I've written a lot about the overwhelming emotions of the highly sensitive and empathetic. I've talked about crying in the bathroom at work and suffering from emotional exhaustion. Most of the time, emotions are just below the surface or spilling out all over the place for this introvert, but some people keep their emotions totally under [...]
My therapist said something that stuck with me. She said we need felt experiences that change how we felt before. We need such experiences to heal and grow. She said words will not do it. They touch only on an intellectual level. Intellectual is just the surface. Our core needs for nurturing, growth and connection run way [...]
I did it. I had my first personal therapy session this week. I've done marriage counseling. I've done group therapy with my writing friends. But prior to this, I've never done therapy just for me. I thought I could heal myself or get support from friends, family or a partner. Yes, the personal and relationship coach, [...]
Last December I was in a play. It was presented at my church, where the people are kind and compassionate and it's OK to not be perfect. I felt very comfortable joining in the production. There were no auditions and my daughter was in the cast too. The playwright/director of the show is well-known in the [...]
I've questioned my introvert status for the last year. I've done a lot of research on attachment styles and their influence on our behavior and emotions lately. It was starting to look like my need for space and solitude was more a result of my early relationships with my parents and my later relationships with partners. A month [...]
Relational paradox: When convinced a relationship won't tolerate who you really are, you leave a part of you out of that relationship. When I read the description of a relational paradox in Dr. Amy Banks' book, Wired for Connection:The Surprising Link Between Brain Science and Strong, Healthy Relationships, a lightbulb went on in my head. The [...]
