I so often find myself sitting in my Santa Barbara office, talking with a client about how hard she is on herself. Clients come to see me because they’re unhappy in some way. They may be struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, or a myriad of other “problems.” Their issues may be situational, or in … Read More
self-image
“I Feel Like A Fraud!”
In one form or another, the idea that “I feel like a fraud” is something I’ve heard many times in my office through the years. My clients can be so hard on themselves! But it’s not just my clients. Feeling like we aren’t really who we pretend to be, is a feeling that we can … Read More
A Sense of Shame vs. Feeling Guilty
As a Santa Barbara Therapist, I’ve talked with many unhappy clients about feelings of guilt and shame. Both are very heavy burdens to carry. They limit our ability to create the lives that we crave. Guilt is a sense that we’ve done something specific that’s wrong. This can be easier to heal than shame. When … Read More
How Do You Feel About Getting Older?
When we were kids, getting older seldom crossed our minds. We were too busy being involved in whatever we were doing at the moment. There came a certain time, though, that we began to look forward to getting older, because it meant additional freedoms and more exciting adventures. At some point it began to mean … Read More
What If You Believed In Yourself?
“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” E. E. Cummings This is a beautiful quote, and perfectly captures the way healthy, well-loved children experience life! Have you ever taken a walk with a young child? They’re full of curiosity and feelings of … Read More
What Are Your Dreams?
“It’s never too late to be who you might have been.” What an empowering quote! As we grow older, many of us have the tendency to close the door on our dreams. We tell ourselves that it’s too late now to go back to school, to take up a new career, to start an interesting … Read More