Recent Articles of Sunset Community Counseling

There is Goodness in Grief

It was in my graduate studies I found my passion. I was not conscientiously seeking it. I stumbled and struggled into it. Grief and Loss is my passion. Jokes have been made about my passion as if I had to be kidding. No, really! Grief and Loss is my passion! It is a journey that…

Courage or Conformity

What is courage? The author of the book Being Mortal writes “Courage is strength in the face of knowledge of what is to be feared or hoped.” James Hollingworth wrote “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” Courage is required to live especially…

We’re all in this together

Independence is an enticing word. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “freedom from outside control or support: the state of being independent”. Is this possible? I mean really. Can I ever be independent? Or is it I can be independent as long as I am able to recognize and identify my genuine limitations? The concept…

Obligation Overload

I think it is time for me to give up certain responsibilities. I was taught to accept and take on responsibility because it builds character. But honestly in further review, there are some responsibilities that I have lorded over are not mine. There are some responsibilities that were placed on me and I accepted them…

Spring Break

As the month of Spring Break is coming to an end, I watch the shenanigans repeat themselves again this year. I wonder about the benefit and advantage of taking such a break. Is Spring Break an opportunity or disruption? Does Spring Break deliver something that propels us into the future with something good or is…

The Right Decisions or Pure Luck?

Each of us gets stuck in our lives at some time or another. Many placate themselves by naming it “bad luck”. Each of us have times when we seem to be on top of the world. We welcome “good luck” as a happenstance that plays out in a situational moment when the stars align or we…

Browbeaten Barriers: Beget Better Beginning

The blockade: Contained thoughts As a child, I had a speech impediment. I talked as if my tongue was too large for my mouth. I was constantly asked to repeat what I said. In other situations, I was humiliated by goofy imitations. Back then, I had no idea what was wrong or how to fix…

The Christmas Account: Sense of Value

I became an employee long before I was blessed with becoming a mom. I had cultivated an established position and was working on further development of a career prior to the growth of a family. I belonged to a family-owned business. I was a part of its growth and pruning through the boom and bust…

The Thank You Note: Here’s to you

As a child, I was directed to write thank you notes. The oddity of this direction came because the people who I wrote to were also present when I received the present. I learned to mind my manners and whether I liked the present or not, I always said “thank you”. There is no doubt…

The Jewelry Box: Finding Forgiveness

When I was young, one of my favorite activities was sorting through my mother’s jewelry box. In my family, jewelry was not proper for young girls. It had more of a coming of age significance. Though I received jewelry as gifts such as a charm bracelet and pearls on a chain, I seldom worn them…