November is National Family Caregivers Awareness Month. If you have ever been a caregiver for anyone for any amount of time, you know just how taxing this role can be. Caregiving is a quiet, behind closed doors kind of work and because of this...

“You owe it to yourself. Take care of yourself. Look out for yourself.” You have likely heard statements like these and others that are attempts to communicate the idea of self-care. Self-care can loosely be defined as prioritizing and acting out things that preserve...

What’s your biggest fear? Is it a fear of failure or a fear of the future? Is it a fear of commitment, intimacy or rejection? Is it a fear of death? Is it a fear of public speaking, heights, flying, or spiders? These are...

Years ago, when I started this work, I found myself with a large caseload of trauma survivors. I remember a colleague of mine at the time warning me to be mindful of compassion fatigue. I did not put much thought into his advice until...

Compassion fatigue is sometimes called “the cost of caring.” Compassion fatigue occurs when you have had to care too hard for too long. Over time, compassion fatigue can negatively impact one’s ability to empathize for others.  In the beginning stages it can cause you...

A routine, or a schedule, has long been known to be beneficial for our mental health. These benefits extend to both those who are dealing with diagnosed mental conditions like depression, addiction disorders, ADD, ADHD, and anxiety, as well as to those who are...