When I was 9 years old, in the late 90’s, I was obsessed with The Beatles. I listened to their albums every night on my CD player as I fell asleep. Yes, my CD player. While at a flee market with my family, I found the most incredible pair of rose-colored Windsor glasses. These are... Continue Reading →
Quite a few years ago, in late June, I noticed something different about the knuckles on my big toes. They were darker and somewhat callous. How strange. I assumed that perhaps the change was due to the type of sandal that I had worn throughout the greater part of the summer. I shrugged it off... Continue Reading →
I was introduced to radical acceptance in my first semester of grad school. No, it is not a rock band from the early 2000’s. Radical acceptance is a practice in which one fully embraces the reality they are experiencing as opposed to resisting that reality. It is meant to be utilized when life challenges us... Continue Reading →
Let’s face it, life can be stressful. Bills pile up, families fight, pipes burst, back pain happens, family members get sick. There are seasons of life that can put us flat on our backs with no warning and leave us to throw our hands up and wonder, “How am I supposed to handle this?” Signs... Continue Reading →
If I asked you to tell me about the weather where you lived, would you be able to describe it? Not just the weather today but generally, what is the weather like all year? Here in Illinois, this would be an impossible task. I could tell you it is 72 degrees and cloudy today, but... Continue Reading →
“I’m lonely,” a woman told me. She describes how she longs for meaningful friendships but doesn’t know how to make those happen. With tears, she explains how she looks around, and it seems everyone has someone but her. She feels desperate and is void of any hope that things will change. She says she knows... Continue Reading →
The wellness wheel is a model of eight parts that make up a well-rounded and balanced lifestyle. It is a visual reminder that our lives are made up of many facets and that each one is important and should be recognized. If we are out of balance in one area, that will affect other areas... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, I was performing internship duties at a location on the West Side of Chicago with one of the highest rates of incarceration, violence, poverty, and other aspects of disadvantage. I was scheduled to run my first session on Peace Management as a supplement to the needs of formerly incarcerated men, and... Continue Reading →
I'm in the final weeks of the summer semester in the middle of my 2.5-year grad program. The last weeks of the semester are filled with research papers, final presentations, and end-of-semester reports. Even if you are the most diligent student and have kept up with all the assigned reading and assignments, the last few... Continue Reading →
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