“Too many men I know experience shame because society places pressure on them to withhold emotion: emotion and sensitivity is weak. I have found the opposite is true: emotion and sensitivity is what makes us strong.” ~Natalie Brenner Recently I saw a teen male client who struggles with depression–although one would never guess it due
“You can’t hate yourself happy. You can’t criticize yourself thin. You can’t shame yourself worthy. Real change begins with self-love and self-care.” — Jessica Ortner Body positivity has been a looming topic for me because I can attest to the fact that body image is an ongoing struggle for each of us. This includes men;
“The words you speak become the house you live in.” ~ Hafiz We all have voices talking to us in our heads. Each is competing for our attention. Some of them are louder than others, some are more quiet. Some more convincing, others less believable. Learning to harness and amplify the positive voice(s) is an
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” ~ Jim Rohn You and I have all heard how great regular exercise is for you–how it can help you lose weight and feel happier. But if you are like many Americans, life is busy, you have a sedentary job, and it
“It is not the bruises on the body that hurt. It is the wounds of the heart and the scars on the mind.” ~ Aisha Mirza When the topic of abuse comes up, we typically think of hitting, punching, pushing, hurting, harming, black eyes and bruised bodies–the physical. Yet, there are other forms of abuse
“Our brains renew themselves throughout life to an extent previously not thought possible.” ~Michael S. Gazzanica The human brain is incredibly complex. I recently wrote a blog post about the brain’s amazing ability to “learn new tricks.” I simply explained how synapses form new neural pathways, which leads to patterns and habits, and eventually forms
“The experience I have had is that once you start talking about [your mental health struggles], you realize that actually you’re part of quite a big club.” — Prince Harry I love talking about mental health and I find it quite helpful and needful to talk about mental health with my clients, colleagues, friends and
“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” – Amelia Earhart Around Christmastime, my friend went through the Chick-fil-A drive-thru and the car in front of her paid for her order. So she paid for the car behind her. The cashier told her
“NO. Is a complete sentence.” ~ Anne Lamott I recently had a male client tell me that something had happened to him on a date and he had a hard time putting it into words. He was embarrassed to talk about it and said he felt yucky even just thinking about it. As he slowly
“The best inheritance a parent can give his children is a few minutes of his time each day.” ~O. A. Battista Have you ever wished that your child would open up more to you? Like really open up to you? The highs, the lows, friends, school, drama, life, goals, problems, choices…all of it. You are
“Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his own brain.” ~Santiago Ramon Y Cajal Long story short, the human brain is amazing. When you were little, you had to learn how to walk. You fell down a bunch of times and probably bonked your head on stuff, but eventually you
“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” ― Henry James Recently, I was having an “off day” where I was ruminating about personal family matters as well as troubling world events. I was in my own
Melissa Cluff is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in North Texas, providing face-to-face and telehealth therapy options to clients in Texas.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in North Texas, providing face-to-face and telehealth therapy options to clients in Texas.
