Dr. Valerie Fitzpatrick is a chiropractor offering gentle chiropractic services to the Greater Toronto Area community. Her practice is centered around Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) approach to health and healing. Network Care is a very gentle therapy that can be helpful with people of all ages, from newborns to the elderly.  Dr. Valerie Fitzpatrick teaches her patients to use a variety of home techniques, including breathing, gentle stretching, and other exercises to support the progress they make in their sessions with her. As chronic tension patterns are shifted, muscles and joints begin to move and respond in new healthy ways. Over time, patients develop new ways of dealing with physical, mental and emotional stress, leading to pain reduction, increased energy and improved sleep patterns. I catch up with her to talk about what is a chiropractor and how they help us lead a healthier life.

Valerie, tell me a little about you, and what made you want to become a chiropractor? 

I think that I have always had an analytical mind and a love for understanding the human body. I have also had a lifelong love of art.  Along the way, I thought of a career in medical illustration, and then spinal cord research, but then came to realize that Chiropractic was what I wanted to do. I had personally experienced the benefits of chiropractic care with occasional wellness treatments during my childhood. Later in my teens, it was my chiropractor who had a significant impact on my life and health. At the age of 16, I nearly died from viral encephalitis, an acute infection of the brain. I had been hospitalized for a long time and had lingering effects from the illness. It was my chiropractor who helped me and gave me lifestyle guidance as I was finding my way back to health. I went on to undergrad studies in Neuroscience and then postgraduate studies in Chiropractic.

Tell us about your practice as a chiropractor? 

I have had a family practice for 23 years, seeing infants to advanced seniors.  Some of my patients are competitive athletes, some are highly sensitive people, some have had multiple accidents or surgeries, some are dealing with autoimmune disorders, some have anxiety disorders and the list goes on.   I initially started practice with conventional chiropractic techniques, but then was introduced to Network Spinal care which I found so personally beneficial.  I began continuing studies in Network care, and I have been using it as my primary method for the past 19 years. I enjoy using the precise low-force adjustments to reduce the tension along their spinal cord, and muscles, and release the fixations along their spine; I especially like the Network emphasis on considering every patient as a whole complex person with a body, mind, and soul – with their own unique history and outlook. 

How do you help patients find a balance around all the anxiety in the 21^st century?

I think the first step in helping someone is taking the time to ask them about their lifelong stressors and traumas, and truly listening. Whether it is abandonment, financial stress, bullying, an eating disorder, divorce, immigration, loss of a job, chronic disability, change of school or work, abuse, or co-dependence – these things can all contribute to a patient’s current health issues. These things can also lead to a state of helplessness or anxiety.

Secondly, by using the Network care techniques I can help people learn, or rather relearn, to breathe fully and deeply again. This can help them switch off the chronic flight-fight-freeze stress response in the autonomic nervous system. Sometimes, I will also teach patients some spinal awareness breathing exercises called Somato Respiratory Integration to help them connect with their body and breath again. When people are more self-aware, they can also be more adaptable to whatever life will throw at them.

With other patients I also talk about expressing healthy anger, setting healthy boundaries, developing attachments to safe people, eating healthy, exercising, and about self-affirmation through pursuing a passion. I can talk more about these topics another time if you’d like.

Talk to me about being a single parent and how you balance being a chiropractor, a business owner, and a single mother?

Well, yes life has not really gone as I planned, but I have learned to grow and stretch myself with each challenge and each stage of life.  I started my chiropractic practice when I was single; at that time, I was able to focus on work, exercise, spiritual growth, and time with friends. A few years later finding myself divorced with a three-year-old daughter while setting up in a new office as a chiropractor definitely changed my priorities and my schedule. I can’t say that I have always had balance in my life, but I have been willing to adapt and willing to grow. There are things that we can control, but so many things we can’t. A child becoming seriously ill, a car accident, a concussion, the hormonal changes of mid-life, a parent in a health crisis; these are just a few examples.  Life is ever-changing, so what works as a balanced schedule at one stage, will not even be possible at another stage.

Personally, my life and work choices have been based on what was best for my daughter and myself, for our physical health as well as our mental and spiritual health. I put my money into quality food as a priority over expensive vacations.  I have dedicated time for friendships that are safe and nurturing. I decided that no matter how busy I am, I will try to ensure that my daughter knows that I am there for her and that home is a safe place, a haven from the world.  Decisions about work location and office hours have also been based on family needs. I make time to get outside for prayer walks with my Creator; that always puts things into perspective for me and keeps life from feeling overwhelming.

Before I was married, I regularly worked out at the gym in solitude, doing weight training and cardio. As a single parent with a young daughter, I couldn’t do that. I learned to exercise at home with a few basic pieces of equipment: resistance bands, a yoga mat, an exercise ball, various dumbbells, and a weighted ball. As my daughter got old enough to be on her own, I found that I could join a gym again, but I realized that I also needed some fun social time. I was starting to feel isolated as a single mom with a solo practice. So instead of joining a gym again, I took different sport and dance classes- lots and lots of classes. That way I met my need for exercise, music, and socialization with other adults.  Now I am back to going to the gym, but I am doing things like boot camp, yoga, and weight-training classes. 

Talk to me about your art and why hobbies and pursuing a passion are important?

As I mentioned earlier, art was one of my first loves, especially pottery and painting.  I did lose connection with my creative side during the years of starting my practice, going through a painful marriage, motherhood, and divorce. When I was in the midst of a particularly difficult time, a few years ago I found art again. It became my therapy.  Art has been a grounding and energizing force in my life again. I no longer paint with a concern about impressing other people with my technical ability. I paint to express my inner self and honor the urge to create.  I have been able to be a part of three art shows now; I have grown from the vulnerability of showing my work, I have felt the deep joy of hearing that someone was moved by my art, and I have felt my self-esteem grow.  I have been able to share my love of art with my daughter, and it has been a bonding activity for us.

Photo Credit: Memories by Moxley

The post Dr. Valerie Fitzpatrick: Network Chiropractor appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Parenting has taken on a whole new meaning during Covid 19.

Parents, caregivers, and children across the country are facing challenges and have to constantly pivot during the lockdown.

Focus on creating quality time and make sure your children are connected with family, friends, and neighbors through social media, chats, phones, and email.

Go on walks with your children while maintaining a safe distance.

Listen to understand your children, focus on their positive behavior and be a role model.

I talk to Brett about mental health and parenting.

