Will you be facing some challenging people or situations as you celebrate the holidays this year? Holiday celebrations can be joyful, but they can also be stressful when we encounter “difficult” people and more demands on our time, energy, and finances. Often there are unspoken expectations or traditions that we feel obligated to participate in, leaving us feeling resentful […]
Tag Archives: boundaries
Holiday Self-Care to Cope with Stress and Difficult Family Relationships
The holidays are here again! Does your holiday look like the pictures in magazines and catalogs or the ones you see in the movies? We all know it’s supposed to be a joyful time of year filled with happy family gatherings, plentiful gifts, and a joyful spirit. But for some, the reality is far different – the family gatherings […]
Guided Meditation to Heal Codependency
Changing our long-standing thought and behavior patterns can be a long journey. Different approaches work for different people. In my psychotherapy practice, I try to provide a variety of strategies to promote self-care and compassion. For some, a guided meditation, such as this one, can be a helpful tool in healing from codependency and learning to love yourself. What […]
High Achievers Can Build Stronger Relationships by Doing Less and Embracing Imperfection
Here in Silicon Valley, we’re surrounded by high achievers. It seems like everyone’s just launched a start-up company, bought a new Tesla, or their kid got into an Ivy League college. All this achieving is great – it drives innovation, solves problems, and fuels our economy – but it can also take a toll on individuals and their […]
How to Set Boundaries with Negative People
Negative people deplete your energy Negative people are like “energy vampires”. I first encountered the term energy vampire when I read Judith Orloff’s book Emotional Freedom (affiliate link) a few years ago. No matter what you call them, we’ve all encountered them. Energy vampires are those people who exude negative energy, drain you emotionally, and leave you empty and annoyed. […]
Tips for Reducing Stress from Your Holiday Celebrations
Holiday celebrations are an opportunity to get together and celebrate the season with family and friends, but they’re also a source of stress, especially if you are trying to maintain your sobriety. Between conflicts among guests to the stress of planning celebrations or deciding which events to attend when your schedule is double-booked, there are many ways the holidays can […]
How to Set Boundaries Without Guilt
People-pleasers are sometimes described as “doormats” because they let everyone walk all over them. You can learn how to set boundaries without guilt, communicate assertively, and respect yourself and others.
Attract A Healthy Relationship by Letting Go Of Codependency and Unhealthy Caretaking
Sometimes we don’t realize that our care giving has crossed the line into codependency or unhealthy care taking. It’s not always easy to see when our behavior is no longer supporting a healthy self and a healthy relationship.