Life in the Bay Area is fast paced, which makes learning how to slow down an equally challenging and important task. Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment, fully experiencing and noticing one thing at a time. Over time this trains our brains and bodies to slow down...
Addiction is often seen in numerous ways in a family system. When one person is effected by the use of addictive traits, whether substance use or behaviors, others around them are also effected. The effects are often due to secrecy, shame, guilt, not wanting to be detected by others...
The older population in America is growing, with individuals living a longer lifespan than ever before in recorded history. Depression affects many older adults. Depression often goes unnoticed and untreated for a number of reasons, including cost, stigma, and denial. Also...
One of anxiety’s cruelest tricks is breeding a false sense of urgency. A nagging feeling you need to finish what you’re doing and get where you’re going with utmost immediacy, or else. Contrary to what we hope will happen, relief is not waiting on the other side of our latest...
I recently finished reading The Defining Decade by Meg Jay, PhD. The book is geared toward Millennials, dispelling the notion from extended adolescence that says “30 is the new 20”. She argues that far from being a throwaway season, your 20’s are perhaps the most formative of...
Let’s get straight to the point: Sex is a thing. And as a parent, you are keenly aware of that fact that your kids may not know about it yet, but they will. And boy will they have questions. The prospect of this may seem daunting and fear-inducing. Fortunately, no parent has died from...
What kid doesn't love summer-time? Schools are out, camps are in, and everyone’s buzzing about the next big family vacation. There’s also that relentless summer heat, cooled only by a dive in the pool, a run through the sprinklers, or a few trips down the (only a little dangerous)...
We often talk about Emotional or Physical wounds, but what does it mean to be “Spiritually wounded”? Similar to emotional wounding, spiritual wounding can come from an event (inside or outside of the church) that deeply impacts our faith, our sense of self, our hope and trust in the...
Last week we discussed Gottman’s Four Horsemen the Apocalypse. Hopefully you are beginning to notice which horsemen you tend to use. As you grow in your self-awareness, you can begin to catch yourself and instead choose to communicate differently. Here is what Gottman has found to be the...
Marital researcher John Gottman has spent years identifying the strengths and downfalls of marriages. With over 40 years of research under his belt, he can predict with more than 90% accuracy whether a couple will stay together or get divorced. One of the predicting factors of divorce is the...
