Healing With Kindness

This blog has been officially named The Affirmary. While the name has yet to become a household name- enough to be worthy of the Webster's Dictionary, I will try to define its meaning as concretely as I can. In this place, the only credentials I can show are those of life experiences. I have been a certified counselor/ certifiable psychologist for three years or so but a seasoned emotional warrior all my life. It may be safe to say that we've all had our share of emotional wars to fight in our lives, most of which were with ourselves. We've had conflicting thoughts, perplexing emotions, and irreconcilable differences with others. It all goes down to understanding and exploring our responses and our judgments. Often, we realize our triggers and motivations when it is too late and the lines of communication are likely to be broken at this point. Fortunately, broken things are often reparable.

In The Affirmary, words of affirmation are the main ingredient for repairing the soul. Some of us respond quickly because we are at that point where we are just about ready to grab the next hand that offers us help. It may come in mini stories of five sentences that seem to know the story of our lives. Knowing there's someone else in the world going through the same thing helps alleviate some of the loneliness. There is always someone out there feeling for and with you. It may be a prayer or poem inspired by a thought and adorned with flowery words by my muse. Sometimes she channels Shakespeare; other times, the saints. Many times she just has to pour out her soul with total abandon and without editing. Those are the most potent and may feel like the heavy liquid of a life-saving vaccine. There are also the one-liners that are Facebook status-worthy but not quite ready to be devoured by the public. A "like" may not be enough to define what your response is. Then there are the tangible forms of therapy like expressive art projects (visual, movement, music, etc.), photos, book reviews, recommendations, and feel-good recipes for temporary but immediate relief. My ambitious muse hopes to contribute an occasional comic strip or giggle-inducing sketch.

Enter The Affirmary with great excitement and hope. Feel free to respond- verbally or otherwise.

Affirmation 1-8-2013

I am an integrative thinker. I can apply all things I have learned, life experiences, and lessons learned into a meaningful whole I call my SELF. Others may perceive me as scattered and disorganized, yet the sum of all my parts is unique and precious. Void of inhibition and shame, I see myself and accept who I am with unconditional positive regard. I know that my beauty is unmatched because people accept me as me, and not as a facsimile of another. I see my own reflection in their eyes rather than a stranger's image. And I like what I see.