A note to all who feel empty inside There’s a lot of talk in the mental health community about holding space. To “hold space” for someone involves listening or being present in a nonjudgmental way. The goal is to help someone feel seen and heard.  The term is appealing with its imagery. When I am […]

Book launch edition I love my job. I get to help lots of humans with big, human things. But sometimes my downstairs brain gets loud. Last month marked my eighth time (what!!??? How can that be?) sharing a precious book baby of mine out into the world, and I have noticed some patterns. 2-3 months […]

I used to play teacher as a kid.  I had my cabbage patch dolls and stuffed animals all lined up, eager recipients of my brilliant eight-year-old instruction. It was always more difficult to play teacher with real humans. If I convinced my brother or a friend to join in, I didn’t like how it went. I […]

Sadness is a complicated, vulnerable emotion.  Feeling sad is uncomfortable for most people, it seems, even though it is an integral part of the human experience. When sadness is related to the deep, confusing grief of childhood trauma or other ambiguous losses–all the things Hallmark doesn’t make cards for–it can be even more difficult to […]