Articles and Blog Posts

We are capable of learning lessons from each of life’s moments.  As a country, as a community, as a family, as individuals, we can step back and ask questions that help clarify, elucidate and allow for positive movement.  I think we are collectively in a powerfully...

Yes, it is true that summer ends and September rolls around. For all of us, even those who do not work within an academic calendar, September can tend to carry a preset mindset. For many that preset mindset can represent stepping back in the box, the opposite of “Thinking outside the box” which was the theme of my June column.

In my last column I wrote about stepping outside the box and doing something different for yourself during the summer. I made a commitment to practice yoga each Sunday morning with Cohasset Beach Yoga. We meet quite early and literally have the sky as our studio ceiling, as Trish Hart describes it. It has become a powerful weekly set point for me.

The passage of time is a remarkable thing to ponder.  We are approaching the end of another academic year, punctuated by proms, graduations, celebrations, and excitement for the change of schedules that summer offers.  From the adult perspective we have a lens that...

The National Center for Health Statistics released a report Friday indicating that the suicide rate has risen to the highest level in nearly 30 years. The news is deeply troubling and distressing. While the statistics vary between men, women, by age group, and by ethnicity, viewing the numbers in general raises deep concerns.

There are many days set aside to mark important moments and causes. The first week of May has been designated “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week” by the National Federation of Families with the theme “Mental Health Is a Family Affair”.

The Greek philosopher, Marcus Aurelius, encouraged the understanding and importance of recognizing what is in your control and what is not. By acting on what we can control, and ignoring what we can’t, we direct our energy away from negative emotions. One of his specific meditations, “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”

I have had a personal, clinical and research interest on the power of gratitude for some time. The research on the power of a gratitude mindset now provides solid data for how beneficial and life changing it can be. There is strong neurological evidence that neural circuits can be primed to create stronger feelings of connection and that brain structures can be changed to enable more positivity.

There are things that happen to us as individuals and to whole communities that create challenge and force us to ask fundamental questions as to what, why, and then how to navigate. I have recently had two experiences, one with a group of women and one with a South Shore community that gave me the privilege and opportunity to be a part of their journeys.

I just finished reading about Madison Holleran, her tragic suicide and her family’s response to it, forming the Madison Holleran Foundation. YHC has begun a collaboration with the Josh Anderson Foundation, formed after Josh also tragically took his life during his teen years. Both foundations and families are openly speaking out about their losses but also are dedicating themselves to creating a positive movement and conversation.

This month marks the beginning of the 22nd year for Youth Health Connection. We continue to dedicate ourselves to the mission of helping to reduce risk for youth and communities and to develop strong resiliency skills as a foundation for building positive strengths. We know this is critical to be able to navigate day to day challenges and adversities.

Yes, it is real, summer is rapidly flying by. College shopping is well under way and back to school ads abound. Normally I find it very energizing to switch gears from summer to fall, to watch school buses pick up kindergarteners for the first time, to return to more structure and routine.

This past Wednesday I had the privilege to present at the 14th Annual Massachusetts Suicide Prevention Conference. As I sat listening to the opening remarks, “All or Non: Forces for Change Towards Zero Suicides” I looked around the room, filled beyond capacity, and thought about the power of connection and collaboration.

I want to bring attention to the recent “Strong Voices” speaking out courageously and candidly about depression and suicide. At the 2015 Academy Awards evening, Graham Moore, winner for Adapted Screenplay for “The Imitation Game” spoke of his suicide attempt as a teen. I happened to be watching at the time and was profoundly struck by his comments while accepting his Oscar.

Mother Nature has had her way, showing us that she is in charge and that we do not get to control her. We have come through over 24 hours of snow and wind. Now that the winds have calmed and the sun is shining, we can take a moment to breathe, pause and reflect. Or at least, after all the shoveling has been completed. I like to think that there are always life lessons to be learned. I have been listening to friends and family describe their thoughts. There are some consistent themes that arise which I believe offer important things to embed in our psyche’s.

The holidays are past us and the airwaves are bursting forth with ads promising winning strategies for New Year’s resolutions, including weight loss and financial planning. I find it absolutely fascinating to follow the timely sequence of holiday overeating and overspending to being cajoled into instant self restraint. If only we could change our human behaviors so quickly and easily. For years I have been studying the challenge of developing self control and how to assist those who come to me for help with managing eating, drinking, spending and other behaviors.

For those of you who still have paper calendars, we have now turned the page to the final month of 2014. Thanksgiving has passed and we are in the busy season of merriment and giving. I feel an annual pull to take the opportunity to remind each of us to focus and be mindful of the choices we make as we move through this holiday season.

Yes, it is August even though the weather feels reminiscent of September. The calendar and the back to school ads remind us of what is coming quickly. The ritual of packing up cars, after too many shopping trips to purchase extra long sheets and shower caddies, is just around the corner. The process of preparing to launch your freshman son or daughter can be fraught with a multitude of emotions. As we tend to all the details of opening bank accounts and making sure the “must have” list is completed, I want to encourage all parents and “NQA’s” (Not Quite Adult) to take a moment and reflect.

It is a gorgeous summer Saturday afternoon and I am sitting looking out at Mill Pond in Chatham. While many might question how I could enjoy time just sitting, rather than actively pursuing the myriad of recreational opportunities that abound on beautiful Cape Cod in the summer.

We are bringing to an end the 20th Anniversary year for Youth Health Connection. All year we have focused on the topic: “Healthy Lifestyles: Focus on Family”. As a community we have addressed a range of topics relevant to creating healthier communities including Living Well with Connection, Taking Charge of Digital Devices, Healthy Eating, Physically Active Lifestyles, and Living in Grace with Gratitude, among others.