Embracing the Journey When I was a child growing up in London, one of my favourite television programmes was The Good Life. Starring Felicity Kendal and Penelope Keith, it painted a heartfelt picture in my imagination. I can remember the women actors, but not the names of the male actors. Sorry, guys! 🙂 Answers on a postcard! I wanted that life. I longed for the dungarees and wellies. Back then, I had no understanding of money, logistics, mortgages, or responsibilities. I wa

Understanding the Impact of Addiction After my last post about addiction, trauma, and the vagus nerve, a few of you lovely souls reached out to me. I realised something really important. My post was one-sided. Addiction deeply hurts the person afflicted. However, it also leaves devastation in the hearts, bodies, and nervous systems of the people who love them. Partners, children, parents, friends, and siblings all feel the impact. They lie awake at 3 am, wondering if someone

This morning in the car, my daughter and I found ourselves in one of those deep conversations that seem to arrive out of nowhere. As these random things do with us. She is no stranger to addiction and trauma, nor am I. Its great to be able to have meaningful conversations with my first born aged 46 with 3 children herself. We spoke about trauma. Perceived trauma. The nervous system. The vagus nerve. Addiction. And why addicts lie. We spoke about how easy it can be to judge ot

When a Heart Feels Full and Broken at the Same Time A dear friend of mines husband has recently passed over. They have been together all their adult lives. They have 10 children and even more grandchildren. I can not even begin to imagine how hard this must be for her. She is broken, lost, in the darkness of grief. Its moments like this in life that the heart does something strange. It opens wide with love, and at the very same time, it aches with a quiet, unbearable pain.