Meandering Thoughts
My mom is 88 and in her end-of-life stages. My dad is having a hard time accepting that reality. He refuses hospice even when it has been suggested several times by visiting home health care practitioners. However, I admire his tenacious commitment to his promise not to put her in a nursing home....
My husband, Tim, and I drove to Florida to help care for my mom and give my dad some relief over the Thanksgiving holiday. I am grateful that I was able to take an extended trip. Also grateful that Tim and I took some respite in Cedar Key, Florida, before returning to Fayetteville. Having created...

When I work with my clients, I intentionally center myself, set ego aside, and open and close my energetic field. I have often been asked how I do this, why I do this, and if I can teach someone how to do this. I was asked again during our last Joyful Healing Inner Circle. And so the impetus for...
In the August 11th session of the Joyful Wisdom Inner Circle, our focus was self-compassion through loving-kindness.
As we gave examples of kindness we'd recently witnessed, some keywords we mentioned included: giving, generosity of time, attentiveness, heart-warming, connection,...
The Needs and Desires deck, like the others, may stand alone or work in tandem with the others: identifying, naming, and validating needs and desires that may have been effectively suppressed, belittled, or ignored for a lifetime. Engaging these cards enables the practitioner to have a meaningful...
The Soul Care Strategies deck rounds out the series by offering the user the opportunity to find inspiration and gain guidance in addressing a body sensation, coping with feeling, or responding constructively to a newly recognized need. This tool supports individuals to align with and respond...
About 8 years ago I was gifted with two decks of cards (used in Nonviolent Communication, aka NVC, to identify feelings and needs), and I integrated them successfully in my healing sessions with my clients. I redesigned the cards to better suit my clients and added two additional decks to...
Great news! We have several ways for folks to learn the 4-Deck System
The decks are called Joyful Healing Clarity Cards because I’ve seen first hand how deeply even the simplest of these cards can impact a person struggling with anxiety or depression and bring them clarity and joyful...
The Body Awareness deck helps you identify the multiple sensations you can be experiencing on any given day. This deck helps distinguish actual body functions, sensations, and physical symptoms for anyone who struggles with distorted or combination of body signals. Highly sensitive people,...
(Originally posted 08 May 2013)
We may not share the same experiences, but I am guessing we share similar feelings around our challenges.
I grew up in the suburbs, on Long Island, roof over my head, food in my belly, a bicycle to ride and a tree to climb. That tree was my best friend.
I am not...
Crashing my bike a few weeks ago did more than shake up my body and break my pinky. It has offered me an opportunity for growth and compassion. And too, altered my schedule...
Right after the bike accident, I went to the ER where I learned that I'd broken the pinky of my right hand. Yes, my...
I created the Joyful Healing 4-Deck Collection as an easy-to-use effective tool that promotes clarity, fosters, communication, and increases empowerment.
- Body Awareness
- Feelings
- Needs and Desires
- ...
A long day to nowhere! Sunday morning after visiting family for a week, I arrived at a small airport in Florida, ready to return home. But, that didn't happen. At least, not that day.
Three times we lined up and passed through the gate, found our seats, loaded our overhead bins, and buckled...