Ending the Seek-Suffer Cycle
I used to give advice and guidance based on my intellect. I thought that knowing something meant you read it and understood it, but I have come to learn that true knowledge – at least in the context of personal growth – comes from the most basic life experience. For years I tinkered on the brink of understanding the meaning of concepts like love, solitude, trust, fulfillment and happiness. I’ve read, studied, experienced and observed all of these and more in some form throughout my life, but I am still a novice at best. This used to frustrate me because […]
Dr. Andra Brosh August 22nd, 2016
Posted In: Empowerment, Happiness, Wellbeing
Tags: happiness, mindfulness, self-help
Getting Unscheduled
It’s been a week of being in the pines, and some of my old habits are sticking like glue. As I go through my days I’m realizing that I’ve gained some serious tools while coping with bigger city living, and they’re more deeply ingrained then I would have expected. It’s been hardest to untangle myself from the need to plan. This was particularly surprising because I’m not a planner by nature. I actually love to be spontaneous so when I noticed this behavior taking shape in a place where it wasn’t necessary I started to contemplate what was driving the […]
Dr. Andra Brosh August 19th, 2016
Posted In: Happiness, Mindfulness, Wellbeing
Tags: ecotherapy, growth, mindfulness
Where do you gaze?
To the ground when looking for the earth’s gifts. To the sky when seeking the wisdom of the universe, constellations or the beauty of the moon. To the horizon at sunset when the mountains meet the sea like two lovers in a long embrace. But where do you gaze when you don’t want to see? When up, down and beyond offer no invitation? This is where imagination can be a refuge, and a lack of sight can offer the beauty lacking in your immediate world. Turn your eyeballs into your mind and pull the memory of a place you want […]
Dr. Andra Brosh August 17th, 2016
Posted In: Ecotherapy, Mindfulness
Tags: ecotherapy, meditation, mindfulness, nature
Are You Ready to Break a Bad Habit?
It’s true that habits are hard to break. I’ve read that it takes 21 days to stop doing something you habitually do, including things like nail biting, smoking and cracking your knuckles. But what about habits that are not as noticeable to the outside world like worrying, over-planning or complaining? Often considered traits, certain actions or behaviors are more habitual than inherent which means you can reduce how much you do them – or stop them all together. Just because you know something is bad for you doesn’t mean you won’t do it, an often overlooked fact that leads to […]
Dr. Andra Brosh August 11th, 2016
Posted In: Empowerment, Tips, Wellbeing
Are You Getting What You Deserve in Your Life?
There’s a lot of information on the internet, and in self-help books about how to use the word “no” as a complete sentence. This kind of advice is directed at those of us who have difficulty setting boundaries or putting our own needs before the needs of others – a common problem that leaves you feeling depleted and often resentful in your life and relationships. Knowing where to draw the line between self and other is an important part of healthy relating, but there’s also a whole population of people that have a hard time saying yes. What prevents […]
Dr. Andra Brosh August 5th, 2016
Posted In: Communication, Empowerment, Happiness, Intimacy
Tags: happiness, love, positivity, relationships
Why You Haven’t Been Lucky in Love
Falling in love is tricky. It’s even harder to find the right partner. Avoid big mistakes, toxic relationships and heartbreak by learning more about your brain. If you’re sensible, you probably select your romantic partners based on love, looks, character, and compatibility, but you might be surprised to learn that you also unconsciously choose for a few other reasons that would be important to know about. Mate selection is as old as our species, and quite honestly not much has changed. Our ancestors picked viable partners for survival and procreation purposes, and while we would all like to think that […]
Dr. Andra Brosh May 19th, 2016
Posted In: Dating, Intimacy, Love, Relationships, Sex
Tags: dating, love, relationships, romance, sex
Five Easy Steps to Happiness
Unhappiness is an important pathway to Happiness. As a culture we’re on a happiness seeking mission always trying to get away from being unhappy, but the truth is that your unhappiness can actually direct you toward being happier. Everyone wants to be happy. In fact, happiness is probably at the top of your list of goals in life, and I’m sure it’s been a New Years Resolution in the past. Wishing you were happier won’t get you very far because as you’ll learn, your happiness is actually something you can control. But what about your unhappiness? You aren’t alone […]
Dr. Andra Brosh April 27th, 2016
Posted In: Empowerment, Happiness, Mindfulness, Wellbeing
Finding a Friendly Universe When It Feels Like the World’s Against You
The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. – John Muir I’ve been walking around lately with gritted teeth. A bit raw and irritated by everything and everyone. Traffic, rude people, long lines, and assaultive noises rub me the wrong way and eat away at my happiness. This is the world that many of us live in, and there isn’t much about it we can control. It’s not everyday that we see things this negatively, but there are those times where perspective is getting the best of us, and a downward spiral ensues. On these days […]
Dr. Andra Brosh April 20th, 2016
Posted In: Andra Brosh, Mindfulness, Spirituality, Wellbeing
3 New Views on Time to Help You Slow Down and Be Present
Some months bring more to us than others, but April is super special because it embodies so much beauty, renewal, and promise. I feel like I wait all year for April because somehow I find myself blossoming each year around this time. What April really shifts for me is my concept of time. Somehow time becomes less urgent and frenetic, and that space gives me the chance to step back and review my relationship to this construct that often feels more like a commandment than a gift. I think we forget how powerful time can be when we move away […]
Dr. Andra Brosh April 13th, 2016
Posted In: Empowerment, Mindfulness, Relationships, Spirituality, Wellbeing
How to Stop Fighting and Start Surrendering in Your Relationship
It’s true with love that opposites attract, and I see this all the time in my work. What I notice is that couples come together because they’re different even though they they feel they’re choosing based on compatibility. There’s a theory in Psychology that promotes the idea that each person seeks a missing version of themselves in a partner. This happens both consciously and unconsciously because the reasons for being drawn to a certain quality or personality trait are both shallow and deep. Let me explain using a case example. Jenny and Mark came in to session the other night, […]
Dr. Andra Brosh March 31st, 2016
Posted In: Andra Brosh