Being vulnerable is really hard. To be vulnerable means to be able to identify, name, and experience our feelings. Nothing about this process is simple, which is why I do not ask every client, “How do you feel today?” I am careful when and how I pose this question to my clients. Of course, the... Continue Reading →
Many of us have heard that non-verbal cues make up about 90 percent of communication. But how so? You may be thinking, “yah, I know, so what”? So follow this logic for a moment. This means that regardless of how well polished, or unpolished your words to someone might be, the ways that you behave... Continue Reading →
Steel Pan music emerged from the tradition of enslaved African people creating new musical inventions to compensate for their drums and other instruments being taken from them by slave owners. Slave owners often thought that the drums and other instruments were communication tools being used by slaves to plan revolts and uprisings. Therefore, they were... Continue Reading →
It is sometimes said that people primarily listen with their hearts, not their ears. The first time that I was told this statement was during a train-the-trainer session to implement the non-violent approach of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. At first, I was puzzled by the statement because I wondered what my heart had to... Continue Reading →
Over the last nine months since I have been an intern at Olive Branch Counseling Associates in Tinley Park, I have had the opportunity to provide counseling services in various settings. Among them are Roseland on the south side of Chicago, and West Garfield Park on the west side. Clients in both of these communities... Continue Reading →
I heard Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman interviewed on the Unlocking Us podcast the other day. They talked about their new book, "The Love Prescription: 7 days to more intimacy, connection, and joy." It was a fascinating conversation about the small steps we can take in our relationships to make marked differences.... Continue Reading →
“Visual or guided imagery can help clients block out intrusive visualizations by substituting a relaxing or empowering visualization or image” (Erford, 2020: 77). I recently attended an early morning devotion at a church imbedded in a high crime neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. The deacon was leading the prayer meeting where the topic was how... Continue Reading →
Depression and anxiety are among the mental health challenges of most concern around the world. Mindfulness training is a common approach used to help people to manage various aspects of depression and anxiety. According to Erford (2020: 96), “By nature, humans are self-aware and attentive. But people vary in these characteristics, and how they cultivate... Continue Reading →
We have all heard that reading to our children from the time they are infants is important, but do you know why? At the youngest age, infants listen to your inflection and pauses and the rhythm of your reading. Even at this early age, their brains are mapping out how language works and what it... Continue Reading →
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