Let’s Talk About Stress – Finding the Balance for a Healthier Life
Stress. Just hearing the word can make your shoulders tense. But here’s the truth—stress isn’t always the enemy. In fact, stress is a natural part of life, and we actually need a little of it to stay alive, alert, and engaged. The key lies in balance. Too much stress can be harmful, but not enough […]
Understanding PTSD: The 6 Diagnostic Criteria Explained with Caryn Hacker-Buechel
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the most widely discussed but frequently misunderstood mental health conditions. In her enlightening video, retired psychotherapist and author Caryn Hacker-Buechel breaks down the six essential diagnostic criteria that mental health professionals use to identify PTSD. Whether you or someone you love has experienced trauma, understanding these six components […]
Book Review: The General’s Princess – An Intriguing, Emotional Page-Turner
When a book keeps you checking your inbox for the next set of pages, you know it’s something special. I had the privilege of pre-reading The General’s Princess while Caryn Hacker-Buechel was still in the editing process, and let me tell you—it was an experience I won’t forget. Instead of receiving the full novel at […]
Breathing Techniques to Reduce Stress and Improve Mental Health
In today’s fast-paced world, stress and anxiety can creep in without warning—making mental health a top priority for many of us. Right now, I’m starting to set new goals, adjust my priorities, and focus on mental health as a non-negotiable part of my daily routine. One of the simplest, yet most powerful, tools for emotional […]
The Trap of Love Bombing
Narcissists can be captivating—their intelligence, charm, and accomplishments often draw us in. At first glance, their articulate nature and polished demeanor make them appear like the ideal partner or friend. However, as many have learned, the bright light that initially dazzles can eventually obscure a darker, more controlling side. This post explores the phenomenon of […]
PTSD: Understanding Trauma & Healing with Caryn Hacker-Buechel
Trauma touches more lives than we often realize. Whether it’s a car accident, childhood abuse, war, loss, or other life-altering events, trauma leaves a mark—and sometimes that mark evolves into something deeper: PTSD. In her latest video, retired psychotherapist and author Caryn Hacker-Buechel offers powerful insight into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)—what it is, how it […]
Narcissist in Fiction: A Psychotherapist’s Twist in The General’s Princess
What happens when a seasoned psychotherapist turns author? You get characters so psychologically rich, they practically leap off the page—and sometimes, they make your skin crawl. In The General’s Princess, author and retired therapist Caryn Hacker-Buechel brings decades of clinical experience to her fiction, most notably in the form of one chillingly unforgettable character: a […]
Borderline Personality Disorder: Understanding the Red Line & How to Cope With Insights from Author & Retired Psychotherapist Caryn Hacker-Buechel
In this video, author and retired psychotherapist Caryn Hacker-Buechel shifts from fiction back to her first love—understanding human behavior. Following her exploration of narcissistic personality disorder, Caryn now offers a compassionate and clear explanation of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)—a complex and often misunderstood condition. If you’ve ever been in a relationship with someone who has […]
Understanding Narcissists: The Trap of Love Bombing
Narcissists can be captivating—their intelligence, charm, and accomplishments often draw us in. At first glance, their articulate nature and polished demeanor make them appear like the ideal partner or friend. However, as many have learned, the bright light that initially dazzles can eventually obscure a darker, more controlling side. This post explores the phenomenon of […]
Understanding PTSD
My latest book, The General’s Princess, is a suspense-filled ride in which the main character, Cara Florés Hart, accepts a job in Saudi Arabia as the personal trainer to a Princess at the palace in Riyadh. She soon finds herself in the cross-hairs of a human trafficking ring, necessitating the US government and military to intercede and […]
Think Your Partner is a Narcissist?
Photo by Danie Franco on Unsplash
Eliminating Bullying by Making Kindness Cool
A Necessary Societal Shift Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash My sandaled feet froze in the ribbon of unkempt grass, the distinction between school property and the city’s sidewalk. I felt the dew, cold on my toes while I stood outside the metal gates of the vacant Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida. Tears spilled, […]
Thanksgiving with a Twist
Tips for a Stress Free Holiday Geometric Photography on Unsplash Whispers of Thanksgiving’s approach tiptoed in on Halloween’s heels like a ghostly turkey. The poultry’s initially faint silhouette opaques as the holiday nears and plans for the bird are intricately designed and then numerously altered. As a daughter, mother, stepmother, mother-in-law, and grandmother, I feel […]
Yo-Yo Love
The Narcissist’s Favorite Game
How Love Can Look at 92
A Grateful Daughter Tries to Hold the Image Still. Photo by Tincho Franco on Unsplash This year began with a bounce, the heaviness of COVID lifting off December’s tail, setting January aloft, careful yet exuberant. I was excited to leave the N-95 veil in the past as regulations were lifted. Loved ones, who had been […]
8 Easy Steps to Ensure a Great First Therapy Session
A Psychotherapist’s Insight
Hurricane Ian
I was standing in line for a Seattle harbor boat tour when I heard the text’s ding. I pulled off my sunglasses and took a breath. Enticing aromas of oysters and chowder were distracting while I tapped the cell phone’s screen. A weather report flashed.
Six Easy Steps To Find Therapy Help
Congratulations, you’ve chosen to seek a trained, professional “guide” on your life’s journey. The most intelligent and balanced people I know seek therapeutic intervention on occasion. That comment includes this writer, a retired psychotherapist.
A Baby Boomer Copes with Morning Stress Millennial Style
It’s 1988, and 7:45 am. The aromas of hot coffee, buttered toast, and sliced bananas fill the kitchen. I finish preparing breakfast with one hand while the other hurriedly applies my makeup using the toaster as a mirror.
Five Essential Things You Absolutely Must Know About Love According to a Retired Psychotherapist
As I’ve grown older, sixty-six years and counting, and definitely wiser, I’ve learned much about this feeling we call love. Combining my personal journey (falling in and out of love) and my professional journey (developing a depth of awareness from the stories of others), I have grown immensely. I know that ‘love’ is a powerful […]
May Blog – Mother’s Day Wishes – Mental Health Awareness Post
He came into this world with outstretched trembling arms as his spanking-new voice introduced him with a timid cry. I instantly transformed from daughter to mother and then quickly back to daughter again. This new mother rocked my son within the ebb and flow of heavenly gratitude and earthly wonderment. Then intense rushes of maternal […]
Our Emotional Connection to Jewelry is Founded in Science
I am a tiny vibrating speck within a massive Universe. My cells, like yours, vibrate around 75 Hz. Stare as I might at the skin on my palm, I cannot see the atoms jitterbugging in their predetermined pattern. But science has demonstrated that molecules in every natural substance move at specific frequencies, continuously dancing and […]
A Satisfying Afternoon with Sanjay’s Mom, Damyanti Gupta
Photo credit: Time Magazine Darkness hung over Pakistan’s Port of Karachi as five-year-old Damyanti followed her parents up the metal ramp and onto the waiting cargo ship. She wore her most refined fork, a dress made by her ma’s own hand. Tiny fingers grabbed the railing as she ambled, sandwiched single file, between her mother and grandmother. […]
So, You Love an Adult on the Spectrum
Autism has crawled its way into our everyday awareness. However, the disorder has remained a mystery, as have those who carry its diagnosis. In the last decade, a shift occurred, altering popular thought from fear to understanding and acceptance. Today we explore minimal adult autism and love. Over the years, even the therapeutic manual which […]
Fifty Shades: A Love Story or Pure Fantasy?
It’s February, the month dedicated to love, and Cupid is drawing back his bow, aiming for hearts everywhere. Toward the hopeful, the sheltered, the shattered, the unsuspecting, and the dark, the arrows fly true. The air is heavy with complex scents–deep red roses, fiery cinnamon, dark chocolate, and complex berry-red wine. Romantic cards shout loving […]