Posts by Carl Greer
When Changes Threaten a Relationship
All relationships go through stages and change over time. Each person in the relationship changes, and the dynamic between the two people transforms, too. What attracted us to a partner or friend might start to repel us. Our friend’s problematic personality traits might become more prominent, and we might become less patient. Fortunately, there are several actions you can take when changes threaten a relationship.
Read MoreLearn from the Future
We might say we want to establish new habits but find that, for some reason, we can’t seem to make that happen. It’s natural to feel frustrated and confused about why it’s so hard to change. If you’re wondering why your behavior is inconsistent with what you want it to be, and if you’re struggling…
Read MoreUsing Guided Visualizations and Expressive Writing for Personal Transformation
Using guided visualizations can be enjoyable and relaxing. During a stressful day, they can take you away to a sparkling lagoon or a quiet, tranquil forest, and calm your nervous system. However, they can also reduce stress and improve mood, health, and sleep.[i] In my work as a licensed clinical psychologist and Jungian analyst, I discovered…
Read MoreThe Benefits of Journaling and Doing Guided Visualizations
You may be aware of some of the benefits of journaling and guided visualizations. While these two techniques for learning more about ourselves may seem quite different, studies back the effectiveness of both. Combining them could be especially useful for anyone feeling stuck, confused, frustrated by a lack of forward movement, plagued by anxiety—or experiencing…
Read MoreResolve Conflicts Using the Martial Arts Wisdom of Kime and Ma
We all experience conflicts, and two principles from the martial arts, kime and ma, can help us resolve them and avoid feeling that life is an exhausting battle.
Read MoreThe Poem of Your Life
In ancient times, aging poets in Japan would craft a death poem in acknowledgment that their time on earth was coming to an end and as a reflection on the life they had lived. There’s a story that when the Japanese poet Matsuo Basho was getting on in years, he was asked if he had…
Read MorePractice the Art of Listening Well
In working as an analyst and as a clinical psychologist, I’ve learned that it’s best to listen, listen, listen, and then listen some more before responding. This course of action is especially wise whenever the person I am working with is upset. When it comes to conflict resolution strategies, at the top of the list is…
Read MoreTreating a Spiritual Illness
Whatever your state of health and well-being, however hard you strive for greater wellness, you might not realize that you’re neglecting your spiritual well-being. You may need to treat a spiritual illness. Not long ago, I received a strong message in a dream: Death can be a spiritual illness. I understood that what my unconscious…
Read MoreConnecting to Spirit in Nature
Where can one find opportunities to learn more about the mystical? It’s difficult, but not impossible, to have what you need show up for When I was not yet old enough for kindergarten, I would often leave behind my baby brother, who was still in cloth diapers and in need of my mother’s watchful eye, and wander off by myself to explore the town and countryside near my home in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Neither of my parents realized that my sense of adventure bordered on the foolhardy.
Read MoreTap into Transformative Power
To be practical and win others’ approval, many people put aside their dreams and set new priorities that are out of synch with their authentic selves. In midlife or during crises such as experiencing health problems or losses (jobs, loved ones, marriages, and so on), we often will awaken to how much we have constricted…
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