January 2014 Archives

Kindness is a Strength

January 29, 2014

by Kim Childs, CPPC Once, when asked to name my religion in an online dating profile, I wrote “Kindness.” While it sounded kind of flirty at the time, it’s still what I truly believe in and practice as often as I can. Kindness touches the soul, transcends language, and connects people on a primal level. Growing up in a Catholic family, I heard a lot about the Golden Rule—treating others as we’d have them treat us. And who doesn’t want to…


Could You Just Listen?

January 16, 2014

by Kim Childs, CPPC Each spring and fall, I lead support groups designed to help people recover and express their passions and creativity via The Artist's Way. The process involves a fair amount of personal disclosure, as students identify their desires and explore what’s in the way of living them. In the first session, I distribute a handout called “Could You Just Listen?” to set the tone for our interactions. It begins, “When I ask you to listen to me…


by Kim Childs, CPPC It’s embarrassing to admit this, but I’m a yoga teacher who dislikes exercise. To be more precise, it’s the thought of exercise that turns me off, because I usually do feel better afterward. I’ve long considered exercise a chore that takes time away from other things that I need or want to be doing. What I’m starting to know in my bones, however, is that moving my body is essential to uplifting my mind. Dr. John…