Depression & Anxiety
10 ways personal writing soothes depression
Writing every day helps me feel better. Writing soothes depression. Not long ago I wrote those words in my journal, after a month of writing consistently. No doubt you’ve had times in your life like I have, when you’ve felt sad, downhearted and unhappy. Writing, I’ve discovered, makes a difference. Perhaps you’ve also experienced, or…
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Let’s unpack the hospital fantasy
Have you heard of the hospital fantasy? I’ve known about it for a long while, but just recently learned it has an actual name. When I first started seeing clients back in the day, I was kind of surprised when they’d tell me about their hospital fantasies. Partly that’s because I don’t like hospitals, but…
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How to cope when you just want to run away from everything
Imagine this: You’re in the car, out on the open road, and suddenly you wonder what would happen if you just kept going. You feel a powerful urge to leave it all behind, because, well, life is complicated. And a part of you just wants to run away from everything. Have you ever yearned to…
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Why summer play is good for your mental health
It’s the day before the summer solstice, and I’m sitting on my patio writing this in the warm sun. I’m surrounded by just-blooming lavender, riotous (and sweetly scented) jasmine vines, yellow-buttoned santolina and a host of other perennials that are either flowering profusely or soon will be. The finches are calling back and forth to…
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How to embrace life transition as a creative process
A few months ago I wrote about the signs and clues that tell you you’re probably in the midst of a life transition. And I promised to write more about what you most need during times like these. So I’ve been mulling it over and I keep coming back to this: perhaps what we most…
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