QUESTION FROM A READER: Dr. A, I tried non-pharmacological approaches to help with my mood, which included therapy and lifestyle changes without feeling much better. Finally, my therapist suggested that I go on medication for my anxiety and depression. I am really nervous about taking a medication because I feel like something is really “wrong” with me.” By agreeing to …
A psychiatrist turned into an horticulturist. (Ok, it is an exaggeration, but continue reading and you will get my drift!) What do plant nurseries and baby nurseries have in common? When I did my residency in family medicine, I took care of pregnant patients, delivered their babies and followed up the neonates in clinic. I was always fascinated by what …
QUESTION FROM A READER: How do I deal with the aftermath and continuation of the pandemic? I feel like I can’t go anywhere without having a mask on, and I get anxious when someone gets near me at the grocery store? ANSWER: You are not alone in dealing with such questions and situations. Take a breath and remember to be …
When you are in survival mode, whether it be fight, flight or freeze, our autonomic nervous system is no longer in the social engagement status where you feel connected to ourselves, to others and to a higher purpose. As you emerge from the pandemic and things start getting back to normal, your nervous system needs to recalibrate back into the …
Do you ever wonder how you can cultivate what you feel as a weakness and vulnerability in you into courage and ability? Brene Brown points out how we all admire courage and daring in others, But, she says, when it comes to ourselves, we may be paralyzed by shame, or fear or other self judgements passed on to us from …
This is how starting a podcast came to be in March. Stories of refuge, healing, homecoming, and connection to inspire you, nurture you and boost you up, the way your grandmother (Tata, Sitty, Bubba, Abuela, Safta, Babushka, Oma) would. I have been thinking about starting a podcast for a little over a year now, but I wasn’t sure what to …
Don’t let images deceive you. You may think you see everything in my picture after getting the COVID vaccine but you don’t. Let me take you behind the scenes of my life this past year. As I can only imagine what being behind the scenes of your life has been like for you. What you don’t see in the …
As the new year starts, and as you think of what intentions you want to set for this new year, how do you approach it? Do you work on setting goals you want to accomplish? Or maybe you use a vision board? Perhaps you find yourself sometimes feeling like you may not have all the needed resources, be it physical, …
I am not, to be totally honest. Nobody is. It is hard to keep it together all the time, for ourselves, and our loved ones during the pandemic. Most of us are feeling exhausted, numb and burned out from dealing with decision fatigue. I recently listened to a podcast by Brené Brown where she interviewed two authors of a book called …
The Vision. The Dream. The Intention. Once Upon A Time, many many moons ago, people from around the world were in tune with cycles, rhythms, seasons, so much so that a lunar calendar was born. The lunar calendar remains, and so does the moon with its cycles. While the path of the moon continues round and round, many of us …