Brett Ullman travels North America speaking to teens, young adults, leaders, and parents on topics including sexuality, mental health, men, dating, and media. Brett’s seminars engage and challenge attendees to try and connect our ancient faith with the modern culture we live in. Participants are inspired to reflect on what we know, what we believe, and how our faith ought to serve as the lens through which we view and engage in tough conversations in our society today.

Husband to Dawn and father of Bennett and Zoe, Brett and his family make their home in Ajax, Ontario where Brett leads and directs Worlds Apart, a charity focused on empowering individuals to re-align their lives with Biblical core values often muddled by media but central to Christian living.

Brett was a teacher with the Toronto District School Board for 10 years before moving into speaking full-time back in 2005. Brett has a Master’s degree in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton Graduate School in Chicago and is also a graduate of the Arrow Leadership Program. He and his family are members of Sanctus Church in Ajax since 2004. I catch up with Brett to talk about mental health and parenting.

Brett, please tell my audience a little about you?

My name is Brett Ullman. My wife (Dawn) and I live in Ajax, Ontario with our 2 teenagers Zoe (16) and Ben (15). I was a teacher with the TDSB (Toronto District School Board) for 10 years before leaving teaching 13 years ago to speak full-time. My speaking had started the year I began teaching and had grown to the point where I was teaching full-time and speaking 45 dates a year across Canada and the US. I speak on current issues from parenting, mental health, dating, media, faith, sex, men, and pornography.

I have a 14-year daughter, what is the best advice you can give me?

There is a quote from the book “Trophy Child” from Ted Cunningham that says “They will not be with me forever so I will prepare them accordingly.” This would be my best advice … prepare your daughter for life, don’t protect her from life. We seem to see an epidemic of over-parenting (which is rooted in fear-based parenting) throughout our society. If 4 years from now she heads away for school she better be ready to deal with everything from good online digital citizenship, dealing with sex and pornography, dealing with money, all aspects of dating, etc.

As a side point, I would say go and tell her that you love her. I am blown away on an ongoing basis by how many young girls tell me their dad has never told them he loved her.

I would also remind her often that you are there for her, not against her. That we as parents want the best for our kids and we are in their corner in life is a huge deal. This also means that we are still for them even when they mess up. Our kids need to know that we love them “forever and always” no matter what happens. This is unconditional love.

In the last decade, we as a society have been talking about mental health. What can we as parents do if our kid is struggling?

If I am in a room of students and/or parents and ask who knows someone who struggles with mental health, there is usually not a hand that does not go up. It is affecting all of us as a modern culture today. As someone who had a breakdown back in 2012 from speaking close to 300 speaking dates a year to pay for my Master’s degree, I was taking down in Chicago I understand first-hand the … what word do I use … struggle that those of us with mental health struggles face within the church today. One of the issues is that we allow people with cancer, diabetes, and other illnesses to follow a path to healing using best practices (doctors, medications, etc) but tell someone struggling with mental health it must be a spiritual issue. I have an entire talk on this called the Walking Wounded. Let me give you the 2 min summary.

If you or your kids are struggling with mental health you need to attack it in 3 ways:

1. Body – go to your family doctor. Get blood work, and a physical done and see if there is anything physically wrong with you. You then need to take care of your body by eating better, sleeping more, and doing daily exercise. Some of the struggles we have are just from our living unsustainable lives. We need to take back control of what we can.
2. Mind – go see a counselor and get some strategies to help you in your journey.
3. Soul – Now this is the one that gets vast debate. I would say that our faith is (for the most part) not the answer in the journey but is the thing that sustains us in the journey no matter the outcome. Talk to pastors, prayer teams, small groups, and other people and allow them into your journey as well.

How are sexuality, media, and dating related?

I put them all under an umbrella I call a Christian Sexual Ethic or a Biblical worldview of healthy sexuality. If you have a correct ethic or worldview on this, it will affect all aspects of how we view sexuality in our lives. This affects what we do in relationships, what we do online, and the type of media we put into our lives.

Give me some practical examples as to how we can connect an ancient faith to our fast-paced modern culture?

I think it starts with a Biblical Worldview. Your Worldview shapes your values, and then your values shape your actions, what you actually do in life. I have been talking about spiritual disciplines for 15 years in my talks. These are the primary spiritual formation building blocks of our faith. Reading, praying, fasting, giving, volunteering, etc. are the foundations of our faith. I just finished a chapter on this for my new book so here is a shortlist of a few books to get you started in this area:

1. Dallas Willard: The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives
2. Richard J. Foster: Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth
3. Nathan Foster: The Making of an Ordinary Saint
4. Patrick M. Morley: A Man’s Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines: 12 Habits to Strengthen Your Walk with Christ
5. Ken Shigematsu: God in My Everything: How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God
6. Gary Thomas: Sacred Pathways
7. Ruth R. Barton: Sacred Rhythms: Arranging our lives for Spiritual Transformation

Give me some practical tips on parenting and how to communicate with our kids on taboo topics?

The author Henry Cloud says we need to “Enter the danger.” We need not shy away from the tough stuff but lean into the conversations.

One thing that is really important here is that if you want to be able to speak to your kids on tough topics, you have to have relational influence in their lives. This is not something that you get because you are a parent, it is something you have to earn. When your kids are born, you have positional influence as you are the parent, and they are the kid. As they get older this fades away, and you must have relational influence. You build this day by day as your kids are growing up by being involved in their lives, family dinners, family vacations, family meetings, talks on the couch, game night, movie night, laughing and crying with your kids, encouraging them, etc.

Back to the tough topics use people around you. If you do not know what to say about a particular topic spend some time searching online, talk to your pastors and leaders, talk to parents of kids who are older than yours, read books on this topic, spend time on YouTube and searching Ted talks for great content. My website (www.brettullman.com) is filled with resources like this. My blog has conversations on all of these tough topics and the best links to other resources are all posted.

Talk to my female audience and help them in the dating world and how they need to navigate it?

I might start with a younger audience and say you don’t need to rush into dating in Grade 5-11. It will add a lot of heartaches, and the real question you are going to have to answer is what do you do sexually in these relationships as there is not much else that will be different from a good friend and dating other than that.

The other side of that coin is said to people who are out of High School and challenging them actually to date. We have a problem I see today where people are just not dating.

An important question to ask is not whether they like you, but whether they are worth you’re like.

