other subjects offered. "Mom, I want to take the drawing class." "Why? You can't …

Writing Project: A Quick Guide to Starting Your Private Psychotherapy Practice

Have I told you recently that I love writing?!  Fiction, poetry, memoir, journaling... it doesn't matter what I choose to lean into in the moment. I find it all leads me into a mind and body space I want to be in frequently.  I crave it like the chocolate I can no longer eat without …

Grieving Our Loss of Power – 3 Ways to Cope

Millions of people in California are suffering a very real loss of power both physically and psychologically. And we are grieving our loss of power, sense of safety, and for some the loss of a home. In simplified terms, each of us is in various stages of the process. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and eventually …

3 Recommended Self-Help E-audio Books from Library

Reading time limited? Budget for books limiting your reading pleasure? Try e-audio and borrow from a library. Using Libby, I listened to a variety of books over the summer then bought hard copies of the ones worth a deeper reading dive. Here are three self-help books worth checking out. Two are written for women and one is written for men and women.

Healing the Grief of Migraine through Creativity – The Pirate Bitch’s Treasure Trove

Coping with migraine is a struggle millions of people across the globe deal with. In this post, I share my experience seeking relief through an unscientific method and healing the grief associated with migraine.

Quotes of Wisdom 39 Sustaining Creativity During Stress and Grief is Vital for Mental Health

"Creativity is healing." - Yours TrulyBrighten you day with color. Notice how your mind and body change with the process. Creativity changes brain chemistry.    I don't need to read studies (though there are a few) to know how my mood changes when I sit and knit for 30 minutes. I know how playing in …

Quotes of Wisdom 38 Healing through Gardening – Midsummer Update

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul."  ~Luther Burbank  Gardens have been medicine for my soul for years.  This year the abundance of beauty and cycling blooms in the flower gardens have kept me captivated. In fact, they've held me hostage long into the …

Quotes of Wisdom 36 Healing Through Gardening

"The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul." ~Alfred Austin, English Poet, novelist, dramatist I have dug into the earth with bare hands, day after day convinced my hands would be stained for a …