Before Trying to Relax the Tension
A tight jaw or a braced chest can give us something to explore. Conversations about what holding felt like.
Writing
When Someone Else’s Success Makes You Doubt Yourself
A conversation about comparison, self-doubt, and making room for your own judgment alongside other people’s advice.
Why Rest Feels Dangerous
Why slowing down can bring up anxiety, and how to notice it without making rest another task to do well.
Getting Curious About the Inner Critic
Chad Herst explores the inner critic through his own story and client conversations, including a moment when a client disagreed with his interpretation.
The Cost of Being Fine
I learned to be the steady one. Years later, asking for help meant letting people see when I wasn’t feeling so great.
The Body Keeps the Contract
I kept saying yes while my body was bracing. On noticing that response before deciding what to do.
The Ache Underneath the Achievement
A client expected an accomplishment to bring joy. Our conversation brought me back to what I had hoped success would settle.
I’m very good at looking like I have it together
Fifteen minutes into a podcast, I told the host I was nervous. The anxiety stayed, and we kept talking.
It’s still hard for me to ask
I was sitting with some hard news. Melissa was in the next room. Asking her to hold me was the difficult part.
The Sacredness of Burnout: Drawing Wisdom from Philoctetes
In the world of Greek tales, there's Philoctetes—destined to be a hero in the Trojan War with his powerful bow and arrows. But life threw him a curveball: a snakebite that wouldn't heal.…
Impermanence at 50
Hello friend! Thanks for reading. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some reflections I've been doing as my 50th birthday approaches. I'd like to share an insight that has…
How to Say No without Burning Bridges
Eva's facing a challenging situation. She and Doug, highly respected in their community for their pioneering initiatives, jointly created a noteworthy language learning program. However, as…