Don’t think, just answer: What is your best personality feature? Your charisma? Loyalty? Drive? Perhaps you’re most proud of how gregarious you are or your killer sense of humour? One of my best traits is definitely that I’m pretty much game for anything. Travel. Adventure. New cuisine. Road trips. Challenges. You name it, I’ll be ready. This attribute could also be referred to as spontaneity or impulsiveness. On my worst
Long, languid days at the beach. Stunning sunsets across the lake. Exquisite alfresco meals and refreshing cocktails. Summer is the stuff dreams are made of. But what if your summer dream isn’t so dreamy? Or the plan doesn’t quite get executed as perfectly as in your dream? We haven’t experienced this much pressure and expectation since Christmas. You remember Christmas – the beautiful Norman Rockwell image that in real life
Sometimes we all get a little off track. It may be due to an accident or illness, or perhaps just scheduling. Somehow this happens to me every June. With three kids, June is the wind up month: all activities and school draws to a close and our already busy schedule bursts at the seams. In the last week of June we’re also madly prepping for overnight camp: checking off items
How’s this for a contradiction: I have an AMAZING imagination and I’m HORRIBLE at storytelling. I’m not even great at telling TRUE stories let alone made up stories. When my kids were wee, I read them hundreds of books, but there was only one story I could tell from my imagination. It was always the same one involving dolphins, a beach, and a castle in Ireland (yes, it was lame,
My mom is basically a sweet, petite, gentle woman. She loves her grandchildren and is dedicated to exercise and healthy living. She volunteers in the community and helps out those in need. She’s really quite mild mannered. Until she knits… or…. attempts to knit. Then there is a steady string of expletives hissed under her breath. The stitches are too loose and fall off the needles or are so tight
Do you ever have those less than stellar parenting moments that lead you to wonder if your kids will be telling a therapist all about you in 30 years? Do you worry that you’re screwing up your kids? Let me assure you, an occasional raised voice or an episode when your kids see you in tears is not the kind of thing they’ll talk about years later on a therapist’s
Have you ever had a friend speak to you like this: You are SO pathetic!!! How can you even stand to hear yourself speak?! Ugh. You are the most boring person I know. Can’t you talk about anything interesting? You’re so stupid. Of course no one loves you, you’re miserable. No one would ever want to be with you, you have no value. You’re so fat, look at your
Lose weight Stick to exercise plan Get organized Improve relationship Find relationship Yell less Snuggle more Move ahead Slow down Sound familiar? These are some of the most common resolutions I hear at The Nook. People set BIG goals, determined that This Year Will Be Different. This year will be completely different. People are pumped up, excited, and ready to begin turning over a brand new leaf. But their approach
“I feel like a different person” “I just can’t really believe it” “I never imagined it could be like this” The past two weeks at The Nook have been one big love in for many of my clients. They are falling in love with their careers, new partners (old partners), and even themselves. As I’ve talked about before, issues show up at my practice in waves – one week it’s
Margot’s alarm goes off and she press snooze just one more time… (for the fifth time). The day ahead of her is full of tasks and drudgery with no bright spot on the horizon. Slogging through the weeks has become Margot’s norm and she drags her body through the day. Her resting face has become a frown. Margot’s battery is at eight percent and declining rapidly. Molly wakes in
