Battle Royale: Brain v Stomach!
Years ago I saw a bumper sticker that said, “Don’t believe everything you think,” and it blew my mind. Until that moment I honestly believed that my thoughts were true, every last one of them. Also my opinions – they were totally true, I was certain of it.…
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9 Tips for Becoming Less Judgmental
Wait, Jonna. Why would I want to be less judgmental? My opinions are how I express myself. My opinions make me who I AM! Errr, kind of? It’s true we are all judgmental beings. It’s part of being alive. I think it starts in our lizard brain because…
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Better Communication: How “Double Signal” Questions Start Fights
Why is your soda can still on the coffee table? How am I supposed to fit all that in my car? Why didn’t you tell me you wanted rice? How can you even stand to wear those shoes? Why can’t you just __? Do you notice a theme…
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“I Want to Stop People Pleasing! (If That’s Okay with You).”
Tell me if you can relate to this: You worry a lot about what other people think of you. You monitor yourself to make sure you don’t make any kind of mistake. You pre-plan your social game or rehearse interactions to make sure you don’t “screw up.” You…
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What’s the Deal with the Free Consultation?
If you’ve been checking out therapists’ listings, you’ll see that most therapists, myself included, offer a free consultation. Here’s a little more information about free consultations, what you can expect from them, and how you can (and should!) use them to find the right therapist for yourself. If…
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The Benefits of Expressive Play Therapy for Business People and Creatives
One of my specialties as a therapist is something called Expressive Play Therapy, and I’d like to share more about what it is and how it can help in the areas of business and creativity. Expressive play is a form of improvisation or spontaneous sharing. It’s purposefully less…
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I Like Big Buts and I Cannot Lie
I pay close attention to my clients’ buts. What!? A ha! See, when clients say “I think x, but…,” or “I feel y, but…,” it’s their but that gets my attention. The ‘but’ tells me there’s more to the story. “I really wish my mom wouldn’t stay for…
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Seven Tips for Developing Flexibility to Navigate Workplace and Business Relationships
In my article Connecting Across Different Communication Styles in Business I mentioned the value of developing flexibility – the ability to respond and adapt to the wide variety of interactions and demands in the workplace. Here are some tips for how to practice and develop your flexibility. 1.…
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What Can Therapy Do For Me?
In my earlier article What is a Therapy Session Like? I described a bit about how I work with clients and what kind of process you can expect in sessions: how we explore together, how I help you unpack your challenges, and how I encourage noticing emotions and…
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Connecting Across Different Communication Styles in Business
Or, to quote Cartman from season 12, episode 5 of South Park, “How do I reach these kids!?” This is the first in my article series aimed to help business professionals thrive. I was discussing with a client of mine, who is a business professional, some nuances of…
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