I decided to switch things up a little on the blog today and share a little bit more about the work that I get to do each day; though often it doesn’t feel like “work”. This is work that I love and believe me there have been many times along my career path when I […]
Guest Post: Clouds
Clouds What’s happened? The skies were blue, the roads were clear… And suddenly, it’s darkening. Down to one lane, slowing, darkness closing in. Where did the road go? Lost in a cloud, no guideposts beyond a faint blinking light ahead. Blindly inching forward, trusting that somehow we will get through, that we’ll be ok, […]
This Week: Mental Illness in the News
Imagine for a minute that you are all settled in for a cross-country flight and suddenly you become aware of some commotion in the back of the plane. You might not think anything of it; maybe you intentionally turn your music or movie up so that it is not disturbing you. However, you then notice […]
Caregivers Guest Post: Self Care Strategies
I am excited and honored to end this Caregivers in the Spotlight month with a post from Kathleen Nelson Troyer. Kat and I met through a mutual friend not long after I relocated to the Bay Area. I admire her work, her path and her courage. I am grateful and humbled that Kat agreed to share […]
Caregivers Guest Post: In Her Own Words
In today’s Caregivers in the Spotlight guest post, Brandi Gowan, author of the blog mydaughtersmind.com which chronicles her journey as a caregiver of a young daughter with mental illness, shares some of the challenges of caregiving in her own words. I recently met Brandi through a mutual social media contact and am grateful for the […]
I Don’t Need to be Fixed
Have you ever experienced a time when someone says something pretty benign to you and yet, it hits that tender spot deep in your soul? You know the comments that bring you back to when you were a child, that make you feel shameful or like you just can’t get it right? I imagine that each of […]
Leaving it all Behind
When I returned from my trip to Northern California back in August, after attending the BlogHer’14 conference, I wrote about how impactful the trip had been for me and that I could see myself living in the Bay Area. (I wrote a little bit about it here). Even on the flight home I […]
It’s Their Journey
Spring has finally sprung up here in the northeast USA. It has been a long, cold winter as it is every year. As much as I dislike the cold and grey days, it truly allows me to appreciate when winter breaks and spring arrives. There is a buzz that I feel, like I can actually […]
Happy Belated Birthday, Far From Paradise!
A couple of weeks ago (boy time does fly) this blog turned One Year old. It passed with very little fanfare and unfortunately without even a small celebration. Real life, as it is said, had gotten in the way. However, the anniversary of my first blog post is really something to celebrate and even more […]
The Answer is Blowing in the Wind
Over the past couple of days, I have been following along with the congressional hearings of the House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee on mental illness and violence, being held in response to the December 2012 Newtown, Conn. shootings. I have read a number of stories, essays and blog posts by parents who are participating […]







