When the Pain of Relationships Dampens Valentine’s Day

When your heart is broken, you plant seeds in the cracks and you pray for rain.” — Andrea Gibson Valentine’s Day is nigh upon us. It is a day of love, hugs, happiness, chocolates, roses, and romance…but for some, it is anything but that. Some of us are struggling with finding or maintaining a meaningful […]

grief avoidance

5 Ways You’re Not Facing Your Grief

“So it’s true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.” ~ E.A. Bucchianeri One day life is great, things are normal, the sun is shining and your laughter comes freely. Then, not a split second later, you are faced with a loss so deep you do not know […]

MENtal health picture

MENtal Health: How are the Men in Your Life Doing?

“Men suffer a lot behind the mask of manliness.” —Vineet Aggarwal Last week I went out for TexMex with my closest friends. While we enjoyed our chips and salsa, everyone went around the table giving little updates about themselves and their families. When we got to my newlywed friend she told us how coparenting with […]

have your people

We All Need People; Who Are Yours?

“You must trust and believe in people or life becomes impossible.”  ~~Anton Chekhov There is a scene that has been immortalized from “Grey’s Anatomy”–do you know which one I am referring to? Two friends are seated at a bar when Cristina matter-of-factly tells Meredith that she put her name down as an emergency contact. “The […]

porn and shame

Breaking the Cycle of Shame

“If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.” ~ Brené Brown Recently, I was out to eat with a friend when her teenage daughter called several times in a row. My friend knew it was important or her daughter would not call repeatedly. She stepped away […]