​https://pca.st/3e9hsso7   Link to audio. 

Dr. Sue Johnson & EVRYMAN co-founder Owen Marcus discuss how to use science to on the transform your relationship. Dr. Sue Johnson is a clinical psychologist, researcher, professor, author, speaker. She is one of the leading innovators in the field of couple therapy. Most of her research focuses on the efficacy of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT), a therapy she developed more than 30 years ago. It’s acknowledged as the gold standard in tested, proven interventions for couples. She is the author of numerous articles and books, including Love Sense and Created for Connection, and Hold Me Tight, which she has developed into an online course for couples.

When I look to the sky I find hope and peace. Clouds calm my soul. ​They bring rest to my mind. But lately,  it has been hard to hold the calm and peace. I find my mind wandering and my soul restless. My brain is pinging around, constantly seeking  answers and wondering when will this be over. If you find your heart restless, as I do sometimes, this blog help bring you back to the clouds. My colleague, Angela Topcu, LMFT, has written a timely blog that addresses the grief and loss we are experiencing during this Covid-19 sheltering in place dispensation. I hope you find it helpful and it helps you to hold on to stillness and calm.  Click here to read it. 

That Relationship Show Podcast  interviews Jonice Webb, PhD writer of “Running on Empty.” Jonice’s book is about when everything about your upbringing was okay but something was somehow missing and you struggle. It is describes emotional neglect, it’s long term affects on a person and their relationships and how to heal. If your emotions were unattended to, dismissed, ignored or put down, this podcast and this book are for you. 

I landed upon this video and it was extremely moving to me. What was most touching was when the animals felt heard, validated and understood there seemed to be a healing of some sort. I think we all crave and long to be heard, understood and validated. We need our untold stories to be seen. ​“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” Maya Angelou

​I rescued three feral kittens last July. We put a blanket out and their mother (we trapped and fixed her and now feed her) sleeps on our recliner in the backyard all day. I wish she could be tamed and a home found for her but she is too feral. Makes me sad because I know she wants to be close when she gazes at me through my kitchen window but her nervous system has been programmed to tell her humans are not safe. When this occurred to me I also thought, “I bet this happens to humans, too. Bad things happen, they get scared and then the nervous system tells them certain things or relationships aren’t safe. We call this trauma. We never know what anyone has been through and what might cause a reaction. All beings should be handled with care, love and compassion.”
Update: 2/10/2020
She now sleeps at the back door on a pillow all night. She ate some food at the back door while I watched at the door window yesterday. She is getting closer. Will I tame her? I don’t know. 

The “On The Couch” podcast with Naomi Rather and Deborah Curtis. They interviewed Jim Thomas, EFT trainer. This podcast’s focus is on what it feels like to be male or identify as male in a relationship during these days. He talks about the pressures and struggles men experience. Check it out here. 

Dr. Sue Johnson is an author, clinical psychologist, researcher, professor, and a leading innovator in the field of couple therapy and adult attachment. Sue is the author of the 2008 bestseller Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love. Her latest book for professionals is Attachment Theory in Practice (2019).
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She is the founding director of the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT). She spends much of the year training therapists in EFT around the world, and also holds positions at the University of Ottawa, Alliant University (San Diego), and the University of British Columbia.  She lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Check out the article here.  

Have you ever met someone who is extremely and naturally happy and thankful? I have. And, I often think they are amazing. It is like they were born with an extra large gratitude muscle. They are like my cat, Lydia, the eternal optimist. No matter how grouchy my older cat gets around her she manages to keep on purring and purring. 

Looking around for some research I found that some people may be more prone to be naturally grateful because of certain genetic factors. Okay. So, what about the rest of us who struggle to see the silver lining in everything?

Well, there is good news for us. We can learn this skill! Just like yoga it may be an intentional practice at first. But, if we practice it regularly can have lasting effects (just like yoga) like noting positive things around us more naturally. Yup. Just writing down three things you are thankful for daily for a period of time can get the ball rolling. Try it. You may be pleasantly surprised.

One thing, if I understand the literature and research correctly, is that you truly have to be grateful and have that thankful feeling inside of you when you put something on your list. It can’t just be a rote exercise. So, I suggest listing things you easily and truly can be thankful for and see what happens.