If you aren’t naming and breaking the cycles that have entangled you, you are participating in them. It’s true in most systems we are part of, but especially in families. Researchers call it inter-generational trauma and have shown that the trauma of a parent is literally passed genetically to offspring (this Simple Wikipedia article on…
The voice of burnout is not YOUR voice. Burnout will say you aren’t cut out for it, that you don’t enjoy it, that you aren’t good at it. Don’t make career decisions while you are burned out. Switch employers, cut down hours, get a side gig selling slotted spoons on eBay, do what you gotta…
Some humans I know made a pretty cool podcast, and I made a doodle of episode #5! If you are interested in psychology and exploring what it means to be human- and enjoy both with a lot of giggling and a smidge of profanity, check out Personhood on Apple Podcasts or @thisispersonhood I’m three and…
Taking care of a body can be really confusing. As more and more data and tech are available to us, it’s so tempting to consume and compare- but trusting trackers, food logs, and external body ideals can actually erode trust in our own body and in the signals it gives us. When we wait to…
For about a year, I’ve been trying to take my art digital, and learn to create digital illustrations via a drawing app on a tablet. Initially, I purchased and learned on a Surface Pro 4 using an app called Sketchable. Through my trial and error learning, I even created a post of tips and tricks for drawing…
Research shows that 15-20% of teens self harm. Brain scans of teens who cut or self-harm are likely to show early structural changes in the brain that are correlated to mental health disorders in adults. Thankfully teenage brains are resilient, and with early intervention, attention, and care many can recover completely. Historically, Self harm…
When it comes to studying, most of us probably think we’ve got it down, but modern research is challenging some of the longest-held beliefs about studying. In some cases, these researchers report, counterintuitive study methods work better than traditional study methods. In this sketchnote review, I’ll doodle a few of the top study methods. A…
As an artist accustomed to trying and sketching on paper, adapting to a digital format has been a challenge. Though a good fit for my lifestyle because it is also my primary computer, the Surface Pro 4 (and later Surface Pro 6) initially proved a bit of a disadvantage in a market saturated with apps…
I’ve noticed a recent trend in culture towards the co-opting of mindfulness for the for-profit beast of the “wellness” industry. Social media and advertising increasingly paint the picture of mental wellness (particularly for women) as an idealized version of ourselves that stays neutral, calm, and unrattled by the loud emotional experiences around us (with, of…
In response to often being lectured at instead of listened to, struggling teens may use apathy and resistance to gain a sense of empowerment. While we adults usually labels these as “problem” behaviors, they aren’t necessarily a bad thing! Resistance through either defiance (overt resistance) or apathy (subversive resistance) is actually one way a…
I got to go to a Patreon Bootcamp in Seattle this week, where I was really inspired to help my fans and followers know about all the things I am imagining creating, and inviting you along on the journey to making them happen. My Patreon patrons are making it possible for me to imagine how…
My favorite part of dogsitting is getting to know the pup well enough to capture their personality in a doodle. I’ve always been a dog lover, but when I downsized and moved to Seattle and a 12′ x 17′ studio apartment, I had to leave my dog behind (with friends who had lots of space…
This one’s for all the interns starting this month. My internship-assigned mentor gave me a bulleted list of things that HAVE to get discussed in a first therapy session (left side of the page), and some talking points to bring up if the conversation is difficult to keep flowing (right side of the page). Naturally,…
Healthy adults are independent AND dependent. Most of us have anxiety as we shift between what we fear is dependency on one side and isolation on the other. Health isn’t overcoming the temptation towards either, but instead it’s learning to thrive in the tension between them. This week I have had several conversations around loneliness…
Hey everyone, I’m excited to show you an early and very rough first draft of the new project that I’m working on- and share with you how you can get your hands on a copy before anyone else! It’s a project sort of working with the popularity of bullet journaling, adult coloring books, and graphic…
When I took the class on family therapy in grad school, I fell in love with the visual language of genograms. Since making this genogram chart at the start of that course, it has been one of my most shared sketch notes across multiple platforms. Scroll to the bottom of this post to purchase a…
Research papers are one of the most time-consuming parts of school. When I went back to school after 10 years as an entrepreneur, both my time and my patience for agonizing through writing research papers was limited. Since I’ve been back in school, I’ve developed a method / “hack,” inspired by the creativity and necessity…