Let me explain this better. It is great they like you, but does it matter? Are they the right person for you? Do you also like them? Do you have anything in common etc.? You don’t need to date someone just because they like you. You have a choice whether to like them back (in a dating way) or just stay friends.

What are some questions we need to ask ourselves before getting married?

The most viewed blog on my site with over 12,600 views is 80+ questions you need to ask when you are dating. Lots of questions to ask before you ever get engaged and married. Just a few good ones would be:

–    What behavior is appropriate for those who are going to practice sexual abstinence before marriage

–    Are you a non-practicing Christian? What does the Christian faith mean to you?

–    Do you want any? 1? 2? 5?

–    What kind of home do you want your children to grow up in? Values? Rules?

–    What will you do? Where will you live? What comes with the job you have chosen? Travel?

You can use my blog as a start and then add any other questions you have. The point is to ask these before you get serious. If you want to have kids and they do not this is a massive red flag that your relationship might not be right. If they’re going to move to another place in the country and you want to live near your family and friends, it might be another red flag. 

How important is communication in the family?

It is paramount. I am a huge fan of family dinners, family meetings, family vacations, etc. The problem we see today is peer attachment without parental attachment. This is seen in Leonard Sax’s’ book The Collapse of Parenting. Our kids are looking for unconditional love and acceptance from their peers which is just something they are not able to give. Our kids need a strong, secure attachment (bond) with us as parents, only then can they head out into the world and bond with their peers.

We as parents need to make sure that we work at good communication. No technology at the dinner table. Phones are on airplane mode and not on silent. People need to look at each other in the eye when they are talking. This problem of partial attention is getting worse in life.

We also need to have open communication on the expectations of our kids around the house. Clear, agreed on boundaries and expectations for everything from chores to curfew.

How do you balance faith family finance and food in this busy world?

I think the first thought here is just to be conscious that you want to live a balanced, sustainable life. I am presently reading “The Ripple Effect” by Greg Wells. The bi-line is:

Sleep better

Eat better

Move better

Think better

So love this. Many years ago, I heard the analogy of the jar with the different size rocks. If you put in the sand and small stones first the large rocks will not fit in. But, if you put in the large rocks, then small stones, then the sand they will all fit. It is the same in our lives. Plan your life to fit in the large rocks first (exercise, sleep, diet, faith etc.), then put in the smaller stones (shopping, cleaning, volunteering) When all of these things are done you are left to put in the sand of your life (TV, social media, video games, etc).

The post Reflections on mental health and parenting appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

What is self-care? Self-care is the intentional and concerned process of taking care of and improving your mental, emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual health with a balanced lifestyle. During this pandemic, it can be stressful and self-care is important. I strongly recommend that you eat well, sleep 8 hrs a day, maintain your social network, exercise, take care of your spiritual needs, have financial security and focus on the end of the tunnel.

Self-care is taking care of yourself and it is very important.

I have gone to the gym and eaten healthily for most of my life. I have taken care of my finances. These are examples of self-care. One area I was neglecting was my emotional self-care. I volunteered as a financial counselor, helped many friends go through a divorce and their own emotional challenges. I neglected boundaries and realized my gifts are not in the area of counseling and giving emotional support. I was burned out and it was impacting my marriage and parenting.

We can embrace busyness because that is the status symbol. We try to be busy so that we can feel important. I have learned to say NO to a lot of volunteer and other positions offered to me. I had to have a holistic approach to life.

The moment we align our goals, values, and ethos with our job, friends, charitable giving, and the various organizations that we are part of, cognitive dissonance disappears. We are happy. We live a purpose-driven life. Everything makes sense.

Over the next couple of weeks, this is what I want you to do. The job you have. Do you love it? Are you passionate about it? Does it work with your core competence and skillsets? The friends you have. Are they toxic? Do you hang out with them because of your own insecurity? Are they taking you to where you want to go in life? What about where you live, where you worship, and other organizations that you are part of?

I am asking you to take an inventory of where you are at. We get so caught up in financial net worth that we forget about our emotional, mental, psychological, spiritual worth? What is your identity?

It is 2022. We are still in the midst of a pandemic. Please stay safe and take care of yourself.

Josie D is the creator behind The Cheetah Buzz, a unique lifestyle blog on fashion, beauty, and travel. I catch up with her and talk about personal style, beauty trends, and self-care.

Josie, I am excited to talk to you about fashion, travel, and beauty. I want to know something about you?

Thank you so much for interviewing little ole’ me. I feel so humbled and blessed for this opportunity! One thing about me is that I was born in Accra, Ghana and I came to the United States when I was 6 ½ years old. I believe it will be about 22 years since I’ve been living in the States. I’m also a big fan of yellow cake and anything sweet!

I like The Cheetah Buzz. How did the name come about?

Thank you so much! During my freshman year of college, while I was chilling in my friend’s dorm room, her roommate busted in and told me I looked like a cheetah when I smiled lol. I thought it was really funny and it just stuck in my head. In 2017, when I started a portfolio of my pictures on Instagram, I named it The Cheetah Buzz and that snowballed over to the name of my blog!

I want to know how does one find our own personal style and not get caught following the crowd?

One thing I always stress is figuring out what colors you like to see yourself in, from there, you can build and figure out what textures and fabrics to gravitate towards. My recent blog post about finding your personal style touches more about this topic. To stand out from the crowd, it’s also important to not follow trends as they come and go, but instead be comfortable in doing your own thing. Let people copy off of your style not you copy of off theirs. Be a trendsetter!

Give women some tips on how they can dress better?

One way to learn how to dress better is to download fashion apps like the Combyne app and the Closet Love app. These apps will help you create and style different outfits so you can see which shirts, jeans, shoes, and accessories pair well together.  Once you do that, then you can implement some of those ideas into your own closet and see what pairs well together there. Another tip is to pick one accessory such as a pair of shoes or a silver necklace and create a look around that one item. You can turn this into a fun challenge!

My daughter is 16. What are some self-care drug store products she must own?

When I was 16, I wish I had the Clean & Clear Day & Night Face Wash 2 Pack to keep the pimples away. This product is both oil-free and hypoallergenic. Also, at this age, I was experimenting with lots of makeup, so the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes and the Lypsyl Lip Balm always came in handy. The wipes removed all of my makeup and the lip balm kept my lips super moisturized.

What are the beauty trends for 2021?

