Category Archives: mindfulness

More on Mindfulness

Posted on November 15, 2020 by jamesmatter

It’s been a while. Like many Americans, I’ve been watching the news and riding the roller coaster. But something happened earlier today that brought me back to a kind of everyday mindfulness, which my Midwestern forebearers would have probably called … Continue reading →

Posted in Crisis survival, dealing with change, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Distress tolerance, mindfulness, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Power Tool Safety

Posted on August 20, 2018 by jamesmatter

A theme that I come back to again and again in my work with clients is that one’s mind is powerful. My joke about that is that you need to use such a powerful tool safely. Another thing to keep … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral health, cognitive therapy, mindfulness, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Self Pity versus Self Mourning

Posted on April 15, 2016 by jamesmatter

Just a quick thought & a question– what is the difference between feeling sad about something bad in your life, and feeling self-pity? This came up recently in a session, where a client worried about sinking into self-pity. this is … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral health, choices, Depression, Distress tolerance, Emotions, existentialism, Feelings, happiness, hope, mental health, mindfulness, Recovery, Renewal, Sadness, spirituality, Therapy processes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spiritual Atheists

Posted on August 22, 2014 by jamesmatter

If you follow the buzz in certain circles, you’ve been hearing about various psychotherapeutic practitioners getting on board the spirituality bandwagon. This is, in some ways, amusing. Carl Jung was all over the spiritual side of things from the beginning, … Continue reading →

Posted in belongingness, Distress tolerance, Emotions, Feelings, happiness, mental health, mindfulness, Recovery, Renewal, spirituality, Uncategorized, Wilderness | 1 Comment

I Am Not My Symptom

Posted on June 8, 2014 by jamesmatter

There’s a mantra for you. Whether it’s physical pain, depression, anxiety, or even something as simple as being at the back of a long line, it’s helpful to remember that the person experienced as I is separate and distinct from the contents … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral health, Emotions, Feelings, handling the unexpected, happiness, mental health, mindfulness, physical health, physical health, spirituality, Therapy processes, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Map Is Not The Territory

Posted on February 10, 2014 by jamesmatter

I was recently reading something about Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and the phrase I stole for the title of the post was there. It certainly is food for thought. I thought about the many highway maps I’ve looked at in my … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral health, choices, cognitive therapy, mental health, mindfulness, Therapy processes, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Learning to Fish– Or Not

Posted on November 16, 2013 by jamesmatter

There’s the proverb, alleged to be Chinese in origin, which says “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day: teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” (If you prefer gender neutral … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral health, change, choices, mental health, mindfulness, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Wordless Mindfulness is Bliss

Posted on October 15, 2013 by jamesmatter

And a clean desk ain’t bad either. He probably knows how to delegate– with an excellent sense of non-attachment.

Posted in humor, mindfulness, Recovery, spirituality, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

I think, I feel, I do– not always in that order!

Posted on July 25, 2013 by jamesmatter

There is interesting information on brain plasticity that suggests that behavior changes the brain physically. Memories can become stronger depending on how often they’re recalled, and can change over time. Memory is a fallible thing, as we all know. By … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral health, choices, Couples and relationships, mental health, mindfulness, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Gollum and the Buddha

Posted on July 18, 2013 by jamesmatter

  Most people are familiar with J. R. R. Tolkien’s character, Gollum. If you aren’t, and you plan on reading The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, you might want to go do that before you  read this post. Oh– … Continue reading →

Posted in belongingness, change, mental health, mindfulness, Recovery, spirituality, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment