I’m a middle child from a loud and emotionally expressive Italian family. Growing up, almost everyone seemed comfortable expressing what they felt.

Except me.

I decided early on to hide my emotions and live inside my head. I thought that was safer. It was not.

I have used unhealthy ways to cope w...

In 1998, I was on a flight with severe turbulence. It probably lasted fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours. When the plane landed, I assumed I was fine. I wasn’t.

A few months later, I had another trip scheduled. Flying had always been exciting to me, something I genuinely enjoyed. But this time...

I didn't sleep for 5 nights straight. I was consumed by worry and desperate for some rest. The guy who helps others with anxiety, the experienced mental health professional, was in a bad place. Thank God for my friends and the doctors who helped me. I was neglecting too much on the checklist below. ...

Many people approach interactions asking, “What’s in it for me?” But when you shift your focus to “What’s in it for them?” you create the meaningful connections you’re actually longing for. Aim to leave people feeling better about themselves than when the conversation began—and your relationships an...

In fifth grade, I had a painful experience that stayed with me. In front of a crowded lunchroom, my school principal, Sister Katherine, scolded and humiliated me. She accused me of creating chaos and even dancing on a table. None of it was true. 

She then took me into her office, where she and the ...

Stress and anxiety are high, and happiness can feel harder to reach. But happiness is not random. Research and experience both show that happy people tend to practice different habits than people who stay stuck.

Happiness is built through consistent, healthy actions. You can make time for your emot...

On my toughest days, gratitude has been a lifeline. It shifts my attention from what’s wrong to what’s right.

Gratitude gives me energy and courage. It anchors me in what I have instead of what I lack, helps me see possibility, and keeps me moving forward when life gets hard.

When I answer gratitu...

If you want to excel in life, being able to stay calm when feeling overwhelmed is an essential skill. The consequences of not doing so can be significant (e.g., addiction, damaging relationships, job loss, missed opportunities, etc.).

Knowing your triggers (people, places, and situations) and how y...

We all have seasons in our lives when it's very hard to be positive. I can easily view myself as the victim. Gratitude is one of the only things that can end my pity party.

Focusing on gratitude has helped me on my darkest days. It helps me get focused on what's right rather than what's wrong...

It's easy to find things to worry about and dread. Being grateful is often hard, yet ironically, our gratitude is more grounded in reality than our fears. So many things in life are outside our control, but one thing you can directly influence is your perspective.

You can focus on what's going wron...

Life is hard! It brings us many challenges we didn't expect and weren't prepared to face. I've had days when I've struggled to stay hopeful. Many people vacillate between hope and fear. I write this post to remind myself and to remind you to choose hope.

There are two orientations towards life: a f...

Clients often ask for help managing stress. Most people can identify what’s creating their tension—conflict, parenting, relationships, finances, work, health—but they struggle to use that awareness in a way that actually helps them cope.

A significant amount of stress comes from investing our energ...