I’m not really sure what the beauty trends for 2021 will be as 2020 has been a stay at home look for a lot of people due to the lockdown. But what I’m hoping is less is more and loving the skin you’re in will be the beauty trend for women in 2021. Based on what I see on social media, fashion runways, and in music videos, it looks like lip glosses, defined eyebrows, colorful makeup, bejeweled eyes, and big lashes are staying strong; so maybe they might roll over into 2021.

Self-care, Self-love is not selfish. Please comment?

If something or outside forces are hurting your mental health and overall wellbeing, it’s definitely not selfish to put yourself first and treat yourself back to health. What good are you to others or to society if you don’t take good care of yourself or even love yourself? When you take care of yourself first, then you’ll be more productive in helping others, and that for sure is not selfish.

What does women’s empowerment mean to you and what is it not?

Women’s empowerment is uplifting and fixing another woman’s crown when you see it tilt. This can refer to a lot of things. When you see, hear or read that another woman is going through some hard times or is feeling weak, reach out and lend an ear to them and let her know that you got her back and you are there to listen.

Woman empowerment is speaking out on issues that are hurting or will cause a problem for other women in the community. Woman empowerment does not mean bringing other women down so you can make yourself feel better. It’s also not being envious of other woman’s achievements or successes just because you are not successful yourself. I like to be in the mindset of when one woman is successful at something, we (women as a whole) are all successful too.

Talk to me a little bit about Ghana. I want to know about its vibrant culture and food scene?

Ghana is a beautiful country. I recently traveled to my hometown of Accra, Ghana back in 2018. My sister and I stayed in a local city called Agbogba. The streets were filled with tons of cars, buses, taxis, and lots of vendors trying to sell people things. There were tons of palm trees nearby and the sand was like a beautiful dark, orange-brown color. The houses were big and beautifully made with their own personalities. People were always smiling and happy about life. It’s definitely a great place to retire lol.

The locals spoke a lot of different languages including Ga, Twi, Ewe, and English of course. I believe the food was the best part of Ghana. You had a wide variety of savory foods to choose from like fufu with palm nut stew, banku with okra stew and crab, jollof rice with lots of goat meat, and kenkey with shito and fried fish, among many others.

I was never a people pleaser. I sleep better. You talk a lot about how people-pleasing can be destructive. Walk me through how it can be harmful?

Lol lucky you! Yes, I have always been a people pleaser since I was little. I think it was just embedded in me to be that way as a child. I was always taught to follow orders and help people out whether I wanted to or not. If I didn’t and told someone no, the guilt I would feel almost made doing the thing for that person better than the feeling of telling them no.

As a people pleaser, it hurt my personal self-care because I always put others’ needs before my own which made me rely upon and put my trust in people. And then when people would disappoint me, the hurt cut through me more than anything — and that is the destructive part about it. Now as a recovering people pleaser, I know I cannot put my trust in others anymore and I cannot be afraid to say no especially if hinders my mental health or overall wellbeing.

I love the fact that you talk about positive affirmation. Share a little about that?

Positive affirmations are so powerful! When you recite positive affirmations, the words can shift your perspective on how you see yourself. Though your circumstances or surroundings may be poor, if you tell yourself I am rich every day, you will start to believe that and that can manifest into you finding ways to become rich or make you look at different parts of your life in a positive way and know that you are rich in other ways: you are rich in health, rich in life, and rich because you have a family that loves you and so forth. Positive affirmations can make a world of difference.

The post Self Care: Taking Care of Yourself appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Collaboration in health care is defined as health care professionals assuming complementary roles and cooperatively working together, sharing responsibility for problem-solving, and making decisions to formulate and carry out plans for patient care.

I talk to Dr. Shannon Dales owner and chiropractor at Core Focus Health Group. With over 25 years of experience, Shannon believes that lifelong mobility and good health are intrinsically linked.  She helps her clients feel good and move well through chiropractic care, acupuncture, and exercise and leads by example being a National level competitive athlete and busy Mom of 2.

Shannon, welcome to my series on health professionals. Please tell my global audience a little about you?

I have always been a very physical person enjoying exercise and sports.

I was the kid joining every sports team at school.  With my heavy involvement in sport, I experienced my share of injuries.

As a child, I was exposed to the benefits of chiropractic care, as I received treatments for my sport-related injuries.  As I contemplated a career choice much later, it was evident that chiropractic science was a natural fit for me. I have been providing chiropractic care for almost 25 years.

Outside of the office, I am a proud mother of two teenagers.

Define what a chiropractor is and why should people visit you?

A chiropractor deals with the optimal functioning of the nerves, joints, and muscles of the body.  Traditionally, we have been referred to as “back doctors” as the majority of our clients receive chiropractic care with the onset of back or neck pain.

Chiropractic care provides hands-on therapy along with education and exercise to reduce pain and restore function.

Chiropractic care offers an alternative way to manage back pain without the use of opioids.

Talk to me about your practice and the different professions that practice here and the holistic approach to health care?

I am very fortunate to work in an office with many other talented therapists.

Core Focus Health Group provides chiropractic care, physiotherapy, massage therapy, naturopathy, acupuncture plus diagnostic testing services such as genetic and genome testing.

We provide individualized, best evidence care in a collaborative environment.

Clients like having a team to support their needs.

In the 21st century, most of us work and commute long hrs. What can we do to deal with all this sitting that is practically killing us?

We see many clients with the “downtown” back referring to back pain from sitting all day.

Many of us are familiar with the statement “Sitting is the new smoking”.  Our bodies are made for movement, not for sitting for prolonged periods of time.

I encourage all my clients to take regular breaks from sitting all day – get up and walk around!

Some of my clients have also integrated stand-up desks into their work environment. Standing is better than sitting but the movement is still the best.

Regular exercise including cardio, weights, and core strength will help keep the body healthy plus reduce disability and morbidity.

Talk to me about your passion for rowing and how important it is to have a passion and to pursue that?

During my first year providing chiropractic care, one of my clients invited me to paddle with her dragon boat team.  I had never been in a dragon boat but was curious about this sport.  After the first practice, I was hooked.

I loved being outside and enjoyed the physical effects of a good cardio workout, the social interaction, and the mental clarity after this exercise. I have enjoyed the travel benefits of dragon boat competitions both nationally and internationally.  In fact, I have been on the Canadian National Senior A Women’s dragon boat team for many years. I also met my husband through this sport!

What advice do you have for type A’s who want it all?

