Resources

Beginning with Tara Brach, Brené Brown, Rick Hanson, and Kristen Neff who I consider my Personal Support Group because of the inspiration and value I have gained from their work, the following list is made up of my additional favorite sources of what I find interesting, helpful, valuable, and, in turn, worth recommending and sharing. I have no financial relationship with any of the entities listed, though I am a paid subscriber to many of them, but it is my intention here to recommend their free offerings.

TARA BRACH, PHD.

Tara is an author, a psychotherapist, and a meditation teacher. Her website includes her blog and many meditation recordings which can be accessed for no charge.

https://www.tarabrach.com

BRENÉ BROWN, PHD.

Brené is a professor of social work and author, but is perhaps most famous for her Ted Talks on Vulnerability and Shame which led to her appearance on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday.

This is a short video made from Brené talking about the meaning of empathy:

This is not a Brené video, but it’s a short one that also drives home the meaning of empathy:

Another short video made from her speaking about what’s really going on when we blame others:

Here’s the link to her website which includes her blog and other resources she offers like downloads and to sign up for her Weekly Dose of Daring email.

https://brenebrown.com

RICK HANSON, PHD

Rick is another distinguished psychologist and author who has spoken and written widely on the subject of our natural negativity bias which he describes as follows: Our brains are like Teflon for positive experiences and Velcro for negative ones. In turn, he stresses the importance of “Taking in the Good” as an antidote.

Here’s a link to his Ted Talk on the subject of “Hardwiring Happiness”:

Here’s the link to his website which is full of resources including a podcast and sign up for free weekly email called, “Just One Thing,” in which he describes a helpful strategy for improving our lives:

http://www.rickhanson.net

KRISTIN NEFF, PHD

Kristin is a professor, ground-breaking researcher, and author on the subject of self-compassion which can be a profoundly effective coping skill. Her website dedicated to the subject contains of wealth of information, guided meditations, and videos.

http://self-compassion.org/about/

THE GOTTMAN INSTITUTE FOR COUPLES RELATIONSHIPS

One of the most respected names in the couples therapy world is Gottman which is shared by Drs. John and Julie. You may subscribe to their blog, Marriage Minute, and download their Gottman Card Decks App through their website under the Couples tab:

https://www.gottman.com

Their research has revealed four patterns of behavior destructive to relationships which they call The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They consist of Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling and are explained in this short video:

AHA PARENTING

This is my favorite parenting resource. Dr. Laura Markham has a weekly blog that provides helpful instruction for handling the inevitable challenges of being a parent and her website is searchable on a variety of specific topics.

http://www.ahaparenting.com

THE GREATER GOOD: SCIENCE-BASED INSIGHTS FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE

Affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley, this is a wonderful resource that has a newsletter, articles, and exercises all related to our collective and individual greater good and well-being.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu

TRAUMA RESILIENCY MODEL iCHILL APP

Whether or not you’ve experienced something you’d label as trauma, this app can be a tremendously helpful resource for times when you feel “bumped out” of your normal zone of feeling resilient and able to cope with the intensity of your feelings, or lack thereof which is often labeled as feeling “numb.” It talks you through customizing it in advance to fit your personal needs for getting back into your “zone.” It’s available both in the App Store and in Google play and you can learn more about it here:

http://www.ichillapp.com

SHORT VIDEOS THAT CAN IMPROVE OUR LIVES

How to Apologize:

This is probably my all-time favorite and it’s also the best way I can think of to spend just under three minutes of your viewing time. It illustrates how we can’t ever be sure if our immediate interpretations of events are accurate, and that time has a way of putting things in a better perspective.