Compassion is the courage to descend into the reality of human experience. —Paul Gilbert, founder of Compassion Focused Therapy
This quote appears toward the end of a fantastic, very moving animated short-film that psychologist, Dr. Charlie Heriot-Maitland, worked on with animator Kate Anderson. It is the story of Stuart who experiences internal voices that criticize him, frighten, and overwhelm him, and of his journey of gaining confidence Read more ›
The book, Treating Psychosis: A Clinician’s Guide to Integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy, and Mindfulness Approaches within the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Tradition, has been recently released. Read more ›
The musician, Matt Andersen, is phenomenal. When I heard his live performance of the carol, O Holy Night, a few years ago, it took my breath away.
Last week, while listening to his studio recording of the same carol, I was struck by pairing the end of one particular line paired with the beginning of the next. Read more ›
This weekend, I had the great pleasure of candlelight, a handmade quilt, and a book (as well as other things). I read the book, How To Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers, by Toni Bernhard. I heard about the book on Facebook of all places and via Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance. Read more ›
Recently, I read the book Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle (2010, Free Press). I do not remember how I learned of the book (I am thinking it may have been a library search) but for whichever way it came across my path, I’m glad that it did.
Gregory’s writing is filled with insights I could spend the next decade (if not the rest of my life) reflecting on and trying to live by and inspire. He is an ordained Jesuit Priest who worked for 20 years in the Boyle Heights of Los Angeles: Read more ›
It is easy to fall down on your kneesFrom a long poem and wonderful book by Mary Oliver called The Leaf and The Cloud (2000, p. 48):It is easy to fall down on your knees
when the shining rain begins to happen.
It is easy to be thankful
for the bundles of wild roses
ledged along the dune.
Is is as easy as if you were yourself a flower in the field,
the rain tossing you and tossing you,
until you are that flower—
as torn as muddy as golden as that.
—-
I have always loved those lines and remembered them, if not exactly, but their essence in my heart. Read more ›
Today I watched the talk “How Economic Inequality Harms Societies” given by Richard Wilkinson at TED.com and I wanted to share it. The presenter speaks of the compelling relationship between the degree of income disparity in a country and the degree of health of the individuals who live there. Over and over again, the findings suggest that the greater the disparity, the poorer will be all the people’s health in that country, including people’s mental health. Read more ›
Let me begin with the introduction of some terms: spool (not the kind for thread), water box, elevation, drop, a “y”, underground services, mains, laterals, hydraulic…. Earlier this month, I faced an emergency of sorts when the sewer drain outside my home became completely clogged and damaged by tree roots.
This was an unexpected and vastly consuming situation, a problem I was unaware of but had clearly been developing for a long time until it reached some tipping point and then, voila! Read more ›