Balance is key to successfully achieving your goals and supporting your priorities.

The post Core Focus Health Group: Heal and Prevent appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

January is here, which means you’ve likely set a New Years’ resolution! for your health goals. It is important to have holistic goals, where you in are sync emotionally, spiritually, mentally, psychologically, and financially.

2020 and 2021 were not easy. However, I am going to leave you with this

Mallory Aldred is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who provides an individually tailored, non-diet approach to whole-body wellness where she offers a variety of programs centered around real-time education, teamwork, and accountability. She gives a few helpful strategies to stick to your 2022 health objectives and goals.

Is one of your health goals to lose weight?

Is one of your health goals to start packing your lunches?

How about becoming more active?

If so, well done! Here are a few helpful strategies I provide my nutrition clients that may help you stick to your 2020  health goals:

Start small and realistic. Oftentimes, we set goals that are extremely overwhelming which can make it difficult to get started. Instead of promising yourself, you’ll lose 50 pounds this year, focus on dropping 5 pounds for the month of February.

Find an accountability buddy. Having support, whether it be a friend, family member, or professional coach can be super motivating. Aim for daily or weekly check-ins to keep yourself on track. It’s important to ask for help as many of us are unable to get to where we want on our own.

Create space for setbacks. It’s unrealistic to think you’ll go from A to Z overnight. View setbacks as progress towards achieving your goals and use them as motivation rather than defeat. Your “failures” are simply providing you information about what works and what doesn’t.

Finally, don’t expect a quick fix. We are all built differently and have our own unique timelines. Comparing yourself to others can often cause unnecessary disappointment. Be patient, gentle to yourself, and never give up.

If you are looking for professional health and wellness support, you can contact her at malloryaldred@gmail.com

The post 4 Strategies to Achieve Your Health Goals appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Nirmala Srivastava founded Sahaja Yoga in 1970. During meditation, seekers experience self-realization. Sahaja is a Sanskrit term consisting of ‘Saha’ is ‘with’ and ‘ja’ is ‘born’. In the Buddhist dictionary, it is ‘innate, denoting the natural presence of enlightenment or purity’.

Dr. Girish Gupta, a management consultant, and practitioner of Sahaja Yoga Meditation talks about its advantages.

Girish, it is a pleasure to have you here. Please tell my global audience a little about you?

I am a management consultant, advising companies on the best ways to manage and operate their business, which includes business strategy, operational techniques, marketing, branding, and skills like time management. I help companies become efficient, increase synergies and increase their footprint by attracting new business.

What did you do for your Ph.D. thesis?

I did my Ph.D. in Marketing Management.  The thesis was – Study on the Industrial Product Marketing Strategy of selected companies in India.

Explain your yoga style and how it is linked to your faith.

I practice Sahaja Yoga Meditation. It is Self-Realization or Actualization. Sahaja Yoga is given by our Divine Mother, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi who is the founder of Sahaja Yoga. It is practiced in more than 180 countries across the world. For more details, one can visit www.sahajayoga.org. As far as faith, you can see various miracles in your day-to-day life. You also have peace from within.

Is there any special God you worship?

After practicing Sahaja Yoga, you get the knowledge that all Gods are one and equal. They all lead you to take only one path. The path is the truth that one can feel in his/her nervous system.

How do you embrace good and shun evil?

As we practice Sahaja Yoga and get better, we get established in it. At that point, one automatically comes to know through vibration what is evil and good. You act accordingly.

Do you follow any specific diet?

No, I do not follow any specific diet. However, I surely try to follow a disciplined routine. I take Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.  I make sure there is no interval of more than 4 or 5 hours after each meal. For me, a meal can also be having fruit.

What are the advantages of doing yoga?

People perceive yoga as only physical activity, but actually, yoga means one’s Reunion with all-pervading power which is God’s love flowing everywhere. This reunion can be achieved by self-realization meditation only. I also recommend physical exercise like walking, jogging, cycling, going to the gym, and swimming.

Tell me about Indore and some good restaurants and your favorite dishes.

Indore is located in the western part of Madhya Pradesh. It is a developing B-class city in India. Indore was awarded as best city for cleanliness two years in a row.

Indore is famous for food-loving people with a variety of tastes, different food outlets, and restaurants for their sumptuous meals.  Indore has a food market (Also known as khau gali) that operates from 8 PM to 12 PM. You get a variety of food from Chinese, South Indian, pasta, Jalebi, Kachori, Samosa, etc.

I do not have any specific favorite dish. However, I like Kadhi (made from curd), and butter paneer masala and am fond of sweets. Shreemaya, Sayaji, and TGB are some good restaurants in Indore.

Give me some tips on being a good husband and I will follow up with your wife to see if you are doing these things.

I would strongly recommend trusting each other blindly. Keep quiet when the other person is angry (don’t argue at that point in time). Once when things are normal and cooled down explain your point of view. Love each other without any expectations.

How do you balance faith, food, finance, family, and your career?

Don’t take your office worries home and vice versa. After practicing Sahaja Yoga meditation, you get a work-life balance easily.

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Kylie is a personal trainer, fitness nutritionist specialist, and mother. She is a firm believer in women empowering themselves and to practice intentional living. This intentional living is a blessing that gives you the power to nourish your body and soul and to thrive with self-love, self-worth, and confidence. It will make you radiant in every area of life.

Kylie, tell me something unique and different about you?

I love journaling! I once heard someone say, “Wisdom lies in the questions, not the answers.” It is through journaling that I truly understood how powerful questions are. The prompts in journals always set me off into deep thoughts and reflections, uncovering so many insights and clarity. Journaling has expanded my views and guided me to give thoughts on critical issues and aspects of life that I normally wouldn’t have given much attention to. So, I am constantly on a lookout for good journals!

I love the word empowering and intentional living. Talk to me about how you use it in your practice?

To bring health and nutrition effortlessly into your life, it’s crucial that we look at your life in its entirety rather than just solely nutrition. You are a real person with a career to excel in, family to raise, and passions to pursue. Your life doesn’t revolve just around nutrition. It’s not realistic to focus only on nutrition and neglect other aspects of your life. Merging intentional living with nutrition will allow these two components to sync and flow seamlessly; rather than trying to fit things in haphazardly. Intentional living is integrated through journaling components in the Nutrition Blueprint that my clients will be crafting.

