This post is adapted from my new book, Who Am I Without You? with New Harbinger Publications, coming March 1, 2015 (and available for pre-order now)! In fact, this post…
As I write this, it’s the first Monday of the new year, and we all know the first Monday of the new year is the busiest day for personal growth….
Last week, I shared my personal struggles with depression in my post, Overcoming the Stigma of Depression: “I am the FACE of DEPRESSION (& Anxiety).” I have been deeply touched…
I am the face of depression and anxiety. It has taken me a while to come to grips with this fact. I don’t want to be someone who struggles with…
In part 1, I shared some of my experiences with busyness and how I recently realized I was actually addicted. Today, I want to focus on you. Do you struggle…
I’m no stranger to busyness. I came by it honestly. Since graduate school–with two young kids (5 months & 3 years), my husband in dental school, and caring for my…
“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change…
“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” ~Helen Keller When you look at your future, what do you see? Do you see yourself…
It’s that time of year again—time to resume my This is How We Grow Personal Growth Group! Last year was the first year I took it online, but really I’ve…
My oldest child is now officially away at college. After weeks of buying supplies, packing, and trying to teach him all the last minute lessons I could think of, we…
I am no stranger to death and suicide. My sister died of an overdose of alcohol and acetaminophen in 2007, leaving behind her two young sons whom my husband and…
The fact is that Postpartum Depression (PPD) is real. I know, because I’ve experienced it four times, along with Postpartum Anxiety. That’s another fact: “Postpartum Depression” is often used…
I’m always happy when others are interested in my work or my writing, but I’m especially grateful for opportunities to share the real me. To talk about my past and…
I knew it would be an adventure—driving over 2,000 miles in an RV, with my husband and our six kids, for 8 days, from Flagstaff, AZ to Las Vegas, to…
I love to read. I love learning, and I find there’s no better way to learn than by devouring book after book. Summer Reading I especially love to read…
It’s no secret life has handed me some lemons–again. I wrote about it a week ago; once again, I’m in a season of loss and grief. Being here…
Dads Matter. I write often about how much moms matter, and certainly we do matter—tremendously. But today, it’s dad’s turn. Dads matter, too. Tremendously. Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many dads…
Life. It sure can be demanding. It sure can be beautiful. It’s a paradox, isn’t it? As I’ve said before, we can learn to “live in the paradox;” it’s how…
I was pacing my hotel room in Sacramento, CA a few weeks ago, doing last-minute preparations for a presentation when, quickly checking my email, I saw a message titled, “IPPY…
Help a Wonderful Family As I shared in my recent post, “Self-Care & Letting Help In–The 2 Most Important Things,” I lost my dear friend, Jody, last week, as…
It wasn’t until I first became a mother–with a beautiful baby boy I dearly loved, yet still struggling through postpartum depression–that I realized how hard it was to practice self-care…
I have been a member of/volunteer with Postpartum Support International (PSI) since 1999. Over the years, I’ve served as a warmline volunteer, an AZ state support coordinator, and even as…
If there’s one emotion people have a hard time with, it’s anger. I know I’ve certainly struggled with it. I admit, I can get pretty roiled up sometimes, and when…
My house got pretty out of order last year while I was busy writing and publishing This is How We Grow. For weeks this winter, I would walk around analyzing…
I don’t usually post this often–3 times in one week–and I don’t usually hit the keyboard furiously the second I finally get all my kids out the door. But today,…
In part 1, we discussed the importance of “alone time” for mom mental health and happiness. Today, we focus on HOW to actually make that happen. HOW to get…
It’s hard being a mom 24/7–all year long, for years and years. Sure, there are plenty of benefits (the love of your child, for one), but it’s a tough job—truly…
In this 3-part series we’ve been discussing Pregnancy/Postpartum Obsessive-Complusive Disorder (PPOCD). In part 1 we took a good look at the symptoms of PPOCD and why it is so misunderstood….
It sounds simple, yet so many of us get stuck on this one. Some think, “I love myself,” then, hesitantly wonder, “Don’t I?” Others believe, “I don’t love myself enough”…
Are you a perfectionist? Not sure? Well, do you… Set unrealistically high goals/standards for yourself and/or others? Judge yourself based on what you do/don’t accomplish? Have a hard time stopping…
In Part 1, we explained the symptoms of Pregnancy/Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (PPOCD) and what makes this disorder the most misunderstood of all the Perinatal Mood/Anxiety Disorders. (If you have…
“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts…
Beyond Postpartum Depression (PPD) Postpartum Depression (PPD) is the most commonly talked about and treated form of Perinatal Mood/Anxiety Disorder (PMAD). It affects as many as one in five new…
In my last post, we discussed how to feel self-worth, using what I call, “The Pyramid of Self-Worth.” Today, we get to start working through the steps of the pyramid,…
Several years ago, in my psychology practice, I began to wonder, “How can I help my clients feel their true worth and value?” For years, women and men had come…
There’s a big difference between talking and communicating. People talk all the time, yet poor communication is still one of the most common struggles in relationships of all types. Marriages…
Romantic love: We have to work at it. It doesn’t just happen on its own. Well, it does at first. But if we sit by and do nothing, over time,…
Last week, I posted 5 things I know for sure about love. This week, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I want to focus on how we can increase love in…
I love that February is the month of love. I don’t particularly love Valentine’s Day—for many reasons—but I love the idea of focusing on love at the start of each…
We officially have four teenaged sons as of this week. We still have two younger daughters, but much of our time and energy lately has been focused on the teens….