“Okay,” She said, her blue eyes offsetting her light hair, “What I want to do is try some distancing. I want to take you back there in that room, where you are . . .” she paused delicately, “In that situation. And remember last time where you flew above and fast-forwarded away, farther and farther?” “Yep.” “I want you to do that. Float away. And this time, tell me how you feel.” She flipped the EMDR machine on and I [...]
After I look out the bedroom window for her black Lexus, I run downstairs and pull all of the blinds shut. She can’t see in. But she can still get in through the garage. The combination is my birthday and I should change that but I don’t remember how. I gotta figure that out. I check the door that leads to the garage. We’ve taped the lock so that the kids won’t accidentally turn the lock and now I gotta [...]
This week, I have led a Rebel Thriver Workshop to help other women stop being self-destructive, in word, deed or thought. The workshop is based on a book by Rick Hanson, Just One Thing–Developing A Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time. I recommend that you purchase this book and work through the exercises in it. With the help of Rick Hanson’s writing, I achieved some important breakthroughs in my own therapy. Cognitive Behavorial Therapy No one knows exactly [...]
I used to be my worst enemy. In word or in deed I sabotaged myself. I have written in here of self-hurting; of my inner-editor-hater; of suicidal ideation; of self-abnegation and even self-hatred. Rather than repeat the sad refrains that used to replay over and over again in my mind like a bad pop lyric, I am here to tell you today how I stopped these self-destructive behaviors and became a Rebel Thriver. I tell this story in the hopes [...]
My daughter gripped her pen and hesitated. “So Mom, how’s your writing going?” I sighed. I was tired. “Good. I’m in the middle of a scene.” “What’s it about?” Her voice rose. “Is it inappropriate?” “Yes.” “Oh, does it have people, like, kissing?” I rubbed my face with my hands. The muscles around my eyes felt tight. “No!” “Is it like when the mom murders the father?” “Sort of, but it wasn’t murder,” I started to explain. And then I [...]