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Heather Edwards Mental Health Counseling / Posts tagged "new york"
heather edwards psychotherapy gratitude

Gratitude in Tragedy: Practicing hope

Have you noticed that it's difficult to focus on abundance? Gratitude seems like a chore, and being thankful with so much hardship in the world seems frivolous? Gently ask yourself this question - How does my suffering relieve the suffering of others? Pause, breathe, and take a break just for a moment from the pain of the world to notice what is abundant in your life. You deserve and need hope. You deserve and need moments of relief. You deserve and need to feel grateful so that you can continue to shine your light to make this world a better place for everyone - one person, one interaction, one gesture at a time. When you function from a place of love, honesty, and nonjudgement you open yourself to limitless possibilities. Fear, anger, and judgement shut down creative processes and keep you small. Let...

heather edwards mindfulness

Racing in a New York Taxi: A lesson in mindfulness

Yesterday, I was taking a taxi cab across town to Penn Station with my dad. Our driver grunted and mumbled about gridlock the whole way. Clearly, he was frustrated and angry.   When we arrived at our destination, he barked, “No tip? Get out of the car!”. I showed him the $2 in my hand intended for him when he said, “Forget it! Get out! I have to go to work!”. I calmly and perplexedly replied, “You ARE at work. You’re already there.”. I got out of the car and wondered what I tend to rush through. You know that sense of urgency and pressure that compels you to hurry? It fuels impatience and frustration. It short circuits your effectiveness. It’s the focus on what’s next...

When Romance Dies: 7 Steps to Bounce Back

Someone yanked the carpet out from under you. You’re flabbergasted, broken-hearted, and wondering if you’ll ever love again.  You thought this was the one. It’s hard to imagine life without him. You were already thinking about next steps - marriage and children. What will you tell your friends and family? What will they think of you? Where did you go wrong? Your mind races as the tears flow. It hurts. Yet, as much as you wanted it to work, it wasn’t a perfect relationship anyway. In fact, there’s no perfect relationship. But, what now? Allow yourself to cry. The loss of a relationship - even if YOU did the breaking up - is a loss. It can feel like a mini grief cycle. Your feelings will...

The Art of Non-Attachment – Learning to let go

I heard the crash of my beloved pottery as it shattered on the cement floor. It jolted me. It freed me. 17 years ago when I was starting out as a potter (one of my passions), I toiled endlessly to make each piece perfect. The walls needed to be straight. The mouth perfectly circular, and the form of the body exact - that's the beauty and the art of it. My instructor painfully witnessed my labor and determination for perfection everyday. I attended every open studio session and took multiple classes per week. I knew if I worked hard enough, I'd get it. One night that instructor suggested non-attachment to the work. I had no idea of what he meant. He might as well have been speaking a foreign language...

What is Love?

This Valentine’s Day I'm challenged to answer the question, “What is love?”. Recent personal events have stretched and profoundly changed me in beautiful and unforeseen ways. Because of this, love has a broader, richer, more complex meaning than before. So when I’m asked the question, “What is love?”. Its definition extends well beyond a Valentine's Day celebration of attraction, sexuality, partnership, and mating. While I appreciate that, it goes much deeper. It's an expression of give-and-take, mutual support, sometimes giving more than you knew you could, truly being there for someone else in their darkest hour, accepting what may be difficult to see, and accepting love in its many forms when it comes back to you. Where do you see love? In heart shapes in the clouds,...