Talking about empowerment, there are many ways to empower oneself. There are also many ways people give up their power unknowingly. In the case of nutrition, some of us change and compromise our lifestyle to adhere to meal plans or diets. We are giving up our rights to live life the way we desire and often end up feeling miserable. Education is one way of empowering yourself to take your power back but there’s a catch.

Knowledge is important but the ability to apply this knowledge safely, effectively and consistently is critical. True empowerment through education is achieved when you combine knowledge with skillsets to implement them. Information alone seldom leads to results. You can buy as many meal plans, fitness plans or courses as you like. If you don’t work on them consistently or if you don’t apply them appropriately, nothing will work.

It’s not my practice to give my clients a meal plan or diet and ask them to “Follow this and don’t deviate.” I equip my clients with essential nutrition knowledge, so they know the reason why they are doing something. They will know the purpose of every step and action plan. It will never be a case of “doing it for the sake of doing” without understanding. I also develop their skillsets to implement nutrition principles so that nutrition flow into their life and is sustainable. These skillsets will also work for other aspects of their life, be it picking up a new hobby or a new habit. Combining knowledge, skills, and clarity, my clients will truly be empowered. They can confidently make adjustments and be flexible about how they integrate nutrition principles into their life.

What kind of a coach are you? I like that you say if someone is looking for a quick fix then you are not the right fit.

I’m a firm believer that it’s not what you do that matters, it’s whether you can do it consistently. No matter how small the action is, if you can do it consistently, you will see results. Most importantly, it will last. Never undermine the power of small, consistent actions. Quick fixes may give you great results, but if it’s not a lifestyle that you can keep up in the long run, the results won’t last. You will go back to where you began and start over again and again. It becomes a vicious cycle that repeats indefinitely. You will be deflated and feel like a total failure even when it’s not exactly your fault. It’s just a fact that quick fixes are not meant to yield long-term sustainable results.

I know life is busy and can be messy, which may be the reason why quick fixes seem so attractive. No matter which stage you are in your health journey, I will meet you where you are. Together we will work with your lifestyle, your schedule, your level of ability, your resources, your environment, your preferences, etc. It’s about integrating things in a harmonious manner rather than forcing nutrition into their life.

Walk me through your struggles with motherhood, what changed and how are you a different person?

I have had several health issues that I needed to deal with postpartum. Juggling motherhood and health issues were tough. I constantly felt guilty when I needed to take some time off for myself. I also felt like a failure when I couldn’t manage the daily responsibilities of taking care of a newborn, housework, etc. I crumbled under the stress. I knew I had to work through those struggles but there was no clear solution.

On a random day when I was observing my child fumbling with her toys and trying to figure out how the toy works, I had a sudden realization. I felt so much joy seeing her explore. Even when she made a mistake, I would still cheer her on. We are so forgiving towards babies who are learning and yet we are so harsh on ourselves when falling short on our own expectations and mistakes. That moment, I knew how I can work things out. That is to act from a place of love.

I stopped picking on my shortcomings. I reminded myself that I am still learning as a first-time mother and patient. I focused on my strengths and what I can do best for my child and my health. I cheered myself on, just like how I cheered my child on. With this approach, my blind spots slowly surfaced. It’s like I’m learning about myself all over again. I’ve re-learned so many values and mind-sets together with my child.

Since then, I see myself as a student of life, always learning and growing. Challenges are lessons that life uses to nurture and teach us. It’s ok to stumble and fall, just like a baby falls while learning to walk. It’s also important to have some form of a self-care routine to help you rest and rejuvenate. It’s only when you are in a great space mentally and physically will you be able to give your 100%. It’s true to say, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

We are living fast lives and never slowing down at the expense of our health and nutrition. Give me a more realistic way as to how we can approach this?

In this hectic world, we are constantly multitasking and even operating on auto-pilot mode. It’s no wonder so many of us are burned-out and stopped noticing the little things in life. It may even sound daunting to allocate time for health and nutrition.

Truth is, we don’t need big and extreme actions to improve our health and nutrition.

Remember we discussed small consistent actions earlier on? Here’s how you can approach it:

1. Decide on an area you would like to improve on or a goal you would like to achieve.
2. List down actions that you think will help you in reaching that goal.
3. Pick one action you are confident in implementing successfully.
4. Ask yourself if the action is small enough to be acted on consistently on a daily basis.
   1. If yes, decide how exactly you are going to do it and then do it!
   2. If no, think about how you can break that action down into smaller steps that can be acted on consistently every day.
5. Once you feel comfortable and are able to act on this action consistently, you can repeat the process to select another action.

The key is to make that step small, easy and quick to do. It may be as simple as drinking one extra glass of water every day or doing a 5 minutes’ stretch every morning. As long as you can do it consistently, you are doing great! You can download the cheat sheet here for quick reference.

If I hire you as a coach, can I go to Mcdonalds, have a coke, and eat ice cream?

Yes, you can! In fact, McDonald’s’ is my favorite fast-food chain. I love their Fillet-O-Fish burger, French fries, and Hot Fudge Sundae! Adhering to any particular diet or cutting out any food category is not necessary unless it is due to a medical condition or required by your medical doctor. There’s no “bad” or “good” food. It’s how we eat and how much we eat that matters. In excessive quantity, even beneficial nutrients like Vitamin A can become toxic.

Talk to me about the city you live in. I want to know the food scene and the amazing restaurants and why should we visit?

I’m from the sunny island of Singapore! It’s summer all year round over here. If you love the sun and beach, our island is the perfect travel destination.

Food Centres are where the locals usually go for our daily meals. There’s a wide range of tasty food selection, all at affordable prices. The best part is you can enjoy Michelin Starred food at the Food Centres without breaking the bank! Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice is possibly the most famous chicken rice in Singapore. Its flagship stall is at Maxwell Food Centre. American celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain once commented that the rice from Tian Tian is exceptionally fragrant, flavorsome, and is delicious on its own. There was an exciting “Hawker Heroes Challenge” in 2013 which Gordon Ramsay took part in and lost out to Tian Tian. So be sure to try Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice when you visit Singapore!

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What is psychotherapy?

Talk therapy, also called psychotherapy, is to help people deal with challenges in life, emotional difficulties, and mental illness. Psychotherapy helps a person to make their life better through introspection and healing.

