Suffering: Shameful, or Human?

Have you ever known you were struggling, but you felt like you couldn’t tell anyone about it? You want support—and above all, you want to not be struggling—but you fear being judged. And to be honest, you’re judging yourself. At the root of it is this: “I am ashamed because I suffer.” Holy freakin’ Dinah.…

The Fear of Healing

A while ago I sat with a friend. We were talking about the process of healing. “I know I need to go there,” she said. “But I’m so scared.” Her words hit me in the center of my chest. I knew that feeling—something close to terror, a defensive holding up of your hands in front…

Using Resistance to Heal Yourself

It happens to everyone at some point in their healing process. Things are going great; you’re willing to excavate into your pain, and you’ve already seen some gains. And then whoa: one session takes you deep into your pain and you suddenly feel like you slammed into a wall. NOPE! No. Uh-uh. Not going there.…