In Sanity: A piece of mind

In this week's episode, I discuss achievement culture, what it is, who it impacts, and its causes. Using Emily Sohn's article "Perfectionism and the High Stakes Cost of Success: The Hidden Toll on Parents and Kids" in Monitor on Psychology, I talk about the pressures and expectations that can lead to perfectionism, anxiety, and burnout in kids. Achievement culture, fueled by soci...

Join me this week to talk about some things that have been on my mind lately. I discuss spiritual growth and how mental health knowledge, interventions, and skills have impacted my spiritual growth in a meaningful way.

In this episode, we'll explore some dynamics that can shape our relationships with our children. We’ll start by examining the issue of rescuing—a well-intentioned but ultimately limiting approach that creates disconnection and prevents our kids from developing their own coping skills and independence. Additionally, we’ll address traditional parenting practices that rely on rewards and punishments....

Welcome to the podcast. Today, let's explore some powerful techniques from nonviolent communication that can transform your relationship with your children. We'll discuss how to cultivate a genuine quality of connection, move beyond moralistic judgments, and navigate the pitfalls of coercion and resistance. These tools can help create a more harmonious home environment built on mutual understandin...

Join me this week for a lively conversation with Lindsay and Aspen as we discuss Chinese Medicine, counseling, spirituality, friendship, connection, and the ecology of health and wellness in all its facets. This is a great podcast that has something for everyone. I'll get back to NVC and parenting next week or so.

This week's episode reviews NVC principles and provides a handful of examples to use in your interactions with others. I tried to make them as realistic as possible. I hope they are helpful. Let me know how NVC is going for you.

In this podcast episode, we explore the principles of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and their application to parenting, drawing from Inbal Kashtan's work. We discuss how NVC can help parents create deeper connections with their children by emphasizing empathy, compassion, and clear communication. The episode examines ways to move beyond traditional reward and punishment systems, instead emphasizi...

In this episode, we explore the four ways to hear a negative message using Nonviolent Communication (NVC) concepts. When faced with criticism or negative feedback, our initial reactions often fall into one of two patterns: blaming ourselves or others. Self-blame can lead to feelings of shame and unworthiness, while blaming others typically escalates anger and conflict. NVC offers two more construc...

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is like a bridge that helps us connect on a deeper level with ourselves and each other. Imagine having a toolbox that allows you to express what you're feeling and to really hear what others are saying. When we practice NVC, we start by tuning into our emotions and needs. This means we become more aware of what's happening inside us—what triggers us, makes us happy,...

Nonviolent Communication is a robust framework developed by Marshall Rosenberg that focuses on empathy and compassion in communication. A key aspect of NVC is building awareness of one's needs and wants and those of others. Here are several steps to enhance this awareness: Self-Observation : Begin by observing your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Recognize what triggers your emotions and c...

In Nonviolent Communication (NVC), the "Jackal" represents a communication style that is often aggressive and judgmental and tends to reflect a mindset focused on blame, criticism, or demands. Here are some key characteristics of the Jackal mode of communication: Judgment : Jackal communication often involves labeling people, actions, or thoughts as good or bad, right or wrong. This creates a sens...

Observation Feelings Needs Request Listen to my NVC expression with myself.

Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication (NVC) framework emphasizes compassionate communication and understanding. Within this framework, life-serving and life-alienating concepts guide how we interact with ourselves and others. Life-Serving Concepts: Empathy: Involves active listening and understanding others' feelings and needs without judgment. It fosters connection and compassion. Honesty...

Nonviolent Communication supports reframing how we express ourselves, hear others, and resolve conflict by bringing our observations, feelings, needs, and requests to our consciousness. It's pragmatic and straightforward, challenging our deeply held practices of judging, labeling, criticizing, and comparing. With practice, this tool helps us transform blame and judgment within ourselves into mutua...

What is the difference between feelings and evaluations? Join me this week, and I can answer that question for you - nonviolent communication style. Evaluations are judgments. They unconsciously elicit defensiveness and justification from the person who is feeling judged. Feelings are identifiers of how you are experiencing something internal to you. Listen to this week's podcast and check out the...

Continuing with emotional myths, Christian (Regan's boyfriend) joins me to discuss #2 and #3. His personal experiences and history contribute to his understanding of these particular myths. He talks about his experience showing emotion and how, depending on their intensity, emotions can actually be destructive. It's a good listen.

This short and informative podcast explains some of the benefits of nonviolent communication. I will give it a shot and would love to share my experiences with you all along the way.

Lindsay recently finished reading "Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Compassion." Join us as she discusses her thoughts and impressions and shares her excitement about this new paradigm shift. Feelings Versus Evaluations Masquerading as Feelings

Human beings have nine or ten basic needs. These include peace, autonomy, spiritual communion, physical nourishment, and interdependence. Additionally, when our needs are met, we feel certain pleasurable emotions; when our needs are not met, we feel various unpleasant emotions. This podcast serves as a comprehensive guide to the vocabulary of feelings and needs, educating you about the intricacies...

This episode provides a quick overview of all the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) podcasts and a quick reminder of its core components, such as interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance. I hope you have been able to practice these skills in daily life to enhance emotional well-being and improve interpersonal relationships. The podcasts on DBT include p...

Christian joined me this week to discuss his emotional myth. He chose myth number two - letting others know I am feeling bad is a weakness. He comes at this from a therapist's perspective and talks about how this shows up in his office in his clients. He identifies chronic distress, i.e., resentment, fear, and anxiety centered around our need to be good vs. the acute pain of acknowledging, adm...

I've finally reached Radical Acceptance. This is the practice of fully accepting the reality of a situation, no matter how painful or difficult it may be. It involves acknowledging and embracing the present moment without judgment or resistance. By accepting things as they are and creating space for change and healing, we can reduce emotional suffering. Within Radical Acceptance, there are emp...

Join me this week for an informative podcast about distress tolerance skills. This week, I talk about how the skills IMPROVE, self-soothing, and using pros and cons to make decisions from Wisemind are essential tools for managing overwhelming emotions effectively. IMPROVE stands for imagery, meaning, prayer, relaxation, one thing or step at a time, vacation, and encouragement. Utilizing these skil...

Kylee joined me this week to discuss her emotional myths. She chose two that she identifies as problematic, but she does not struggle with them herself. Kylee talked about how parenting has given her a new perspective on how vital emotional validation is. She talks about the scripts she uses when she no longer has the capacity for genuine connection with her kiddos. She also told us what she tells...

I've returned to DBT, and in this episode, I discuss the ACCEPT skills for coping with crisis emotions and creating safety for extreme situations. Whether you struggle with regulating your emotions or want to improve your overall mental health, this episode will provide valuable insights and tools to help you live a more balanced and fulfilling life.