If we start being honest about our pain, our anger, and our shortcomings instead of pretending they don’t exist, then maybe we’ll leave the world a better place than we found it. – Russell Wilson

Some of the most comforting words in the universe are ‘me too.’ That moment when you find out that your struggle is also someone else’s struggle, that you’re not alone, and that others have been down the same road. – Unknown

Anything human is mentionable, and anything mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. – Fred Rogers

The strongest people are those who win battles we know nothing about. – Unknown

Introduction

I got the most horrifying text of my life. A very close friend of mine, since college, had passed away on Tuesday early morning.

It is not possible. We just spoke on Monday morning. We were going to have lunch on Thursday. I was teasing him about being the king of Facebook. Also, since his dad was 90, I told him that he would probably outlive all of us and therefore attend my funeral.

After that, on a cold day in March, here I was at the funeral home facing his cold, lifeless body. In addition, a thousand memories since we were teenagers kept flashing across my mind.

The same year in April, a young gentleman drove a van across a street where I had lived for more than a decade, killing 10 people and injuring 16.

Similarly, in July as I was heading to the Danforth for a meeting, another male shot and killed 2 people and injured 13 at a nearby restaurant.

Three incidents in less than six months hit home. Why? Could any of the above situations be avoided?

Life happens

My close friend had issues from a young age. It tormented him. Over the years, I begged him, pleaded with him to get help. In 2015, he lost his job and disappeared. I finally got hold of him six months later and he was putting up a front. In 2017, I took him out for lunch for his birthday. Little did I realize that would be the last time I would be seeing him. We spoke throughout the summer, about his marriage, his parenting and how he felt about living in the basement of his parents’ home.

Above all, unemployed, separated from his wife, alone, lonely, feeling rejected, drugs and booze became his best friends. What stopped him from getting help? Did he not realize the hurt he was causing those close to him and especially his kids?  How come he did not know his limits and boundaries? Why did he not seek psychotherapy?

What is masculinity?

As I think about my friend and the other two men, involved in the killings, I am forced to ask myself, why do men not get help? Is it a sign of weakness? Is it considered macho to just suck up and deal with your issues through drugs, porn and substance abuse? Is this masculinity?

Or is masculinity dealing with our issues head-on, accepting responsibility for where you are in life, being grateful, forgiving and getting help?

I wish the three men would have got help. They could have avoided so much pain for themselves and those around them.

Advantages of getting help

When you go to see a psychotherapist, you get feedback on what you are going through from an objective perspective. Here is a trained third-party individual who listens, gives you feedback on what you are going through.

The second advantage is that you get to deal with your negative past. The therapist might ask you to write down your hurts, resentments, bitterness issues, challenges or just he/she will listen.

The third advantage is that it allows you to get in touch with reality. When you are doing drugs, booze, porn, and sleeping around, these are helping you to escape reality.

The fourth advantage is that you end up in better mental and physical health.

The fifth advantage is that it allows you to get to the root cause of your problems. The therapist gives you healthy coping mechanisms.

The final advantage is that you learn to take it easy on yourself and finally no one is judging you at the clinic. They are all encouraged that you have the courage and guts to deal with your issues.

I challenge you that if you are facing issues no matter what go ahead and get professional help.

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Live a life that is well balanced; don’t do things in excess – Daniel Smith

Balance is a feeling derived from being whole and complete; it’s a sense of harmony. It is essential to maintain quality in life and work – Joshua Osenga

As I read the headlines for the last couple of weeks, it has become depressing. A famous entrepreneur who was famous for focusing on success dies in his early 40’s. The final six months of his life were drugs and alcohol. The entrepreneur was paying people a salary to hang out with him. Another entrepreneur was talking about working 80 hours a week. I looked into his personal life. He has four kids from four different women and was asking the journalist who was interviewing him to find him a date. Another spiritual guru was caught in the act of infidelity and drugs. The song continues.

The pursuit of excess or just focusing on one aspect of your life puts the other essential areas out of balance. Everything in life needs balance.

Feeling lonely by not leading a balanced life

The phone rang. In my 15 years on Bay Street, the phone rang constantly. The reasons are to make or cancel a trade, to get a quote, to inform us about a change, or to invite us for a lunch presentation or news announcement.

There were some calls you just ignored. For instance, a call from a stock promoter. However, this was an important call. He had just retired as the CFO of a major mining company. We talked for a while. After that, I asked him how things were going as it had been six months into his retirement. He was shaking and trembling on the other side. He was lonely and bored to death. The latest surveys from the US, Canada, and the UK all show that the baby boomers are lonely after retirement.

Mr. CFO was 60 years old and for the last, three and a half decades had worked in mining operations in the US, South America, and Southeast Asia. He had a fancy condo in the city, a condo in Florida, millions in the bank account. Above all, he was alone, lonely, bored and scared. In conclusion, he called because he wanted to talk to someone.

What is your purpose in life?

In other words, all his life he had focused so much on his career that he never focused on his wife. The kids were raised by nannies and he never formed a bond with them. The wife had left him. The kids had no time for him.

In addition, he made the mistake of replacing his work identity with his personal identity. Similarly, the identity of a husband, brother, uncle, son, father, and volunteer all took a back seat. Above all, it was always that quarterly report and making the analysts happy. It was about meeting targets and getting compensated for it.

The truth is that the work identity ends at some point. The title, place in the organization chart, the work ethic makes us feel worthy. However, we fail to find a balance.

Therefore, I asked him if he had a purpose for his life now. I honestly believe the question was in another language from his response.

After that, I asked if he was ready to embrace change and how did he prepare himself.

Did he volunteer at all?

Did he ever share his money with charities to make a difference?

Did he have a vision and mission to enrich other people around him?

Life is a circle. We reap what we sow.

A balanced life includes

In conclusion, a balanced life includes having a dynamic faith, a loving family, supportive friends, and eating healthy food as it is important for us emotionally, mentally, psychologically, physically, and financially.

As you go on your daily life today, stay connected, enrich your life by taking a friend out for a meal, give to charity, buy a sandwich for the homeless person sleeping on the street, smile, reach out, give a hug and make a difference.

In a world filled with COVID, we need to make a difference and be game-changers in society.

The post Discover Reasons to Live a Balanced Life appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

We all need help in our lives.

Life is full of challenges. No one escapes it.

I truly believe that everything that happens to us is ten percent. Ninety percent depends on if you get up and face the reality of life.

For many of us, 2020 will go down as the worst year of our lives.

In 2020, my wife got diagnosed with cancer, I faced unemployment, a friend committed suicide and both my parents are 83.

