Category Archives: Well-being
Systemic Blindness: The Ignored Story in My Health Chart
My weight data from the past few years is one of the most important indicators of my overall health. When I am in environments that support me, my weight moves toward a healthy range. When my environment is unsafe or … Continue reading
Posted in Well-being
Tagged body mass, data, healthcare, medical, obesity, PTSD, weight
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Learning to Feel and Trust Our Instincts
When early relationships repeatedly dismiss, override, or punish a person’s signals, the body learns that its own cues do not lead to safety or effective response. Over time, attention shifts away from internal sensations because registering them did not result … Continue reading
Posted in Well-being
Tagged body signals, felt sense, Interoception, IPNB, presence, relationships
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Her Lips Were Moving But Her Advice Was Myopic
I met a woman in her eighties who talked at length about how healthy, fit, and good-looking she and her husband are. She described regular exercise, summers at the beach, her husband’s consistent swimming, and a long marriage in which … Continue reading
Posted in Relationships, Well-being
Tagged advice, assumptions, choice, health, misattunement, self-help
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What is Institutional Betrayal and How Does It Harm Us?
Institutional betrayal occurs when the systems or structures a person depends on for safety, care, or justice–such as hospitals, universities, police, or legal bodies–fail to protect them, or worse, participate in their harm. From an Interpersonal Neurobiology perspective, these betrayals … Continue reading
Posted in Well-being
Tagged health, institutional betrayal, institutions, IPNB, Mental Health, well-being
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The Answer is Always “Support the Nervous System”
Supporting the nervous system is at the core of healing and well-being. Our nervous system is the foundation of how we process and respond to stress, trauma, and life itself. When it’s dysregulated, as it often is in the face … Continue reading
Lessons from Iceland’s Four-Day Week: Work Less, Connect More
An article about Iceland’s nationwide shift to a four-day workweek paints a compelling picture of how systemic change can influence not just productivity and job satisfaction, but overall health, social connection, and collective well-being. From an interpersonal neurobiology (IPNB) perspective, … Continue reading
Posted in Well-being
Tagged 4-day work week, biological needs, employment, Iceland, IPNB, money, productivity, work, working conditions, workplace
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“Sweet Discomfort,” the Growing Edge
Back in the early 80’s I had the pleasure of spending some time with Lilias Folan, “The Yoga Teacher Who Brought Yoga to Our Living Rooms Decades Before Online Yoga Was a Thing.” During the weekend retreat she taught through … Continue reading
The Illusion of Autonomy: How Power Dynamics Shape Freedom
While agency and autonomy are often celebrated in Western culture, it’s important to look at who benefits from these ideals and how they are distributed. Upon closer examination, there are significant disparities in whose agency and autonomy are truly respected, … Continue reading
Posted in Community, Well-being
Tagged agency, autonomy, culture, disparity, healthcare, Heteronormative, ideas, interpersonal neurobiology, IPNB, marginalized groups, men, rights, status, women
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