Teens and Politics: A Difficult Combination for Mental Health
For several years, health experts have been warning about increased mental health strain on America’s young people. Social media took its toll. Global warming continues to cause fear and anger. And most recently, the global pandemic has led to unprecedented levels of isolation and hopelessness. Social media has largely been a silent problem, tricking young people and adults alike into thinking that it is a benign medium to socialize and
Living with Uncertainty
Perhaps one of the greatest lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic has been that life is uncertain. Despite all of our intelligence and technology and desire for stability, everything is subject to change. Of course, most of us have seen plenty of change. As a young gen-X member (born in 1980), I was just coming of age when fear swept the world that at the moment clocks struck midnight on January
Understanding our Shadow Side with Empathy
I’ve written before about the evolutionary psychologist Robert Wright, who draws together ideas from history, human development, and religion in ways that I have found useful and compelling. In his most recent newsletter he reflects on the war crimes likely committed in Ukraine by Russian troops. Wright begins by quoting Will Smith, who you might have seen in the news recently. Smith once said, "Even Hitler didn't wake up
Glimmers, Or Moments of Meditative Joy
In 2018, Deb Dana, LCSW published the book, The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy. It was in this book that she described two phenomena: triggers and glimmers. The concept of triggers has long been part of our common vocabulary, along with “trigger warnings” to alert viewers or readers to sensitive material. But the other concept, glimmers or glimmering, hasn’t caught on. One potential reason for this is our inherent “negativity bias.”
Further Adventures In Mindful Parenting
While I am not a child-development expert or a wildly successful parent of 6 brilliant and charming children, I do find that my wife and I are doing pretty okay with our one toddler-aged kiddo. ! Some of the success comes from family and friends. We are learning from our parents as they re-use techniques that worked for us when we were young. We are learning from our local Missoula
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome
Impostor syndrome, the feeling that one doesn’t really belong, is a growing problem in America’s workplaces, schools, and social settings. It’s not a momentary, “oh, I’ve walked into the wrong room” kind of feeling, but instead a deeply unsettling complex of thoughts and emotions that lead us to ask, “why am I pursuing this path in my life?” I first heard about impostor syndrome when I was a graduate student