We humans are emotional beings and understanding that emotions are part of the toolset that we use to navigate the experiences of a fully engaged life is hugely important. When we have trained for a lifetime to avoid “bad” emotions we can end up divorced from this key element of our humanity. Read on for tips from a marriage & family therapist on how to start reconnecting with your emotions.

Amanda, our care coordinator, is back with 5 things they wish their therapist knew - Lunar New Year Edition! Finding a culturally competent therapist is important. These are just a couple of thoughts to consider if you are Asian and / or in the world of therapy.

One of the most significant trials of living with (not fighting against) chronic illness is encountering, processing, and then re-encountering loss over and over again. Having chronic illness also means encountering uncertainty and tolerating not knowing what will happen…Every. Single. Day. Read more from Kaitlin on managing grief and disappointment as a spoonie.

Toxic masculinity shows up in how we hold space for men and boys who are having a hard time. Every time we enforce toughness or silence from a struggling masculine person in our life, we are sending the message that we don’t want them to open up. Toxic masculinity is there in the discomfort you feel when our brothers cry, express their pain, and share their vulnerability. Read more on how to heal from toxic masculinity and allow space for vulnerability, nurturing, and community.

Most of us want to overlook the challenging or painful moments (myself included!) and hope to quickly breeze through them in our day. If you try to pay attention to them though, a lot can be learned from these instances. Read on to harness the power of mindfulness to feel more welcoming of challenging emotions.