"Expressive therapies".  Maybe you've heard the term - it has certainly appeared in Phenix content before.  However, you may not have clarity on what that means.  So what is it exactly?  It is the use of creative arts as a form of therapy.  This can include art, music, dance, drama, etc.  Unlike the formal practice of art however, expressive therapy...[ read more ]

As the weather finally changes here in central Florida, I have been reveling in the cooler temperatures.  Saturday night brought our first backyard fire of the season.  We've opened the windows and turned off the AC for days now.  Every morning, I sit on the back patio to drink my coffee.  As this change in weather has brought about changes...[ read more ]

At lunch with a friend today, we discussed our various stressors and life issues.  She paused and remarked that there was something we had not considered.  She went on to explain that she had to believe the larger context of what is happening in society today was taking its toll on our mental and emotional health.  Immediately, I believed she...[ read more ]

We often get our view of reality from television but it only takes one hospital visit to learn that real life is not like Grey's Anatomy.  Likewise, if you've never been to therapy, it's a dangerous plan to assume it might be what you've seen portrayed on TV or in movies.  So, what can you expect? First of all, you...[ read more ]

One of the courses I teach regularly is Career Development.  As a result, that topic is regularly on my radar.  I really enjoy teaching the class and love even more - working with people who are making decisions about their career.  So, how does the process work? Career development begins with knowing yourself.  (Does this blog have a theme or...[ read more ]

  I've often described it like standing on the sea shore.  At first, the water is stormy and I'm regularly knocked down by an incoming wave that overwhelms me.  I find myself swallowing a lot of salt water.  Slowly (over years), the water calms down a little.  The waves aren't as huge.  I've developed a strategy for bracing myself.  They...[ read more ]

  This is the fourth and final post in a series on the topic.  Return to the first post here... In our last post, I offered a preview of the difficult path to self love.  Even so, it is hard to truly understand the nuances of the journey until you are in the thick of it.  Nevertheless, as you move...[ read more ]

  This is the third in a series on the topic.  Return to the first post here... We've established the core issue: self love, and we've laid the foundation for the work.  So what's next?  This series emerged largely from a recent discussion with a friend.  About halfway through the conversation she exclaimed - and all this comes from just...[ read more ]

This is the second in a series on the topic.  Return to the first post here... Once we are aware that perhaps we don't love ourselves as well as we would like, we may be inspired to launch some sort of campaign to address the issue.  What does it take to do that successfully?  We've already discerned that good intentions...[ read more ]

This is the first of a series on the topic... Don't worry - I won't bore you with the usual lecture on why self care is important.  I am also fully aware that you could probably recite to me an impressive list of self care tasks that you ought to be doing.  The million dollar question is: despite knowing these...[ read more ]