Category Archives: Healing

The Importance of Meaning in One’s Life

Posted on August 1, 2023 by jenny

I’ve been reading Viktor Frankl‘s book about his experience of concentration camps, and then his conclusions about what helped him survive. Dr. Frankl was a psychiatrist. He said that Freud thought that what motivated human beings was pleasure, Adler thought … Continue reading →

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1995: “The Whole Thing”

Posted on July 30, 2023 by jenny

SUNDAY, JULY 30, 1995    Sometime in the early ’90s I followed the program described in Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way. “Morning pages” is one of the exercises in Julia Cameron’s program. Nika is the Artist part of me, I … Continue reading →

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1995: Art as Medicine

Posted on July 26, 2023 by jenny

Back in 1995, I did a couple of retreats with Shaun McNiff, who wrote the book Art as Medicine.  I don’t remember the instructions, I think the painting process was very improvisational. From my journal for June 1995: FRIDAY JUNE … Continue reading →

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Tangled Threads

Posted on July 6, 2023 by jenny

I’ve been thinking about the different themes I’ve been working with recently. One is the idea of “handing things over to God” or Divine Beloved or Divine Process. The problem is that the “god” I learned about in my childhood … Continue reading →

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Struggling with Some Ideas about How to Live

Posted on July 4, 2023 by jenny

From my journal for July 3: Etty talks about accepting both high and low tides in relationship, and that sounded like a good idea.  Acceptance is something I can practice, unlike the letting go piece which I don’t do well … Continue reading →

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Forgiveness

Posted on June 17, 2023 by jenny

I have been reading Christina Baldwin’s book called Life’s Companion; Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest.  In the chapter on Forgiveness she describes what happens to people who refuse to forgive, and what happens to people who are not forgiven.  I … Continue reading →

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The Real Universe

Posted on June 5, 2023 by jenny

From my journal for June 3, 1996, and posted in May 2010: But the truth is, going over the whole thing in detail again again, writing down exactly what the fear feels like and then seeing how it matches my … Continue reading →

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“Bombed-out Village,” reprise

Posted on May 29, 2023 by jenny

Originally posted in November 2018 Wednesday, November 21, 2018 Thinking about talking with Erica about starting to tolerate — and even enjoy — the ordinary. For most of my life I was in too much psychic pain, I needed something … Continue reading →

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“A deep well of sadness”

Posted on May 17, 2023 by jenny

Writing done in group on Monday, May 15 A well of unprocessed grief “To be met!”  That’s what I said when I was doing somatic experiencing with Peter Payne.  He also did body work and I was sitting on his … Continue reading →

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Endure without Relief

Posted on April 28, 2023 by jenny

This is a repost of something originally posted in January 2017: Grey again and another dusting of snow.  It feels like it has been like this for weeks. Woke up feeling very lonely.  Tried without success to feel love for … Continue reading →

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