Today marks the second anniversary of my dear friend Sue’s transition. As young stay-at-home moms in the 1980s, Sue and I met at The Mothers’ Center Group in Virginia Beach, Virginia. We found this program at a time when a large percentage of mothers were…
It can be difficult to witness the people we love in emotional pain. Oftentimes we try to fix it. Make it better. Talk them out of it. What if we instead stopped talking, and starting walking through the pain with them? Emotions come up for…
Oprah Winfrey’s widely viewed interview last night with Meghan and Harry has me reflecting on a psychological assessment I was asked to write in February 2020 for a book scheduled to be released later that year regarding what was then being referred to as “Megxit.”…
Here we are again. Another Valentine’s Day. The time of the year when people think about who they love, who loves them, and whether or not they are lovable. Thinking about love today, I was reminded of the book The Art of Loving by Erich…
Broken Bones and Broken Hearts Patti Ashley, PhD January 29, 2021 Several years ago I broke my elbow. For almost three months my arm was stuck in a perpendicular angle resting perfectly in a sling. The doctor said it would take three months before…
Two Dangerous Weeks, Normalizing the Abnormal Patti Ashley, PhD January 7, 2021 Yesterday I watched the live coverage of the unthinkable violence that erupted at the Capital most of the afternoon and evening. I don’t usually watch that much news in one day. Even though…