Every one of us goes through times of distress in our lives, where we experience the highs and lows, anxiety, and prolonged stress. This stress can definitely have a negative impact on your health and cause other major problems. Stress that has been developing for a long time can cause your health to rapidly deteriorate […]

“They believed their good luck would never end.” They are turning 50 – “midlife” – and are shocked to discover that there are limits to life’s possibilities.  They are the Baby Boomers. The Baby Boomers represent the largest generation in U.S. history, accounting for almost 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964.  They have […]

How many times have you taken a book or two with you on a trip, only to return home with them still unread?  We are all horrible at calculating free time.  We start off with high expectations only to become disappointed when confronted by reality. Each week we have the gift of 168 hours…no more, […]

“Since we each paint our own perception of reality, we must be careful in selecting the colors we use from the palette.” Much has been written about the idea that everything we experience in life is merely a perception of reality…or, more specifically, it is our OWN perception of reality. For example, if you and […]

By: Augusta F. Kantra, MS, LPC “Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” Since reading this quote a few days ago I’ve continued to think about it quite a bit.  Originally, I liked it because I thought it was clever, but the more I thought about it, the more […]

Few people are prepared for the responsibilities and tasks involved in caring for loved ones who are ill, elderly, or disabled. The success of the relationship between you and your loved one depends on several factors. One of the most important is how well you take care of yourself, empowering yourself to be there for […]

It’s not uncommon to experience a number of difficult situations everyday…little aches and pains, slights made to you by others, mistakes you make (and get called on), upsetting news, etc.  It’s also not uncommon to become lost in some of these problems, giving them so much power over you that it’s almost as if they […]

The Gwich’in are a group of native Alaskan people who have lived in the northwestern part of North America, mostly above the Arctic Circle, for many centuries.  The word “Gwich’in” means “people of the land.”  Oral tradition indicates that the Gwich’in have occupied this area for as long as 20,000 years. Until the 1980’s, the […]

We all know what “paranoia” is…professionally, it refers to a disorder of the mind involving delusions, usually persecutory in nature.  In general use, we use the word to describe someone who is suspicious that the world is conspiring to hurt them.  Less known is the term “pronoia,” which is, in essence, the opposite of paranoia.  […]

All parents are aware that parent-child communication can be very difficult at times.  Most parents are also aware that these “difficult” communication patterns can quickly become “impossible” during the teen years. Even though it’s normal for teens to begin to separate from their parents during adolescence, they need to know that the safety net of […]