Thoughts from a Therapist

Helpful tips on How to Expand your Personal and Relational Wellness

Category: Forgiveness

  • Interviening with Extremism

    Interviening with Extremism

    This piece examines the emotional roots of extremist beliefs, highlighting trauma, shame, and the need for belonging as key drivers. It emphasizes that change comes from fostering compassion and humility rather than confrontation. While not everyone seeks to leave extremism, creating safe spaces for understanding can facilitate healing and reconnection.

  • Resilience, Humility, and the Temptation to Be Neurotic

    Resilience, Humility, and the Temptation to Be Neurotic

    Resilience involves embracing uncomfortable emotions like shame and guilt rather than avoiding them. True resilience is relational, allowing for emotional presence and accountability, particularly after causing harm. A meaningful apology acknowledges impact and fosters connection. By recognizing neurotic defenses, we can practice resilience and strengthen our emotional growth and relationships.

  • Vengeance and the Ego

    Quick summary: Vengeance is a tool which creates instability in an attempt to create a stable ego.

  • A subjective interpretation of Jesus’ message about the forgiveness of sin…

    Quick summary: The purpose of this post is not to engage in any type of debate as to the efficacy of one religion as opposed to another (or the efficacies of religion in general as most religions carry a consistent fundamental structure). On my own spiritual journey I don’t really trouble myself with facts, if…

  • Forgiveness is the Heart of Justice

    Quick Summary: Forgiveness is the heart of justice… by this I mean to say that the ‘justice’ we seek can often be deconstructed into meaning simply vengeance. There is no justice is vengeance as the suffering which we seek justice for actually tends to grow with acts of vengeance (these acts which perpetuate suffering are…