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Gifted and Resilient — When You Grow Up With Abuse or Neglect
As a psychotherapist, I know trauma. Every day I counsel dear rainforest-minded (RFM) souls who were seriously traumatized by their parents. What is remarkable is that I have found, consistently, that they have not become abusive as a result. They have clearly been impacted deeply. And yet, they have somehow managed, even with unspeakable pain,…
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Tips for Aging Well When You Have a Rainforest Mind (And Overexcitable Hair)
I am in my sixties. That sounds OLD to me. AARP. Medicare. Senior discounts. Golf. Geezerville. But I don’t feel OLD. In fact, other than some possible hidden creeping potential decrepitude (!), I think 60-something is kind of fine. Pretty great, actually. You, too, can have a pretty-great-actually time into your 60s and beyond. Here’s…
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Loving the Wounded Gifted Child Within
When you were a little tyke, you probably had passions, curiosities, quirks, and quests. You may have corrected the adults who didn’t know the difference between crimson and red. You may have wondered why the other kids wanted to be bunny rabbits for Halloween when they could be Richard Feynman. You may have corrected your…
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Childhood Trauma, Psychotherapy, Courage, and Your Gifted Self
You are in therapy. Grieving for your little child self. The one who thought it was her fault that her father was so angry. That her mother spent hours alone in a dark room. The curious child who was bullied in school because he excitedly answered all the questions and hid in the library during…
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The Dark Night of the Soul — How Psychotherapy Can Help You Through
I know about the Dark Night. I’ve been through my own. More than once. Now I join my counseling clients in their Dark Nights. I go with them because I know the territory. I have flashlights and provisions. It doesn’t scare me like it used to. And I know what comes after the Dark Night…
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If You Have a Rainforest Mind, You’ve Got Hopepunk
Have you heard of it? Hopepunk? If you haven’t, listen up. It’s got your name written all over it. Seriously. Hopepunk is about strength through kindness, optimism, and empathy. Power through gentleness and intelligent compassion. It’s about ethics, justice, and standing up. Speaking out for love. If that doesn’t describe a rainforest mind, well, I don’t…
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Life is Calling You to Embrace Your Intense, Insightful, Introspective Path(s)
“Your unusual life path is a summon from Life. Intense people are positioned to be the game-changers, the truth-tellers, and the fierce lovers of the world. By nature, you are the pioneers and the questioners and the progressives whose role in the world is to bring forth the realities which others do not yet see or…