“I Love You Forever and Always” — A Book for Moms with Young Children Confronting Breast Cancer

My wife Chelsea Harper was diagnosed with Stage IV (metastatic) breast cancer in 2010. She was just 35 years old. Her diagnosis was a heavy and unexpected blow for our family. And for Chelsea, a young woman in the prime of health, with a daughter just about to turn three, in the midst of building… Continue reading “I Love You Forever and Always” — A Book for Moms with Young Children Confronting Breast Cancer

Sift News “Climate Change and Mental Health” Podcast

https://soundcloud.com/allturtlespodcast/sift-climate-change-and-mental-health The Sift News Therapy App created this helpful “Climate Change and Mental Health” podcast. It features interviews with myself, psychiatrist Dr. Lise Van Susteren, and Dr. Kyle Whyte of Michigan State University. If you are interested in climate change and coping, I recommend this podcast. [Side note: The interviews took place this summer after… Continue reading Sift News “Climate Change and Mental Health” Podcast

10 Activities for (Fun) Fall Maintenance for Mental Health and Wellbeing 2019

October 2019 – I am updating my Fall Season Wellbeing post from last year. Its lessons stand the test of time. They also remind me to practice what I preach. But, there are a few updates required. Last year, I gave advice about “handling the November [midterm] election”  noting that it was a “politically fraught… Continue reading 10 Activities for (Fun) Fall Maintenance for Mental Health and Wellbeing 2019

“The entire wooden interior of Notre Dame Cathedral has been lost” — CNN Online 15 April 2019

From: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame “He therefore turned to mankind only with regret. His cathedral was enough for him. It was peopled with marble figures of kings, saints and bishops who at least did not laugh in his face and looked at him with only tranquility and benevolence. The other statues, those of monsters and demons,… Continue reading “The entire wooden interior of Notre Dame Cathedral has been lost” — CNN Online 15 April 2019

Using a Feelings Vocabulary List

What do you do when you need to quickly clarify what you are feeling, or what your emotions are? Your friend asks “How are you feeling?.” Your wife asks “How are you feeling about us?” Your counselor asks “How are you feeling about your life?” What happens when you just want to check in with… Continue reading Using a Feelings Vocabulary List

Climate Change and Grief – A Dual Process Approach

As the damage and economic losses from climate change grow, so too do the emotional impacts of climate change. When an entire island like Puerto Rico is threatened to be uninhabitable or an entire town like Paradise, CA is burned to the ground with a loss of 86 lives, impacts of climate change become much… Continue reading Climate Change and Grief – A Dual Process Approach

Thomas Doherty on The Openist | Podcast of Democracy Café / Socrates Café

From the Openist Podcast: How can you sculpt a life that’s as healthy as it is sustainable? How do you meet the challenge of finding a meaningful balance in your relationship with nature and technology? Dr. Thomas Doherty, a licensed psychologist in Oregon, has some profound insights on these questions that are as timely as… Continue reading Thomas Doherty on The Openist | Podcast of Democracy Café / Socrates Café

New Year’s Resolution Hacks

Want a different feel for your New Year’s Resolution? Here is a true “hack”*: Reverse your planning procedure. Start from the end (imagining the goal accomplished) and then work back to today. While it’s a simple idea, you’ll find this approach takes some effort to do at first. (I felt a clear mental block when I… Continue reading New Year’s Resolution Hacks

The Best of the Personal Sustainability Blog 2018

As 2018 comes to a close, it’s a good idea to … (stop, take a breath) … pause and reflect on the things that matter most. That may seem counter-intuitive if you’re rushing around for that last gift, but doing so can make the holidays more meaningful and enjoyable—no matter what is happening around you.… Continue reading The Best of the Personal Sustainability Blog 2018

Voting and Coping: The Election, Climate Change, and Moving on Despite It All

The Election… A psychology client notes that he has had trouble finding any friends willing to attend an election night party. “They all have PTSD from Election Night 2016,” he says. Another client says he is trying to avoid getting caught up in the news running up to the election. We talk about the private… Continue reading Voting and Coping: The Election, Climate Change, and Moving on Despite It All