Self-help recommendations from Raptitude
I often feed my connection to mindfulness through the reading and surfing I do online. One site I recently visited is Raptitude. In particular, I enjoyed this post (click on the text below): Five self-help books that actually helped David provides his own insight as to why these selections resonate with him and I agree with the recommendations he makes. They are generally approachable titles that make realistic claims and offer thoughtful and widely-applicable wisdom. Please let me know if you have any favourites (or if…
Recommended Reading – Tinnitus Treatment Toolbox
As part of my counselling practice, I am now seeing clients who are dealing with tinnitus. This is another condition that is often associated with unrecognized emotional consequences. Many sufferers are told to just "learn to live with it." However, there are effective ways to cope with the distress. Jan L. Mayes is an audiologist who has tinnitus. Her book, the Tinnitus Treatment Toolbox, is an excellent resource for people with tinnitus and their loved ones. She describes treatment options available and includes case studies that…
The Importance of Hope
Last week, I presented two talks on the challenges of mental and emotional wellness when a person is experiencing physical illness. One major theme centered around the importance of hope. Whether the condition is acute or chronic, there can be a loss of hope when someone is forced to contend with a medical issue. It can feel difficult to feel hopeful for the future when there is so much uncertainty (see this post). Yet hope is crucial to resilience and forward movement in the long run.…
Recommended Reading – Mindful Magazine
Today's recommended reading comes in the form of a favourite magazine of mine - Mindful Magazine. You are likely not surprised to see that mindfulness is again making an appearance on the blog here; the relevancy and benefits of mindfulness within health management are key beliefs of mine. On the Mindful site, you will find articles that describe the science behind mindfulness, as well as anecdotal support from individual contributors. Plus there is ample space devoted to describing specific mindful practices you can incorporate into your…
Technology
This past weekend I attended a discussion group that touched on the topic what it means to be human and what is the influence of technology on being human (Please visit the Philosophy Dinners site for more information on such events in your city). There were some rich conversations examining both how we are helped and hindered by our increasingly techological society. Since much of the counselling work that I do centers around the psychological needs of those with medical conditions, this topic naturally got me…
Uncertainty
Pema Chodron is an inspiration for me both in my personal life and also in my counselling practice. Buddhist practices are often relevant to my clients who are facing health and medical crises. These experiences entail a great deal of waiting... such as waiting for appointments, tests, and results. My clients speak of the significant distress they go through while all this waiting is taking place. Very often, these challenges are related to the uncertainty surrounding the situation. Once we have information, we are able to…