Salsa Dancing and Failure

There are many reasons why I dance salsa. One is to fail. Yes, you read that correctly. I dance to fail.  When you partner dance, salsa in particular, you are going to make mistakes, several times a dance, no matter how good you are. Dancing salsa gives me a powerful opportunity to stay in process, let go of the results, and just be present. Sound familiar? The mindset and skills of making that happen are an essential part of my coaching academics on writing, being “productive” and being in the job.

Waiting list for new clients--contact now!

I currently have a bit of a waiting list for new clients, and I anticipate that it may be growing. Should you wish to have a chat to see if we are a good match, please reach out soon! I want to be part of your totally transforming your scholarly career!

Good morning, have a good writing session

 Happy Monday. I hope today you have a good writing session. What is a good writing session? One in which you stay in process, do not trash yourself with expectations and demands, don't try to "catch up", have a good entry,  focus on one sentence at a time, and write for a healthy, sustainable amount of time.

There is a lot more to it than that, or perhaps, there is not . 

Expanding My Coaching Practice

As I prepare to retire after 25 year as a college professor, I am expanding my coaching practice. For 14 years, I have helped academic thrive in ways they never thought possible. Let's have a complementary chat, even if you are only one percent interested. I love helping!

To Be Yourself

When you reach the limits of what is expected of you, you come to same dilemma: to be yourself.

Paraphrased from a distant memory, Henry Miller's Tropic of Capricorn. 

Ten Reasons Why I Am Retiring From Faculty to Coach Full Time

1

When you reach the limits of what is demanded of you, you reach the same dilemma, to be yourself, Henry Miller. 

2

My sister is dying of brain cancer.

3

I am dying too, as are you, we just don’t know the date.

4

My dog is cute AF, and if this does not work out, someone will take us in.

5

I can coach my butt off. I may suck at other things, but at coaching, I am awesome-sauce.. 

6

Everything I have ever done has led me to this.

7

Because I can help you write. A lot. Without killing yourself. Fact.

8

Go big or go home. We are all going home.

9

Because I get to spend each and every day being part of the journeys of amazing people. 

10

Come find out 🦄🦄🦄

Workbooks to Help You With Self Talk and Other CBT Tools

Not everyone has access to quality mental health services. As such, it is important that we have, for ourselves and others, self help tools to help us work through some of lives more challenging problems, and to help us grown and change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy oriented workbooks are a great way of working through (non-clinical, or perhaps best said sub-clinical) depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.

Please note--I am NOT suggesting these INSTEAD of therapy or medication. If you are suffering from severe anxiety, depression or any other mental health concerns that are greatly impacting your functioning, please seek help. If you are thinking of harming yourself or others, please seek help.

However, if you have no access and if your condition is not serious enough to seek therapy or medication, or if you are hoping to grow and change in key areas, workbooks can be part of your self help toolbox.

Last spring, I actually had an assignment in my graduate cognitive therapy course in which students selected and worked through a CBT oriented workbook. In my course evaluations, seven or eight students highlighted that work as one of the most important things they did in their whole graduate social work program. Wow. I have also used these as supplements to my work with clients, suggesting they work though one of these in order to assist our work together.

Using these workbooks are a great way to work on your self talk--the topic of the last several of my blog posts. Some of these workbooks are related to specific conditions, while others are more general tools to help you with your mental health and resiliency. Try one, and let me know how they work.

In no particular order:

The CBT Toolbox, Second Edition: 185 Tools to Manage Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Behaviors & Stress

The Anxiety and Worry Workbook: The Cognitive Behavioral Solution

Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks: A Workbook for Managing Depression

The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety: A Step-By-Step Program

The CBT Workbook for Mental Health: Evidence-Based Exercises to Transform Negative Thoughts and Manage Your Well-Being