On Tuesday, March 16, eight people were shot and killed in targeted attacks in massage parlors in Atlanta. Six of the victims were Asian and seven of the victims were women. To be honest, I had been tuning out of current events lately from emotional exhaustion. I try to stay on top of recent news as much as possible in order to be present for my clients throughout this pandemic. But time and time again, we have had so much sadness and hatred that I have found myself needing a break. On Wednesday night, as I was celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, I received texts from caring friends asking if I was okay. Confused, I turned and asked my husband if something against Asians had happened recently as I have been tuning out social media and news networks. Strangely, I somehow knew that my friends were referencing something that had to do with race even though their texts didn’t state anything specific. I then replied with, “Oh”, and didn’t say anything further. It was as if my mind and body was numb to all the hate crimes that have been occurring since the start of the pandemic. This shooting isn’t something new.
Continue reading “A Word on Violence Against Asians”Teaching Children to Build Self-Compassion
Many of my clients, regardless of age, know by now that I am big supporter of developing self-compassion. Self-compassion may seem like self-esteem, but the two are actually different. Self-esteem is based on how different we are from others and how much we like ourselves. Self-esteem teaches us that we should be above average in order to feel good about ourselves, and that it is not okay to be just like everybody else. For many perfectionists and highly anxious individuals out there like myself, trying to achieve greatness could lead us down a problematic path.
Continue reading “Teaching Children to Build Self-Compassion”COVID-19 Blues in Teens
The year is 2021, yet we are still facing disruptions from the 2019 coronavirus pandemic. For some of us, myself included, our lives have not changed as drastically. Teens in particular have had major disruptions to their lives and routines. Because of their stage of development, teens have had a harder time adjusting to the changes in their lives than children and adults.
Continue reading “COVID-19 Blues in Teens”