When we are faced with a challenge, the easiest thing to do is crawl and hide. I wanted to do that. I did not want to ask for help. I was challenged to ask for help. The response to my help was overwhelming.

People started driving Debbie to her appointments for chemo, radiation, and other appointments. Friends and neighbors made sure we were fed. People were lining up to repair our fence. Women would give my daughter makeup and all kinds of goodies.

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. As we enter 2021, I strongly recommend that if you are facing issues that you get help. It will be a game-changer in your life.

Hannah Siller has a Master of Science in Counseling with an Emphasis in Trauma and Crisis (MC). She is a life coach and also blogs on many issues covered here in this interview. I have learned a lot from her blog as she goes into details on various topics covered in this interview.

Hannah, welcome to Four Columns. I want to know something important about you?

Mental health is my life. I have a master’s in counseling with an emphasis in trauma and crisis and am currently a doctoral candidate in psychology (PsyD.). This passion was born from my own struggle growing up in an abusive home and suffer from complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). My main goal in life is to make sure that everything I went through was not in vain. I have done this through my experience as a clinical counselor and by educating others about mental health and raising awareness of trauma with my blog and public speaking. The trauma will never go away but if I can help others then that is enough.

Talk to me about what is life coaching? What is your approach as a life coach?

Life coaching is the basic level of support a person can get with the difficult things that life throws at us. It is mostly for people with situational distress such as divorce, career changes or to help manage personally viewed flaws like organization and improving communication skills. I personally have a background in clinical therapy/counseling, so my approach is very similar to traditional mental health support. Nonjudgment is my number one goal. I’m here to help the client find the best of them possible. Only they will know what that looks like. I like to think of myself as a dream maker. Helping them find their dream and get there.

I get confused between a life coach and a counselor. Is there a difference?

There is a huge difference between Coaching and traditional therapy/counseling! The biggest difference is diagnosis. Only a licensed therapist/counselor can diagnose an individual. This is important because if they cannot diagnose, they can also not treat an individual. Therefore, they cannot work with a client that NEEDS diagnosis and treatment. This limits their scope of practice to issues not in the diagnostic manual (DSM-5).

Can: Stress, non-clinical anxiety, life changes, health, and career.

Can’t: Depression, trauma, clinical anxiety, Bipolar disorders, and so on.

I got laid off, lost two of my closest friends, the wife got diagnosed with cancer, all in a short time? How do you help someone in a situation like that?

The foundation of a situation like this is going to be grief. There is a lot of loss hitting all at once and in a variety of different ways. Not only will this individual need to vent and process all of the changes they are experiencing but they will need to sort out the questions of what next? This might look like finding new forms of support systems, learning self-care techniques to cope, gaining access to resource information to help manage the bigger situations like job and wife’s medical needs, and assessing personal emotional state.

I want to know how we can use patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion, charity, unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness in being allies of mental health?

Being an ally for mental health comes down to empathy. Rather than judgment, we can try to understand the things that others struggle with. Through empathy, we find the motivation to learn about things we don’t understand in order to understand it better. Through empathy, we are more willing to practice patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion, charity, unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness. Empathy allows us to care for others as we would care for ourselves. When we can do this, we can be an ally the world needs.

How important are eating, sleeping, and self-care as part of our health?

Mental health and physical health go hand in hand. When we don’t take care of our mental health our physical health suffers. We have less desire to eat healthy, exercise, and take care of ourselves. Likewise. When we don’t take care of our physical health it can actually impact our mental health increasing the chances of developing depression and lower self-esteem.

In the last couple of years, what are you noticing about your patients?

The main pattern I have noticed is a decrease in people’s knowledge about self-care and emotional regulations. I would say half of my sessions are focused on teaching breathing techniques, education, and problem-solving self-care options, and helping clients learn how to manage their emotions in a positive way.

What is your Fav Disney movie?

Lion King (animated) although Belle is my favorite Disney Princess.

Why are you fascinated with Harry Potter?

I grew up in an abusive home at the same time that the Harry Potter books were released. These books became my escape. As I got older the books got darker and more serious just as I myself was coming to terms with the abuse I had faces. The subject of grieving the pain of things lost was huge. Harry took a horrible tragedy and accepted his fate in all of it. In the end, he was stronger because he chose to love and forgive rather than giving into pain that should have broken him.

Why do you like Star Wars?

Princess Leia was the first strong female role model I was exposed to. This left a lasting impact on me. Plus, lightsabers are cool, and Harrison Ford is in it and I’m obsessed with Indiana Jones.

I want to know some of your favorite books? 

The Harry Potter series followed closely by Pride and Prejudice and Little Woman.

What do you like about gaming?

I have been playing Dungeons and Dragon-type games for almost 10 years, not counting the brief encounter I had in high school. There is something very therapeutic about this type of gaming. Being part of a group that counts on your contribution, having a similar goal you have to work together to achieve, plus the pure creative joy. In D&D you get to be the hero. So much of my own struggle and positive qualities come through in your characters. It is a beautiful experience.

What is your favorite object to photograph?

My absolute favorite type of photography I have ever done is starscapes. But since I rarely have access to several thousand-dollar specialized telescopes I usually photograph my second favorite subject, nature. Although recently most of my effort has been dedicated to my niece and have become my sister’s private photographer.

Is writing cathartic for you?

I write a great deal about my own struggle with mental health as well as my childhood trauma and abuse. With subject matter like this it can actually be incredibly stressful and draining. I don’t do it because the act brings me joy and relaxation. I do it because I have the ability to make a difference with my story and knowledge. Helping others, that’s what makes it worth it.

What are your current projects?

I have two major projects currently active.

The first is my personal blogging project “Diary of a Trauma Survivor.” This project focuses on my own story of childhood abuse and discusses the way trauma impacts our lives. The goal of this project is education and awareness. For so long trauma, especially abuse, has been a taboo subject. With this has come an increase in stigma and a decrease in the intervention. Through my story, I hope to help those who struggle with trauma as well as help those without experience to understand.

My second project is called the This Is Me Mental Health Representation Project. This is a collaboration project that is open to all forms of creative expression that depict what mental health means. The goal of this project is to raise awareness of the mental health struggles that everyone faces. Since not all those struggles are writers this project uses a unique approach of allowing artists and poets to participate. Don’t consider yourself creative? Interview questions are also available for those who have a story to share but not sure how to start.

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